Style knows no boundaries. Six members of the Wahl Education and Artistic Team (W.E.A.T.) had the opportunity to take their talents around the globe to teach techniques and learn the trends of other cultures. W.E.A.T’s own Christina Goree, Nieves Almaraz, Kristi Faulkner, Rick Morin, Garland “G-Whiz” Fox and Laura VanderMoere each traveled abroad this year to showcase techniques and trends in Russia, Mexico, Brazil and England. 

Goree recently returned from St. Petersburg, Russia where she was the featured barber stylist, as well as the only American, at the four-day international Nevskie Berega Festival held in September. “I shared proper positioning in order to achieve the optimum fade level,” Goree said.  “It is quite apparent that the Russian barbers and stylists share completely different views on the diverse opportunities within our industry. I feel we are in a prime position to influence and educate this market.” 

Goree showed on scalp fading American style with Wahl’s adjustable corded clipper, and while communication was a challenge, she rose to the occasion. “I speak hair as my a first language.  English is my 2nd language,” Goree said.

Kristi Faulkner, who traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the April 2014 Expocenternorte, a four-day educational hair event, shared that sentiment.

“Hair is hair. Passion is contagious,” said Faulkner. “The only noticeable difference was the language. They speak Portuguese. I was very fortunate that a couple of the team members spoke English. But because of a true passion for Wahl and our industry, the language barrier didn’t stop us from understanding each other.”

Faulker attended the event to introduce the Wahl 5-Star line. 

“Brazil only has a handful of tools from Wahl that they carry in their country, but they are very excited to have a manufacturing plant very soon,” Faulker said. We hope to soon introduce the Wahl 5-Star series there.” 

And audience members were impressed with what they saw.

“I did quite a variety of haircuts. All the way from precision fades to long layered textured haircuts,” Faulkner said. “I tried to educate the team and Brazil on multi-cultural techniques.

“Women’s cutting in Brazil was all very long, flowing, romantic hair,” Faulker described. “The men’s haircuts definitely needed a jump start. They were very amazed with the precision cuts.” 

Nieves Almaraz and Rick Morin both visited Mexico in 2014. Almaraz was in Merida, Mexico April 6th and 7th, and Morin traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico in May. Although they attended separate shows, both noticed similar trends in men’s hair. 

“Men's haircuts seemed to be delayed a few years as they were still rocking the faux hawk,” Morin said. “But they were all styled differently as some had it straight up and others had the hawk styled to the side so it did add a twist to the normal faux hawk look.”

Almaraz and Morin focused on short hair clipper cutting fading techniques.

“I was able to do all kinds of haircuts while on stage and in classes,” Morin said. “I focused on short, tight haircuts such as the ‘Bald Fade’ but even found some models that allowed me to go all out and do some designs to educate the crowd on proper techniques when doing hair designs.”

At the Global Education Summit, Garland “G-Whiz” Fox demonstrated cutting techniques on different hair textures using the Wahl 5-Star line, while Laura VanderMoere shared core traditional techniques used by American barbers. The event was held in August at the Wahl Academy UK.

“It was the World Cup of Hair,” said Fox. “We were able to communicate with one another by demonstrating our skills and watching others show theirs.”

W.E.A.T. is a 16-member group of professionals that are the leaders in the industry. They are highly trained and technology advanced artists capable of instructing any skill level. Their goal is to provide student, licensed hair professionals and instructors with clipper education, and they believe that education is the key to a stylist’s success. To meet the team, visit www.wahlpro.com/education.

“As excited as we are about fusing Wahl education with our International counterparts, we are equally as proud of the passion and devotion of the entire Wahl Education and Artistic Team here at home,” said Laura VanderMoere, Director of Education in the Professional Division at Wahl. “For more than 30 years, W.E.A.T. has been dedicated to helping professionals, students and instructors become the most accomplished stylists, artists and leaders they can possibly be.”