Bonika Shears announces their first “Bonika Shears Family Reunion”

Bonika Shears announces their first “Bonika Shears Family Reunion” for education and networking among stylists who cut with Bonika Shears. The announced dates are January 8th & 9th in Duluth, GA , just northeast of Atlanta, GA.

Says Bonnie Megowan, founder of Bonika Shears, “The folks who use our shears have joked for years that they are part of our family. They call us mom and pop or auntie and uncle. It just seemed natural that we get everyone together for a group hug with a family reunion.”

The plans started out small with a selection of a date and a small hotel for the meeting. A handful of educators who were together at the Premiere Birmingham Show put together the idea for the format. Then the Family Reunion concept began to take on a life of its own. As of today’s date educators include
• Frances London Dubose, of South Carolina, called the make-over queen and the most published stylist in the US today. She will teach hands on classes in cutting.
• Dave Ray, of New York City, who has won almost every nationally, recognized beauty competition in the US and an official judge for manor competitions throughout the US. He will teach classes on color and business.
• Rhonda Brown of Ohio, lead educator for Conedco of Ohio. She will teach a foiling class.
• Nikita Smith of Illinois sought after educator presenting at major shows nationally and internationally. She will teach a hands-on cutting class.
• Sheila Tate of Georgia is the creator of “Cutting Cross Cultures.” She is both a cosmetologist and barber. She will teach a hands-on class called “Barbering for the Cosmetologist.”
• Fingaz of Ohio, television celebrity from Hair Battle Spectacular Season One
• Leah Watson of Maryland is perhaps one of the most educated cutters in the US. Her passion for cutting is evident in the styles that appear in print ads, cinema, television and commercials.
• Hosea Hicks of DC, educator, columnist and blogger
• Tomeka James of New Jersey, international educator and celebrity stylists specializing in wig making, weaving and cutting.
• Mags Kavanaugh of Florida, a trichologist with a degree from UCLA in Trichology and Cosmetic chemistry. She is one of the top nationally recognized experts in the industry of hair care with her website askmags.com.
• Naitcole Michele of Georgia is a top educator nationally appearing at hair shows throughout the US.
• Kathryn Pilczuk of Georgia is the “Ka” in Bonika. She is considered one of the first stylists who began cutting with Bonika Shears and is known for her ability to network and bring people together.

Additional educators continue to sign up for the educational network experience. There will be “look and learn” classes, hands-on classes, networking opportunities, vendor tables and more. Many of the events are free to stylists who own Bonika Shears. Details on the “Bonika Family Reunion” can be found at www.BonikaReunion.com.

New York International Beauty Show 2009

It's the first day of the IBS New York Show and as always there's an energy that is uniquely New York. Our Sunday sales were about what 2007 was, but not as good as 2008. This may be due to the economy or the booth location. The sharpening was about the same number, but so many people used our 2 for 1 coupon that the overall sharpening income was down. Ed Wozniak did a superior job of sharpening and Robin was great with her stylist expertise. Our poor little mannequin was so chopped up today, I don't know if anything will be left for Tuesday.

Days 2 and 3 were dollar-wise about the same as Sunday. All in all with the economy and threats of swine flu, it was a successful show... so much so we are signed up for next year. We will be in about the center of the show (the floor plan will change). In the past we have always chosen the right side of the show, but have been moving more toward the center in the past year. We felt in the past the right side by the ladies rest room made us easy to find. Now, we have such a following and directions to our booth listed on our website that we seem to be better located in the middle. It is always hard to guess because of last minute changes on the floor.

Did we see anything new? I was impressed with Dave Ray's fantasy hairstyles. They add fun and glamour to any show. I think fantasy hair allows for ultimate creativity and challenge that allows stylists to push themselves. The brain slap from this creativity boost can influence their ordinary everyday haircuts making them less than ordinary.

This was the easiest in and out ever for the New York show. The traffic once outside the show was gridlock but not much worse than I-85 in Atlanta at rush hour even though 8 and 12 lanes of traffic have to merge in to two for the tunnel. The last day of the show ended at 5PM and we were back in our hotel at 6:30. That was break down, pack up and drive through the tunnel. Sweet!

All kinds of drama with sick and injured grandchildren while we were gone, so it was good to be away. Gene and I love these road trips but are glad to be home. Ed Wozniak is really a delight to have around. Thank you for all your help Ed!

Report on Bronner Brothers Winter Hair Show 2009

What an exhilarating, grueling week-end. Gene and I are bushed! The Atlanta Bronner Brothers Show is at the World Congress Center and runs from 10 AM to 7PM for 3 days. It's here at home which is good, so we can sleep in our own beds. It is here at home which is bad, because we stay up late each night restocking what we sold down on the day before.

There is no show in the world like this show. Sheila Tate's class, "Cutting Cross Cultures" was packed. She was really able to demonstrate the use of the T14 Wisper Shear and the T25 Fringer Shear. We sold a lot of these shears. Then every once in a while we would get a run on one particular shear or the other like the Bonika Short Curve Shear, or the Fishbone and we would conclude someone was probably demonstrating them in a class or on stage somewhere. There were a lot of platform artists we saw at the show who use our shears. To drop a few names in alphabetical order (and I hope I don't leave a name out) Hosea Hicks, Derek J Tomeka James, Felecia Pollard, Dave Ray, Sharon Reams, Nikita Smith, Sheila Tate, Tene Taylor, Torain, and Angela Thompson who performed at our booth.

Our sales were up over last year and I think most of the vendors did at least as well as last year. Our dollar amount increase was about the dollar amount decrease at the last show (ISSE) International Salon and Spa in Long Beach. The Bronner team did a wonderful, wonderful job of bringing everyone to the show from all over the USA. Jerry Dingle did a great job spearheading that. And Mamie Bell laid out the floor plan so that there was not a bad location on the floor. I wish every show could do that. In fact the busiest aisle was the back aisle. You will see a photo where I held up the camera when caught in the traffic jam of the back aisle. Also once again Janet Wallace had a great educational lineup with some refreshing new comers as well as old favorites.

Fashion trends that I noticed as an untrained fashion observer was more colors in the hair ... the pinks and purples. Short haircuts with a clipper fade or blend in the back and a textured longer top artfully blended together were popular once again. I only saw a few faux hawks which seem to have run it's course. I saw more natural hair and some afros, too. There was more fantasy hair which I loved to see come back, because that adds fun and excitement to the show. I haven't seen so much fantasy hair since the 90's.

Bronner Photo Album