Modern Salon - August 2007 - (Page 48) CHOOSE BEAUTY Students of beauty Hands-On Joy This month, we spotlight two hairdressers whose devotion to lifelong learning proves their professional passion. Sara Jones, senior vice president and general manager of Joico and ISO, enrolled in beauty school the day after she graduated from her Sioux Falls, South Dakota, high school. “It was the best decision I ever made,” she says. “As a teenager I was always interested in beauty and fashion and I also loved music and drama, so it only seemed natural to combine my interests and find a profession that would allow me to explore them.” The practical aspect of the craft appealed to her particularly. “I’m a ‘doer,’ which means I like to get involved in projects and get my fingernails dirty,” she explains. “I’ve always been a very competitive person, so I am generally motivated by challenges. Whether it’s business or personal, I like to do things that produce something tangible.” As her career developed, Jones added education and business to beauty, starting stints as a distributor/educator and moving on to work directly with Arnie and Sydell Miller in the early days of Matrix. She packed on corporate experience at Wella, Graham Webb, Sebastian and Matrix under L’Oréal’s ownership, finally reaching her current leadership position at Joico/ISO. “Even today, I use the skills I received with my cosmetology license to play a hands-on role in product testing and explaining and demonstrating products to our customers,” she says. “And I do still cut my husband’s and daughter’s hair!” Talk to Jones and you can feel her pride in the profession. “To me, the best thing about being in the hairdressing world is the joy that comes from the people in this industry. Hairdressers are creative, modern and fun! This business is a face-to-face/ person-to-person business. “I love the interaction and passion that the people in the beauty business possess. I am a firm believer in surrounding yourself by great people—creative, energetic and risk-takers—that’s what keeps me going.” —Maggie Mulhern “ Surround yourself with great people— creative, energetic risk-takers. From South Dakota to Southern California, Sara Jones has had a beautiful journey. Vivienne Mackinder’s career began a little more than 30 years ago when, while working as a professional dancer, she became fascinated with hair design and Educator-turned-entrepreneur Vivienne make-up. Mackinder remains an artist at heart. “I gave up dancing,” she says, to make the transformation from an “on-stage” to a “backstage” performance artist. To learn the trade inside and out, Mackinder first attended the London College of Fashion, studying design for film and theater. But in 1975, she enrolled for training at Vidal Sassoon. “I was asked to join the company while still a student. I worked in the salon, taught at the school and began editorial styling. From there I went on to become artistic director, and that was my introduction to the hair show business.” Mackinder recalls her initiation into the fast-paced Sassoon environment as “a scary beginning.” She was learning the craft from Sassoon artists at the pinnacle of the profession but, she admits, she remained very naïve. “I was a protégé of the greatest hairdressers in the world, including Annie Humphreys and Christopher Brooker, but had no idea how privileged I was. If I’d known, I would’ve had a nervous breakdown,” she laughs. After her stint with Sassoon, Mackinder toured with Trevor Sorbie as his artistic director, finding new outlets for her flourishing talent through print and editorial assignments. “I saw the world via shows and seminars,” she says of the experience. Today, as an independent entrepreneur, Mackinder is coproducing the fourth film in her documentary series profiling industry legends, titled “I’m Not Just a Hairdresser,” and on the construction of www.hairdesignertv.com, which includes fashion footage and on-line tutorials for 87 cuts, color and dresswork. Each step-by-step is preceded by a motivational message from a high-profile designer—a “huge undertaking” that Mackinder describes as a glimpse “inside the artists’ minds.” When not involved with her pet projects or on the road conducting in-salon seminars or photo workshops, Mackinder keeps it real. She still makes time to see clients at the Oscar Bond Salon in Manhattan. —Arlene Tolin Performance Artist ” 48 AUGUST 2007 www.modernsalon.com http://www.modernsalon.com
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