Four INTERLOCKS Stylists recently traveled to Spain for the International TrendVision Awards, Wella’s biggest and best showcase for hairdressing talent. Seniors Stylists Christine R., Sherise C., Sarah L., and Master Stylist Katie R. attended the event in Barcelona, which showcased nominees’ work in fabulous runway shows followed by a lavish award ceremony. This was the culmination of a months-long competition of stylists all over the world, showcasing their talents in the categories of Color and Creativity.

Attendees were able to go behind the scenes of the runway shows, to see competitors recreating their looks and also watch color and cut demos for the latest hair trends. For the main event, models walked the runway with the competitors one by one, country by country, for the Walk of Fame. “The event was jam-packed with inspiration from every country,” says Christine. “Every second was so amazing and so intense.”

The show wasn’t the only thing that stylists took inspiration from, though. Read on for more about their experiences at TrendVision and the beautiful city of Barcelona!

What was your favorite part about TrendVision or the trip in general?

Senior Stylist Sherise C.: The TrendVision competitors. Having to choose just one to vote for was extremely difficult! They all were unbelievable! One of my favorites was by Manuel Sunda, from Italy. He created a steel silver color on his model and had the top of her head woven intricately to look like a beret with long hair coming down past her collar bone. All the looks were created without hair pieces! All the entries were so inspiring, they make me want to enter again.

Senior Stylist Christine R.: The whole show was over the top! The education was surrounded by blaring music and crazy lights! You can feel the energy in the room! All the models were insane, it would be too hard to choose just one. The trip to Barcelona was indescribable. Every where you look there is something intriguing. The buildings, the people, the tiles you walk on. All of the city was so beautiful.

Master Stylist Katie R.: My favorite part of the show was seeing all of the finalists, being with people from all over the world and seeing so many different ideas and all the creativity!

Senior Stylist Sarah L: My favorite part about the show was the energy that was pulsing through the enormous venue. We watched the models and stylists walk the catwalk in; it was pretty incredible to be in that space with like-minded people from all over the world and being inspired by the art these contestants were placing in front of us.

What were you most inspired by?

Sherise: I think that Barcelona was the perfect city for this competition to be held because the city itself was so inspiring. Gaudi is a famous architect that is known for his incredible work all throughout Barcelona. After touring several of his creations I saw how he used lines and balance in all of his work. He stepped outside the norms of his time and used line and shape and color to create illusions within his work. He loved curved lines and asymmetry but still his work seemed very balanced. This is all very true with hair! It’s all about creating unique shapes and lines within a haircut to make a wearable, effortless look.

Christine: The famous architect Gaudi was very inspiring. He filled the city with beauty. Every detail was designed by him and it was breathtaking. The park he created was overlooking the city and had a ton of mosaic tiles. The church he started and is hoped to be finished on his 100 year anniversary of death 2026, has the prettiest stained glass I’ve ever seen. The sun filled the cathedral with color. We were also lucky to visit Gaudi’s apartment. With headsets and a mobile devise we were able to tour it and see what it use to look like many years ago. This guy was a machine and filled the city with so much to see.

Katie: I was most inspired by watching the actual TrendVision finalists working on and recreating their models before they went on stage. It was so inspiring and exciting to see all the hard work and effort that goes into their visions. And Barcelona is such a vibrant colorful city filled with art everywhere you look. So much to soak up!

Sarah:  I was most inspired by the fact that these stylists had these amazing and abstract visions in their heads, and so perfectly executed them with a real life model.

Did you learn anything new?

Sherise: After a bit of watching the contestants, we then gathered around the stage and watched color and cut demos from HOB academy. They created beautiful red colors and created shape within the hair just with color. They used pastel pinks and soft icy blondes on short face framing cuts. They showed ways to incorporate undercuts that can also be hidden and how to completely change a haircut without taking much length, which is a common request.

Christine: There was a lot to take in. But I learned that there is some much in the world for me to get out and see!

Katie: So many new trends and ideas!

What are some trends, techniques, or inspirations you will bring back to your chair?

Sherise: Color contouring is going to be huge! Color contouring is all about creating illusions matched to facial features. Uplifting through light, narrowing through dark, and inside linings for depth. All of this is an illusion of the eye! Another trend that was released is called Pastforward, which is all about celebrating imperfections, flaws, and quirks. I’m really excited about both of these trends because they are so different based on the individual!

Christine: The colors were beautiful pastels. The hair was contoured to create depth. Bobby pins are used as accessories. All very exaggerated, but useful for me beyond the chair here in Newburyport.

Katie: Some new trends illuminate hair from within, with natural highlights placed in the interior of the hair that brighten and soften the color without any obvious lines. In the show, there were models with actual lit-up hair on stage! Pastel hair color was everywhere, as well as hair contouring and embracing imperfections with the style.

Sarah: The trends and techniques that we saw were mainly using a lot of pastels in the color and contouring with color to create dimension. Some of the cuts we saw had hidden effects within, so the style completely changed to edgy or conservative based on how the hair was parted.

How did you feel about this opportunity?

Sherise: This trip was by far my favorite hair show! It incorporated culture into learning the latest color and cutting techniques. It’s really inspiring to see where the trends come from and how they can be interpreted through hair.

Christine: How lucky am I to be in this industry?!?! ❤❤😍😍

Katie: The whole trip was so inspirational, just to take in a different culture and be around people from all over the world who share the same passion as you! It’s always such a great opportunity to be able to travel abroad and view things in a different way! There’s so much to learn from and be inspired by!

Sarah: I was so inspired on this trip, not only with the amazing pieces of architecture (which were unlike anything I’ve ever seen) but also with the talent, hard work, and amazing techniques executed by the contestants!