Lois Christie, president of Intercoiffure America/Canada (ICA) recently announced that the association will be launching a new award recognizing leading colorists at its Fall Atelier 2014, which will be held October 19-20 at the Waldorf-Astoria New York. The ‘Icons of Color’ award will be presented to colorists whose work has pushed the envelope and established new standards for the industry.

This year the award will recognize six leading colorists: Beth Minardi, Gina Khan, Kris Sorbie, Sonya Dove, Roy Peters, and Sue Pemberton.

“I have a special appreciation for the role colorists play in a successful salon,” notes Lois Christie, herself a noted colorist and founder of ICA’s Hair Color Council. “Colorists must balance creativity and fashion sense with chemistry. Good colorists really provide value for the clients. Great colorists such as those we will be honoring in New York this fall create trends in fashion.”

The awards will be presented by President Lois Christie and Sonya Dove, creative eirector of the Hair Color Council. Christie founded the Intercoiffure Haircolor Council in 2007: “I saw a need for a forum uniting colorists throughout the industry—a forum that will help to identify and train the next generation of talented color artists.” The Council and its members present educational and creative programs at Intercoiffure events, including the Fall Atelier.

Intercoiffure America/Canada (www.intercoiffure.com) is an association of the beauty industry’s elite—more than 250 salon owners employing more than 27,500 employees. The average annual sales volume for an Intercoiffure member ranges from $1.5 million to $85 million. In addition to their economic clout, Intercoiffure members set the creative and quality standards for the industry. For more information, contact Barbara Shepherd at bshepherd@creativeage.com or 800.442.5667 ext 206