Wella took to Bondi to host the Ultimate Summer Soiree at North Bondi SLSC last Thursday evening, gathering over 120 guests to celebrate the Australian visit of the night’s special guest – Wella Company CEO Annie Young-Scrivner.
Illuminating the venue in red in honour of the brand, guests experienced a Q&A with Annie, as hosted by Wella Woman Zoe Marshall, discussing the Wella empire consisting of OPI, ghd, Briogeo and Wella Professionals.
“After a summer of sun, sand and sea, your nails and hair definitely needed a treat, so we wanted to create a fun, intimate event,” said Wella Australia General Manger, Guillaume Cantelou.
Annie wowed guests with her authenticity and strong connection as a global leader with the 143 year old company. Annie and Zoe tackled women’s empowerment and the importance of the salon industry – with 500,000 salons across the globe supported by the three global brands.
In Annie’s heartfelt story of a ‘little Chinese girl’ moving across the globe to the United States, she spoke of what values her parents taught her to achieve what she has today by taking the roles nobody else wanted.
“Don’t be afraid of failure. I think everybody has their superpower, their opportunities and weakness. People are much strong with others around you. The family or teams that you have, that’s how you be that super person, by surrounding yourself with good people,” she said.
“We don’t only uplift the industry but also economies across the globe. One of the key things I believe in is that respect is earned, iit’s not a title and I still mentor people I met 20 years ago – it’s part of the legacy we leave, whether it’s with Wella family members or my own kids.”
The event paid tribute to new launches, such as the innovative new ghd chronos and Wella’s reparative care in the form of Wella Ultimate Repair, and allowed for some requisite OPI pampering at the OPI nail bar. A runway show brought these brands to life, with creative direction and execution from Australia’s leading hairdressers including such stars as Renya Xydis and Haleema Harris from Valonz and Monique McMahon from Que Salon.
After this hair show, guests enjoyed iconic Sydney beach views sipping on French champagne and fresh coconuts, as well as experiencing live oyster shucking on the rooftop, before leaving with a Grammy-style goodie bag of products. Guests included Elle Ferguson with husband Joel Patfull and Sydney socialite Emma Pillemer.
For more information visit www.wella.com/professional/en-AU/home