“Watching the splendor of all the colors inspired me to create a story of how a storm can bring in many elements of color and light. From there, I added other aspects of nature that could showcase our portfolio of beautiful colors.” – Cara Grannan
Goldwell Creative Xperience 2025: Toronto’s Ultimate Hair Industry Event
Inside the 2025 Goldwell Creative Xperience
In 2025, the Goldwell Creative Xperience made its mark as one of the most inspiring and innovative events in the professional hair industry — and North America was the stage. Kicking off in Toronto and followed by an electrifying stop in Las Vegas, the tour brought together top hairstylists, salon owners, educators, and industry changemakers for an unforgettable celebration of creativity, education, and community.
Toronto: The Launchpad of Creativity
Toronto, known for its diverse culture and forward-thinking artistry, was the perfect city to open the tour. Stylists and salon professionals were welcomed into an elevated experience that fused performance with practicality. Mainstage presentations dazzled the crowd with trend-driven looks, technical mastery, and boundary-pushing color work that only Goldwell, ORIBE and Kerasilk could deliver.
A North American Tour of Innovation, Artistry & Salon Excellence
The 2025 Goldwell Creative Xperience wasn’t just an event – it was a movement. One that reinforced the power of community, the importance of continuous education, and the role of innovation in shaping the future of beauty.
As the tour wrapped, it left a trail of inspiration and elevated standards across North America. For those who attended, it was more than just a learning experience — it was a reminder that creativity has no ceiling when fueled by collaboration, passion, and purpose.
Beauty Hub Magazine spoke with some of the key artists that made this spectacular show come to life.
The Storm by GOLDWELL
Cara Grannan
The Director of Shows and Events, Cara Grannan tells us the inspiration behind The Storm by Goldwell, a stunning visual hair performance that explored the beauty of our planet.
“As I plan our shows each year, I look for inspiration in fashion, architecture, color, and hair trends. One of my influences this year was the Goldwell Setting the Tone campaign with all the beautiful colors. Another was living in the south, a storm comes in and moves out quickly, as I was watching from my office, a morning storm and the darkness of how quickly it approached, then started to morph into different levels of color and light, from the clouds parting to the sun rising. Watching the splendor of all the colors inspired me to create a story of how a storm can bring in many elements of color and light. From there, I added other aspects of nature that could showcase our portfolio of beautiful colors.”
Nick Pagano
“My category was sunrise-sunset – sunset, the storm concepts created by Cara Grannan, our show director. Then, Steven & Zack create the hair concept based on the story—the color, shape & style. I make my color concept based on my visual research, sunrise and sunset, then I start working with color, palette & formulations. I color swatch before coloring. When the target colors are achieved, I continue with my color project on the model on wig extensions, whatever my canvas may be. I strike out with the background color and use multiple colors on every section to emulate what nature does, and a sunset or sunrise. It is a long process, but worth the results.”
Michael Noragon
“The KAO Creative Experience Toronto 2025 Avant-Garde inspiration was taken from a nod to Equestrian Styling with an infusion of Steampunk. The wardrobe was a combination of many layers of fabric and multiple textures, hard and soft, but it remained true to the show’s theme. We as artists crafted looks that incorporated many different techniques, showcasing our expertise in manipulating hair and other materials. We sent the models down the runway in one look to open the show, followed by a 5-minute transformation into something completely different. The LED visuals were stunning, the music was pumping, and we all created something to thrill the viewers.”
Avant Garde Segment
Frank Cini
“The concept for me was dynamic hairstyles with captivating stage movements. I created hairstyles that expand and contract, The look unfolded like a magic trick, beginning with a completed look it gets removed and unveils a new style, transforming the hair in real time.”
KERASILK
Tammie Axworthy
“I showcased Kerasilk — a premium luxury haircare brand that perfectly complements GOLDWELL colour. Kerasilk isn’t just indulgent; it delivers performance too, using vegan biomimetic silk protein to strengthen and replenish the hair’s structure. My hero product was the new Smoothing Blow Dry Cream, which I absolutely love. On my model, Jaydn, I created a warm, radiant look using shades of apricot, desert sand, burnished copper, and ginger spice, all unified with GOLDWELL Gloss Tones in 9BB Biscuit for a soft, golden glow.
For the second show, I used GOLDWELL Elumen to craft a dark brown base enriched with red wine and chocolate cherry accents, applied to pre-lightened, face-framing sections and ends. To enhance the colour, I styled dramatic, glamorous waves using the Kerasilk multi-purpose hairspray, a 1-inch Varis curling iron, and Kerasilk Finishing Cream, brushing through and setting the look with clips. As my model, Ji, walked the runway, her hair moved beautifully, catching the light with every step.”
ORIBE
Connor Lange
“I wanted to showcase the beauty of Oribe and utilize our products in different styles with varying hair finishes. Whether a luxe blowout, a matte beachy twist, or a lived-in bob – all use our high-performance products with powerful ingredients to deliver a high-end look.”
This show left a lasting impression as a breathtaking, multi-sensory experience for the KAO Professional artists. One of the tour’s greatest strengths was its ability to blend visionary inspiration with practical, hands-on education. Stylists didn’t just observe — they engaged, learned, and connected, walking away with fresh ideas and a reignited passion for their craft.
