(Las Vegas) – Caesars Palace was a sea of black and white and beautiful hair when 2,500 cosmetology students arrived for Paul Mitchell Schools’ 29th annual Caper event. The 3-day educational extravaganza featured world-class hair shows, hands-on classrooms, and inspiration from the likes of singer-songwriter Marie Osmond, comedian and inspirational speaker Kathy Buckley, deaf actor John Autry, and motivational speaker and author Lizzie Velasquez. The students (they call them “future professionals”) earned their way by selling specially packaged Paul Mitchell products, practicing valuable retail and sales skills that will be vital in their future careers. Hosted by Paul Mitchell Co-owners John Paul DeJoria and Angus Mitchell, Paul Mitchell Schools’ Dean and Cofounder Winn Claybaugh, and Paul Mitchell Global Artistic Director Robert Cromeans, the smoke-free, alcohol-free event included top artists and educators in and out of the Paul Mitchell world.
On Monday, future professionals checked in, picked up their swag bags, and visited the Mall and Career Connection to mingle with salon reps and practice their interview skills. With the addition of Slovenia’s Mic Styling salons, this year’s Career Connection went international. At the Peace, Love, and Happiness Lounge, students relaxed and watched mini demonstrations in styling, cutting, and makeup. “To me, one of the best things about Caper is that the education begins the minute the students arrive,” Robert Cromeans said.
Tuesday’s main-stage presentation opened with a warm welcome from co-hosts John Paul, Robert, Winn, and Angus. Surprise guest Marie Osmond dropped by to thank the audience for supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which she cofounded 30 years ago. “You couldn’t be with a better organization,” Marie said, referring to Paul Mitchell Schools and the annual FUNraising campaign that has donated over $850,000 to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to date.
Caper’s “Decades of Style” theme continued with five fashion presentations featuring Paul Mitchell Vice President of Education Stephanie Kocielski and many other Paul Mitchell artists, educators, artistic directors, students, and staff, plus a special presentation by NAHA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Vivienne Mackinder. Alongside their mentors, students also took the stage in four of the segments, appearing as models or members of the student Design Team: they did hair, makeup, and modeling in the barbering and long-hair segments, they cut hair in the color segment, and they modeled in Vivienne Mackinder’s presentation.
The rest of Tuesday’s show was dedicated to inspiration and motivation. Gifted comedienne, award-winning actress, accomplished author, and renowned inspirational speaker Kathy Buckley returned to Caper for the third year to share her powerful message of courage and hope. Billed as America’s first hearing-impaired comedienne, Kathy has appeared on The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Entertainment Tonight, and Extra. Born deaf but misdiagnosed as mentally retarded, Kathy’s inspiring story and tireless work for the No Limits theater program for deaf children have made her a long-time favorite among Paul Mitchell future professionals. John Autry, a young deaf actor widely known for his appearances on Glee, joined Kathy and a group of school owners to perform John Lennon’s “Imagine” in sign language. “John is the reason we have No Limits today,” Kathy said. To date, Paul Mitchell Schools have donated $406,250 to No Limits.
Making her first Caper appearance, Lizzie Velasquez has a rare medical condition that doesn’t let her gain weight or create muscle. At age 24, she weighs about 60 pounds and has zero percent body fat. When an Internet video calling her “The World’s Ugliest Woman” went viral, Lizzie set out to discover what truly makes people beautiful. Now a popular author, speaker, and college graduate whose recent appearance at Austin’s TEDx conference garnered over 4 million video hits, Lizzie shared her story at Caper 2014.
Day one ended with a favorite Paul Mitchell tradition: the White Party, where Future Professionals enjoyed “photo ops” with their favorite educators.
The final day of Caper featured hands-on classroom rotations: cosmetology students rotated through three 2-hour classes (Cutting, Color, Look and Learn), while skin care students spent their day in Hands-On Makeup. A grand finale presentation starred the show teams from A Robert Cromeans Salon (with special guest Angus Mitchell), Lunatic Fringe, Kelly Cardenas Salons, and Supercuts.
This news is courtesy of www.paulmitchelle.edu
One Response to “Las Vegas Extravaganza Kick-Starts Cosmetology Careers”
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March 25th, 2014 at 11:42 am
Paul Mitchell continues to impact the world of cosmetology by continuing to sponsor workshops and hands on training to upcoming and practising cosmetologist…..these seminars allows people to learn and to be exposed to different techniques and equipment that is developed….people also get certification which enables advancement in the field of cosmetology….Paul Mitchell also uses these oppurtunities to advertize and boost their image