The Redken Symposium is right around the corner to be held January 15-17, 2017, in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. There are 27 classes covering everything from cut, color, curl, business, trend, inspiration, product knowledge and more, all presented from top hairdressers from around the world. Ten thousand hairdressers from 34 countries are expected to attend to experience the symposium and celebrate the motto: "learn better, earn better and live better."

Salon professionals will have the opportunity to sit-in on 27 different classes and panels led by leading global educators including Redken Education Artistic Director Sam Villa who will host “All Tied Up” and Redken Education Artistic Director Chris Baran who will host “Creative Thoughts”. Redken Celebrity Colorist Tracey Cunningham will also be hosting a “Redken Ambassadors” class where she will share her secrets to keeping Hollywood’s favorite starlets looking their best.

MODERN is excited about the entire Symposium and especiallly  eager to sit in on the "Redken Ambassadors" class featuring two of our favorite artists, David Stanko and Rodney Cutler. Stanko, a haircolor master, shares his simplistic approach to beautiful haircolor, and how to tackle some of the haircolor challenges faced every day in the salon. Cutler, a top editorial and celebrity stylist, shares the recipe for success as a salon owner and backstage icon. 

We caught up with David Stanko, one of our favorite artists to get his thoughts about the class and why it should not be missed:

Why should hairdressers attend this class?

“The class Rodney and I are doing would be considered a 360-degree look at beauty. At this point in our careers, we’ve acknowledged that success is more than just a great hair color, style or cut. A full beauty ‘look’ is required in order to be successful. This can involve tips on what’s going on with makeup – the right lip color paired with the right hair color, or what’s happening with in manicuring, such as reverse-French manicures or nail art. Also, there are fashion elements. What’s the greatest handbag, or shoe, or accessory to polish off a woman’s look? That gives tremendous value add to the business as image-makers.”

How is this class different from other classes on the agenda?

“Well that’s a great question. To be honest, Rodney and I don’t really know about the other classes that are taking place. So we trust in the event, the planners at Redken that they’re creating diversity in the classrooms. Historically, the classes cover business, color, hair cutting, and hairstyling… so we fit the niche of a few of those different themes in terms of color and style while trusting that Redken’s placed us to complement our colleagues.”

What makes Rodney Cutler qualified to teach this class?

“First of all, his passion and dedication to the craft. But more importantly, his trajectory into the fashion world. Rodney has taken great strides to get backstage, to partner with designers, and to put the storyboards together for not only some of the best designers in the world but also for the top salons in the world. What I appreciate about Rodney is that he actually translates all of this to his customers because he is not only a salon owner, but h also stands behind the chair and does these haircuts and styles on a daily basis. In particular to our program, which is designed to take runway looks and compose their elements so that they can be translated to a woman sitting in the chair, is something he is really masterful at.”

How will attending this class improve business for the salon professional?

“Another great question. Our program is sort of a softer sell. You may see your bottom line grow a bit, which is our hope for everyone. But when you reach a certain point in your career, you sort of feel like you’ve done everything. You’ve cut every bob, layered every cut, tried every coloring technique… so you’re left to wonder, what else is there? So this program delivers a bit of the ‘more.’ As Redken Ambassadors, we want to provide tips that help people think, provide resources where they can search for their own ideas via social media or designers, so that they can continue to build their own resume of knowledge within the total package of beauty.”

What is the nitty-gritty about this class? How long? Is it hands-on? 

“The nitty-gritty is continuing to develop and evolve. As new ideas and trends from the runways come in, including trends for the upcoming season… all of these things influence the class itself. We have a 90-minute program with a very exciting live performance taking place that will cue the girls on the runway. You’ll see Rodney do some haircutting, you’ll see some styling and how looks can evolve from every day to a bit more fancy and the tricks that are used there, and then of course a lot of dialogue in and around hair color and what to do. Really getting people to think about color by making smart product choices and by assessing the hair.”

For more information about this class or any of the other classes (and to get your ticket!) go to www.RedkenPro.com.