It’s all about hair and beauty

Lou Ching Wong, project coordinator for the mega Hair and Beauty Fair and Hair Asia Pacific 2007, speaking on his role at the event, said, 'I am in charge of the coordination and choreographing of the productions held throughout the event'
The fair will kick off on March 2 with the day focused on everything related to hair.

The show is sponsored by L'Oreal, the leading hair-care product company. There will be demonstrations by leading local and foreign experts featuring cuts, colouring and a variety of styles, along with competitions for the national awards ceremony, comprising of ladies and gents haircuts, as well as bridal and evening hairstyles during the day. An international hair show will be held in the evening, showcasing trend statements, especially with regard to forecasting the latest trends in hairstyles. The one-hour show will feature Sri Lanka's top hairstylists with foreign hairstylists also participating.

Renowned Pakistani Cosmetologist and Dermatologist Dr. Farah Farook will have a comprehensive two hour presentation followed by a one to one session with the public on the medicinal aspect of beauty and skin care on March 3, which kicks off the day focused on beauty.

March 4, focuses on fashion - where there will be competitions related to bridals from western and oriental to the traditional and contemporary as well as the full fashion look for men and women. The highlight of the day will be the much-anticipated Fashion Extravaganza, where fashion shows will be held right throughout the day showcasing creations of some of Sri Lanka's leading fashion designers and designing schools. Comprising of a series of fashion shows, with a pool of 15 female models and six male models, eight collections will be displayed, with each show lasting for 30 minutes, with breaks in between.

A bridal show, which will showcase a cross section of brides, will be presented by SLAHAB in the evening. Anom, an Indonesian designer who will be showcasing his collection, will follow this, with four Indonesian models participating.

Sri Lanka's pioneer in the fashion industry Kirthi Sri Karunaratne starts off the series of shows, displaying a wide variety of sari's at the show, followed by Yolanda Aluvihare, who will also showcase a collection of sari's, with tie and dye, batik and classical motifs. Undergraduate students following the degree programme in Fashion Design and Product Development at the University of Moratuwa will present their creations, with Brian Kerkoven's collection for men and women and Purnima Abeyratne's medieval themed collection next in line.

Dhammika Amarasekera is staging a comeback, with a collection focused on the colour white,thirteen students from the Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology (LIFT) recreating the 1970's look and Ruchira Silva's Haute Exotica Couture themed collection end the show,leading to a gala dinner for all competitors.
Hair Asia Pacific starts on March 5, with over 200 foreign participants comprising of Jacklyn Tan, Director of Pivot Point, Singapore, Rudi Hadisuwarno, President of the Indonesian Hairdressers Association and President of the OMC and ICD, Indonesia, Suchard Konreuk, President of the All Thai Hairdressers Association and Ruhana Iqbal Khan, President of PHABA, Pakistan among others. Attended by 15 countries in the zone, which include Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, India, Taiwan, and Malaysia, the international event is to be one of glitz and glamour.

An awards ceremony will also be held, with winners from each category entitled to prize money of USD500 and USD2000 for the grand championship category. An international hair show will follow with New York based Indian designer, Payal Singh showcasing her Indo Western collection, which will be on sale on March 6, 2007 at the lobby of the Galadari Hotel.

Recognised by the Ministry of Tourism as a national event, the fair is guaranteed to create benchmarks in the local hair, beauty and fashion industry as well as go a long way in elevating the standards to an international level by creating awareness to the consumer and giving exposure to talented individuals in the various fields. There will be demonstrations by leading local and international experts, as well as fashion and hair shows and 50 trade stalls, with Indian cosmetic jewellery and special honeymoon packages to Bali standing out. There will also be mini competitions for the public during the three days, with prizes being given out to the 'Best Head of Hair,' 'Best Skin,' 'the Smartest Dressed Girl.' All of this is on offer to the public, with the entrance ticket being only Rs100, which includes a welcome drink."

Nayana Karunaratne, founder of the Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers and Beauticians (SLAHAB) and Chairman of the organising committe, speaking on the event, said, "This is going to be a mega event, featuring three days focusing on hair, beauty and fashion, and finishing up with the grand finale, which would be the Hair Asia Pacific event."