Matrix’s Sydell and Arnold Miller became the first-ever co-recipients of the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation’s Legacy Award during the 5th Annual Beauty Changes Lives event, which took place March 26, during America’s Beauty Show by Cosmetologists Chicago.
The event additionally raised funds to support next generation beauty and wellness professionals, and provided a platform for the announcement that the Sydell & Arnold Miller Family Foundation would be funding beauty and wellness scholarships that will be administered by the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation.
“We are incredibly honored to present the Legacy Award to the Millers,” said Beauty Changes Lives Foundation president Lynelle Lynch. “Together, Sydell and Arnold exemplified artistry, entrepreneurial spirit and branding savvy, ultimately redefining professional products used in the salon environment. As the Matrix brand grew and evolved, Sydell and Arnold showed their commitment to education throughout a hairstylist’s career journey by founding the Matrix Institute of Professional Development, ultimately enriching the careers of thousands of salon professionals.” Sydell Miller continued to provide guidance and leadership to the organization following Arnold Miller’s passing in 1992.
During her acceptance speech, Sydell Miller announced that the Sydell & Arnold Miller Family Foundation will be giving $1 million over a 10-year period to support new scholarships for cosmetology and esthetic students and licensed hairstylists. The gift will fund eight Beauty Changes lives scholarships yearly in four different categories:
- The Arnold M. Miller “Findaway” Scholarship, celebrating students who demonstrate the “findaway” attitude and entrepreneurial spirit that defined Arnold Miller’s career. Awarded annually, this scholarship will fund up to $25,000 toward tuition for one student enrolled at an American Association of Cosmetology Schools member school (AACS).
- The “Fashion Forward” Hairdressing Student Scholarship will be awarded to four students that exemplify the term “fashion forward” in their personal style and artistry. Each scholarship will fund 50 percent of tuition, up to $10,000 per student. The scholarships will be awarded annually to students enrolled in an AACS member school.
- The Sydell L. Miller “Total Image” Esthetic Scholarship will honor Sydell Miller’s prescience years ago that skin care, esthetic treatments, cosmetics and body care would become key growth drivers in the professional salon industry. One $15,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to an esthetic student enrolled in an AACS member school.
- The NextGen Advanced Education Scholarship will be awarded to two licensed hairstylists working in their craft for two-to-five years. Winners will personify Sydell and Arnold Miller’s philosophy of being a student throughout life’s journey. Awarded annually, each scholarship will fund up to $5,000 toward an advanced educational program at a beauty school, advanced academy or manufacturer’s academy program.
The scholarships will open Oct. 1, and the competition window will close Jan. 31, 2018. Winners will be announced during Cosmetologists Chicago/Americas Beauty Show 2018. More information on the scholarships can be found at the Beauty Changes Lives website in May 2017.
A runway presentation followed the award presentation. Entitled “The Art of Prediction,” it featured nine professional beauty brands. Each brand included a NextGen team and mentor to interpret industry data and forecast 2018 hair, makeup and nail trends.
“Data from research firms is no substitute for the intuitive insights that beauty and wellness professionals bring to the beauty and fashion industries,” said Robert Passage, president of Pivot Point International and vice president and founding member of the Beauty Changes Lives board of directors. “The runway presentation provided brand teams with a platform for forecasting the future of beauty, using data, grassroots insights and an amazing pool of talent.”
Sponsor brands, their mentors and NextGen team participants included:
American Crew—Mentor: Nevena Rothe
NEXTGEN team: Jim Massey and Renata Wontorczyk
BaByliss—Mentor: Luis Alvarez
NEXTGEN team: Carlos Estrella and Maybe Saylor
CND—Mentor: Winnie Huang
NEXTGEN team: Jonny Diep Pham, Liina Leino and Tracey Lee
Matrix—Mentor: Michael Albor
NEXTGEN team: Cory Hoffman and Caryann Fennelly
Mizani—Mentor: Jamal Edwards
NEXTGEN team: Daryce Brown-Willis
Pivot Point—Mentors: Yolly Ten Koppel and Jason Russell
NEXTGEN team: LaTasha Coy, Alaska Gaxiola, Holly Morretti and Matt Stradling
Redken—Mentor: Dhaniel Doud
NEXTGEN team: Lauren Mazza
TIGI—Mentors: Joel Torres and Phillip Downing
NEXTGEN team: Kirsten Tobar, Logan Lucas and McKenzie Jo McAuley
Wella—Mentor: Galin I. Hristov
NEXTGEN team: Shane Adam Webb and Macy Lynn-Marie Tester
Prior honorees of the Legacy Award, which was established in 2012, are Vidal Sassoon, Tippi Hedren, Leo Passage and Howard Murad, M.D.
[Image pictures (L to R) Creative Age editors Kim Henderson, Lotus Abrams, Aly Oberman-Kerr and Lizzy Sherman with Beauty Changes Lives president Lynelle Lynch (Center) at the Beauty Changes Lives gala at the Art Institute of Chicago; courtesy of 5MetaCom]