June 2018

June 2018

June 2018 Cover

Note From the Editor: Ink and Paper

When we invited Keune Haircosmetics to our New York City studios to shoot a men’s collection, our photo team was thrilled when our tattooed-from-head-to-toe model arrived at the casting. Sure, his aesthetic might not speak to the everyday client, but there’s something so cool and unique about his look.

“The hairdressers wanted to show that the new 1922 by J.M. Keune line is for every kind of guy,” says Maggie Mulhern, our beauty and fashion director who is also the creative director for our photoshoots. “They specifically selected that model to show how versatile the line is—from the boardroom to the subway to the tattoo parlor.”

Imagine my surprise when reviewing the photoshoot collection submitted by beauty photographer and BaBylissPRO VP Luis Alvarez to see our “unique” model appear once again—this time sporting an entirely new look! I called Luis immediately—how, out of all the models available, did we end up with two photoshoots with the exact same man?!

“As soon as I saw him, I knew he was the right guy for the shoot,” Luis told me “We wanted to go for a sophisticated bad boy—he looked edgy and raw but could pull off a Tom Ford suit. I wanted to steer clear of Zoolander.”

When I talked with Maggie to see if she was as surprised as I was, she was a little less shocked but saw the bizarre factor.

“Years ago, male models with alternative looks—tattoos, piercings, body builders—were in defined categories within modeling agencies,” she says. “You had to go to specific agencies to find anyone not ‘mainstream.’”

Maggie and I laughed about the “hot felon”—the mugshot that went viral and transformed an inmate from prison to Fashion Week—was that the turning point?

“Ever since he hit the market, everything’s changed—the gloves are off!” she says. This annual men’s issue of MODERN is always one of my favorites. If you’re not currently working on your skills in the men’s market, you’d better roll up those sleeves and get going.

“If you have a traditional female clientele, think about all the opportunities that represents: kids, boyfriends, husbands—you don’t want them to go somewhere else; you want them to come to you,” Luis says. Not only does this represent a huge percentage of potential income, but male clients are also loyal, they buy product, and they come back more frequently.

“The hairdressing community can’t afford to turn its back on men,” Luis says. We agree.

- Alison Alhamed, Editor in Chief

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