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GREENSBORO — This hair and fashion show had no audience of jet-setting celebrities, eager retailers or photo-snapping paparazzi.

Neither did the models preparing for the show slide into thousand-dollar dresses and suits. Instead, their meager budget consisted of second-hand fabrics, cardboard boxes, magazine pages and soda cans.

The point of the RecycleRama competition held Sunday at Leon’s Beauty School was to make a creative statement to family members, friends and coworkers of the company’s commitment to conserve resources and recycle waste at its eight salons.

Stylist Shelly Osbey  said she suggested the event theme because of her personal passion for environmental stewardship and because of her concern about the amount of waste generated in the salon industry.

“Leon’s has been such a strong name in our area so we’re hoping to send a message to other salons and businesses
to think about being greener,” she said.

Leon’s has made several changes recently. The 64-year-old company placed recycling bins in the salons, switched from buying commercial window cleaner to using a simple vinegar and water solution, and now prohibits employees and stylists from using Styrofoam cups, said owner Parker Washburn . Stylists take the time to scrape the last dollops of conditioner from their bottles.

Leon’s also plans to start offering small discounts to customers who bring back certain plastic hair care bottles for refills.

Nationally, members of the beauty industry have started to consider incorporating environmentally responsible practices. The Professional Beauty Association has encouraged member salons to do things such as requiring stylists to bring reusable water bottles, switching outside light bulbs for energy-efficient versions, and buying green cleaning products and supplies from companies that use less packaging. Some manufacturers also are introducing energy-saving appliances, such as blow dryers and curling irons.

“We do have more and more salons that are asking for (ways to go green),” said Brad Masterson , communications director for the association. “Of course, we don’t have a golden answer.”

Participants in Leon’s RecycleRama had their own ideas, such as using mineral-based makeup, natural henna hair dyes and a simple sugar and water solution to set hair curls. Models posed before judges in outfits inspired by the natural elements of earth, wind, water and fire, and depicted scenes of an oceanic wasteland, a fiery Phoenix and muslin-draped Mother Earth.

Six members of the Battleground Avenue salon went home  $100 happier after winning the contest. The others left with boxes of homemade window cleaner and soda can crushers, and perhaps, a new lifelong habit.
 

Contact Morgan Josey Glover at 373-7078 or morgan.josey@news-record.com