Rise and SHINE with Aluram
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
MY perfect ME Photo Collection: Wella Artists Celebrate Individual Style, Spirit, and Beauty
Here’s what happened when a group of talented creative artists came together to bring their vision of self-expression to bright, beautiful life.
March 27, 2019
“Inclusivity is the key to unlocking the future of beauty.”—Creative Brief for MY Perfect ME
Laretta Houston
1/13
2 min to read
The team behind this shoot, operating under the name “Pop Anomaly,” are all Wella Professionals artists who were challenged to pitch a concept so compelling it would earn them an exclusive photo shoot, sponsored by Wella Education. Having won that honor, they gathered at the Wella Studio in Calabasas, CA, an education hub and also a hot spot for creative risk-taking. Their vision was to reveal the individual style and spirit of their models and to express the glorious diversity and innate loveliness in everyone, especially those rebellious anomalies, through a collection they call MY perfect ME.
“MY perfect ME is all about embracing uniqueness,” explains Signature Studio Artist, Oliver Shortall. “Straight, gay, black, white, trans, and plus sized; we want to celebrate who these models are.”
And the team, comprised of hair artists Shortall, Lynette Tatum, Matthew Luce, Galin Hristov and Fay Linksman, along with nail artist Sigourney Nunez, celebrated it with exceptional hair color (Emerald Green, Primary Yellow, Denim Blue, Mermaid Red), androgynous, artistic cuts, and references from Pop Art to the 1970s to the medium of social media. The interplay of non-conforming colors and mind bending patterns is reflected not only in the hair but in the nail designs, the wardrobe, and even the backdrops where a Pop Art palette of gel projections enhanced the images, making them—you guessed it—pop.
“All this color and pattern is not something you typically see in a hair shoot but based on the elements and principles of design, we know that if we create chaos in the entire image then the calmest thing you see will be the model’s face and hair and that becomes the emphasis and the focal point,” Shortall says. “The shoot was different, too, in that the models and their personalities were very much a part of the overall concept.”
The photo campaign, NOH8, was also an influence. With a mission to promote equality through visual protest, the NOH8 movement used black-and-white imagery and their models as canvases. With this collection, the message of MY perfect ME is being received, boldly and beautifully, via a visual salute to free expression.
Credits
Photographer: Laretta Houston
Makeup: Nova Kaplan
Wardrobe: Lisa Katnic
Hair: Oliver Shortall, Lynette Tatum, Matthew Luce, Galin Hristov and Fay Linksman
Nails: Sigourney Nunez using OPI
All products used are from the Wella Portfolio including:
Koleston Perfect ME+
Color Charm Create
Wella Blondor
WellaPlex
Illumina
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Galleries
Shampoo, Rinse, Repeat: Salon Clients Face a Water Cycle Crisis of Mineral Buildup on Hair
Neutralizing the damaging effects of water benefits the hair from texture to shine to color longevity, and it’s the science behind Malibu C products.
Sponsored by Malibu Wellness
Meet Wella's New BlondorPlex 9 with Built-In Metal Purifier
Meet the next generation of lightening with cleaner lift, less breakage, and built-in Metal Purifier Technology.
Sponsored by Wella
milk_shake Presents “LAMINAR” Collection by Shelley Lane, milk_shake Global Artistic Ambassador
milk_shake proudly celebrates Global Artistic Ambassador Shelley Lane and her latest editorial collection, LAMINAR.
Meet Wella's New SmoothFiller Service
Less frizz. No restrictions. Up to 3 months of smooth. Wella Professionals' SmoothFiller is the smoothing service your clients (and your revenue) have been waiting for.
Sponsored by Wella
Perfect Celebrity: Ulta Beauty Artists on Treating Every Client Like a Star
Justin Toves-Vincilione and Mat Wulff, creative directors and the hair, makeup leads on this Ulta Beauty shoot, say the goal of each service is to provide the client with star treatment, while also remembering that the beauty professional is a star in their own light.
by Anne Moratto
EDGE Academy Unveils “GlassCandy,” a Six-Look Collection That Blends Precision With Ease
Building on last year’s Neon Arcade, GlassCandy shifts from neon to daylight with softer movement, confident shape, and wearable polish, created by Creative Director Anthony Edge and the EDGE Artistic Team.
by Anne Moratto
Golden Threads: Oribe’s Gilded Gift Sets
Each year, Oribe turns its holiday gift sets into works of art and 2025’s “Golden Threads” collaboration with Finnish artist Kustaa Saksi is no exception. Inspired by mythology and master craftsmanship, the limited-edition collection blends luxury with meaning, transforming salon retail into an elevated client experience. See how Flaunt Hair Salon brings the collection to life with immersive displays, team engagement, and record-breaking holiday sales.
Sponsored by Oribe
Celebrating an Icon: Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
Fifteen years after its debut, Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray remains a true styling icon. From backstage at fashion week to behind the chair, this cult favorite continues to define volume, texture, and effortless glam for a new generation.
Sponsored by Oribe
A-Temporal 01: A Collection by Sebastián Forner and Víctor Fernández
Sebastián Forner and Víctor Fernández present A-temporal 01, a hairdressing collection born from the pulse of the street and the wealth of experience gained through years of observing, listening, and adapting to real clients.
Lloyd Court’s “Raw” Inspires Colorists with Creative Placement and Storytelling
An award-winning British colorist, Court says this collection was created to help colorists "utilize natural lift to create beautiful images."
by Anne Moratto
Olivia Garden Unveils Dream Hair Lookbook: A Vision of Timeless, Effortless Beauty
Classic meets current in a lookbook designed to inspire — and achieve — the hair of everyone’s dreams.
Peter Gray Elevates Men’s Grooming in New Editorial for OWAY
In one of his most recent project, Gray directed the hair for an OWAY Men’s Editorial, a striking visual story captured by photographer Stockton Johnson.
by Anne Moratto
No Glam Wasted: Mentorship Meets Sustainability in a Forest-Set Photo Collection
Beauty, fashion, and environmental consciousness converge in a cross-discipline collaboration at Bankhead National Forest.
Gaining Momentum: NAHA Finalist Collection for Styling and Finishing
Breanne Gershon, a Canadian hairstylist, makeup artist, and educator, is a finalist for Styling and Finishing.
by Anne Moratto
Spirited: A Colorful Collection by Carol Ritchie
Bold and bright, this is UK stylist Carol Ritchie's Spirited collection.
The 2025 CHI Harmony Collection by Mego Ayvazian
Farouk Systems' Mego Ayvazian, Vice President of Education and Shows, is proud to introduce the 2025 CHI Harmony Collection.