Note From the Editor: On the Map
It used to be to get pro beauty name-drop status, not only did you have to live in New York or Los Angeles, you had to have major connections. Instagram has completely leveled the playing field to access to client reach, industry notoriety and opportunities to collaborate.
I was recently inspired by a Forbes article written by Kelly Ehlers where she reflected on her early days of founding her company, Ideas That Evoke. She explained that when she first started, social media was only just becoming relevant to brand strategies. She was pitching it as a business necessity within a market space that had yet to be fully realized.
Like Kelly, when I first began working at MODERN, social media was just emerging as a vehicle for salons and stylists to find success within their communities. We launched MODERN’s presence on these platforms because we knew it was the most direct route to our reader. We loved hearing from hairdressers in real-time, seeing them connect with each other, and watching an inspiring, supportive community form. \
As one of the first speakers in the industry to present on social media, I was often the youngest person at the table but, like Kelly, I was quick to recognize the potential of using social media to connect, grow, educate and share. And now, without a doubt, Instagram has become the number-one source for how-tos, formulas, discovering new trends, and is responsible turning handles into household names. launching some of beauty.
A staggering statistic used to exist that showed the prevalence of hairdressers leaving the industry as they found themselves bored and uninspired after a few years. I love hearing from stylists that Instagram has upped their passion and love for the industry, making them more inspired and motivated than ever.
Introducing the MODERN SALON 100—our list of Game Changers who are making waves in beauty through social media. Although we annually feature top influencers in our August issue, this is the first year we decided to devote nearly the entire magazine to who we’re following, why we love their work and what post put them on the map—figuratively and literally.
- Alison Alhamed, Editor in Chief