THE EVENT: Global Zoom 15, the grand event surrounding the annual Goldwell color and cut competition: the Color Zoom Challenge. The name of the overall event has changed to incorporate KMS California and the education surrounding the actual competition.

HIGHLIGHTS AND DETAILS: More than 2500 salon professionals attended the three day extravaganza that included the competition floor, “Artist Sessions,” educational seminars, parties and a gala to announce and celebrate the winners.  Guests were invited to learn more about trends and new products from Mark Leeson (British Hairdresser of the Year 2014) and to get details on Goldwell‘s new Master Stylist program “Essential and Advanced Haircutting” from Jay Mahmood.  Benni Tognini, Australia's most award-winning hairstylist, offered a seminar demonstrating how to cut and color to create graphic shapes. Last but not least, attendees got a first look at the new campaign for the 40th anniversary of KMS California.

COLOR ZOOM: 72 finalists from 30 countries and 5 continents were represented in the competition which offered opportunity in three categories: New Talent (less than 5 years of experience), Creative Colorist (more than 5 years of experience) and Partner (Goldwell educators and platform artists.) The competitors were narrowed down from 1,800 entries. Artists were judged on their interpretation of Goldwell's "Traditional Rebels" collection featuring surprising color combinations and tribal elements designed to push the limits of hairstyling to new heights. The finalists were tasked with recreating the look in their winning photo (cut, color, make up and fashion) in front of a live audience in just three hours.

THE RESULTS:

It was a particularly positive competition for the host country as 2 United States finalists earned the top award in the Creative Colorist and Partner Categories:

All winners

GOLD:

Partner: Corinne Brown - United States, Salon Circa, Seattle, Washington
Creative Colorist: Harley Lobasso - United States, Hair By Scott & Company, Delray Beach, Florida

New Talent: Natalie Cara Jones - United Kingdom, Cameo Salon

SILVER:

Partner: Claude Comeau – CA
Creative Colorist: Nicol Wolter - Germany

New Talent: Ashleigh Thomas – Australia

BRONZE:

Partner: Svetlana Zaitseva – Russia
Creative Colorist: Zoe Huang - Taiwan

New Talent: Sandy Yeo – Singapore

STYLISTS FAVORITE AWARD:

Partner: Helen Heinroos – Estonia
Creative Colorist: Alberto Torres Trevino - Mexico

New Talent: Bram Van Den Eijnden – Netherlands

THE JUDGES: The 8 judges reflected the international breadth of the competition. Representing the US judge was MODERN’s own Beauty and Fashion Director Maggie Mulhern and  2013 Color Zoom winner Derrick Zeno. Other 2013 winners (who helped in the creation of Traditional Rebels),  included Kuku Soh, Taiwan and Rustam Mirasov, Russia. Famed hairdressers made up the bulk of the judging panel: Harma Renting, the Director of Team Twins Hair & Beauty, The Netherlands; Shane Bennett, three time Northern Ireland Hairdresser of the Year and a member of the British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame and Shane Henning, Creative Director and one of the owners of Noddy's On King Sydney. Rounding out the jury was Jeremy Leong, publisher and industry expert from Singapore

D!ISRUPT THE NEW COLLECTION: Introduced at the Color Zoom Gala was the new COLOR ZOOM 2016 collection designed to inspire artists interested in entering the next competition. “D!srupt” invites stylists to experiment with daring new shapes, conflicting textures and an eclectic rainbow of colors that challenge convention on every level. While designing D!srupt, the Goldwell creative Color Zoom Team experimented with the shape, color and texture of hair with reimagined dimensions, new coloring techniques and larger-than-life textures. According to the support materials, artists are advised to “Think strong shape meets organic fluidity. Shiny materials combine with matte and flatteringly frizzy textures. Deep neutral backgrounds are illuminated by disruptive vibrant accents.”  D!isrupt color features intense and strategically placed pieces of color, or light, designed to create the illusion of movement. Lidia Malez, Global Winner 2014, Talent Category, Russia, and a member of the D!isrupt Design Team, says to think “Laser light. Ambient light. Vibrant accents break deep neutral backgrounds.” For texture and shape, artists are expected to take seemingly separate shapes and create one stunning look. The collection combines multiple textures that expand shape and diffuse color. “It’s about round shapes,” says Hardy Tsai, Global Winner 2014, Creative Category, Taiwan, “distorted and full of movement.”

NEXT YEAR: Global Zoom 16 will be held in the fall in Stockholm, Sweden. The next call for U.S. submissions will be in January, 2016 (go to goldwell.us/color-zoom for more details).