10th ANNUAL BUBBLES, CIELO HAIR COMPETITION
REWARDS STYLES RANGING FROM OUTRAGEOUS TO ELEGANT

Participants Help Raise Thousands For Make-A-Wish Foundation Chapter

Vienna, VA, November 29, 2004 – Nothing gets a stylist’s creative juices flowing like a hair competition. And the creative juices simply gushed at “Blowout,” Bubbles Salon and Salon Cielo and Spa’s 10th Annual Runway Competition held outside Washington, DC on Sept. 12, 2004.

This year, the competition also served as a fundraiser for the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. By selling raffle and admission tickets, Bubbles and Salon Cielo and Spa raised $3,650.94 for the foundation.

From fantasy styles adorned by extensions, accessories and other wearable “props,” to high-fashion coiffures reminiscent of runway ensembles, to trendy looks straight from the streets, the event was a feast for the eyes.

“We love our competition,” said Bubbles and Salon Cielo and Spa founder Ann Ratner, who has fond memories of similar contests from her days as a stylist in her native England. “This is when the stylists get to break out of the everyday wearable hair that most clients want and design looks inspired by their own creative ideas.”

Stylists from the two salon groups’ 33 East Coast locations were invited to participate in the competition. Each competing salon team was given $250 to prepare up to 10 models and just five minutes on stage to unveil their collections. Individual models were judged in Day, Evening and Fantasy look categories, while salon teams were judged in a team competition for their technical, creative and collaborative work. Sebastian International judged the entries.

First-place winners were:

• Christopher Williams, Bubbles Salon, Avenue at White Marsh in Baltimore, Day Competition. Williams’ model—with her sleek, classic blonde bob—outscored 42 looks in the day contest, and beat out 89 other entries to take the overall individual prize.
• Rudy Solorzano, Bubbles Salon, Avenue at White Marsh in Baltimore, Fantasy Competition; Solorzano used thick balled and braided hair extensions and futuristic costume and makeup to adorn his model in a look reminiscent of Queen Amidala from Star Wars. Solorzano placed first among 15 entries in the fantasy contest.
• Jamie Sugg, Bubbles Salon, Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, MD, Evening Competition. Wearing a romantic updo of delicate hair twists and rolls accentuated by sprigs of wire-wrapped pearls, Sugg’s model placed first among 31 competing looks in the evening contest.
• Bubbles at the Avenue at White Marsh in Baltimore, Group Competition. Donning boudoir costumes with subtle accents of ‘80s punk, the salon team’s five models and their romantic hairstyles outscored looks created by 19 other salon teams.

Bubbles is a destination for expertise and style with 23 salons in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, DC, offering a wide range of services including hair design, color and texture. Bubbles is part of the extensive Ratner Companies family, along with Hair Cuttery, Salon Cielo and Spa and ColorWorks.

Offering exceptional hair and spa services in a comfortable, refreshing atmosphere, Salon Cielo and Spa is a respite for people who seek a relaxing salon experience in a classic, peaceful atmosphere. Salon Cielo and Spa has 10 locations in Virginia, Washington, DC, Florida and North Carolina.