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Diversity through Texture with Steven Lightfoot and Peter Coppola Beauty
When Steven Lightfoot, technical director of education and product development for Peter Coppola Beauty, spent time thinking of ad campaigns, photoshoots or imagery that had an impact on him, he remembered a magazine ad campaign that struck a ...
January 25, 2016
“The cleanliness of the piece, the simplicity of the shoot, the positions of the models looked so real and attainable. It was a statement, it had effect, it was real.” —Steven Lightfoot on the inspiration shot behind the campaign
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2 min to read
When Steven Lightfoot, technical director of education and product development for Peter Coppola Beauty, spent time thinking of ad campaigns, photoshoots or imagery that had an impact on him, he remembered a magazine ad campaign that struck a chord with him.
“It was a group of people in simple attire mingling,” Lightfoot says. “The cleanliness of the piece, the simplicity of the shoot, the positions of the models looked so real and attainable. It was a statement, it had effect, it was real.”
When he looked a bit deeper, he says, only then he noticed the diversity of the models in the campaign. The focus wasn’t supposed to be on the models being different—it was about equality.
“Because of the segregation of the hair marketplace, stylists can sometimes be afraid to style textures that differ from their own,” Lightfoot says. “Hair is hair—and the Diversity Through Texture campaign sends a message that hair is not defined by skin color, and so our products should speak to all clients.”
The texture-focused conversation led the Peter Coppola Beauty team to expand its training efforts to all communities, including barbers and groomers, as texture plays a roll in every client.
“If you are able to address texture as a service to every client walking in the door of the salon you will be looking at hair in a different way—opening up new possibilities in your craft and business,” Lightfoot says. “We address the shape of the cut, the tonality and level of the color, but rarely at creating a new texture to make the style work. We style and change texture during our blowout but we do not look at semipermanently shifting the hair every time a client sits down. There is nothing worse than having a client unable to achieve their desired look due to texture. Using a refinishing system is applicable to everyone that needs to simplify their styling life.”
Artistic director and hair: Steven Lightfoot for Peter Coppola Beauty
Hair assistants: Anthony Grillo, Aryka Chrupalo, Kelli Gasaway
Photography: Ben Cope
Makeup: Melanie Lindsey
Fashion styling: Wookie Fields
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