The Resilience of the Beauty Industry Amidst the Pandemic

The Resilience of the Beauty Industry amidst the Pandemic

In the United States, businesses around the country are finally seeing some improvement from the aftermath of Covid-19. Especially in California which shut down for 5 months in 2020. However, around the world, Sydney had an emergency curfew over the weekend. England just recently came out of a 4 week lockdown. So, it's not quite over yet. 2020 and 2021 so far has been an earth shattering experience for all of us. Especially those in the Beauty/Service Industry. I wish you all continued health and safety as we service our beloved clients/guests.

As we all know, education in this industry has made a huge adjustment with the Pandemic. The amount of digital content created and pushed out by manufacturers and independent artists was absolutely magnificent. How quickly we adapted is a true testament to the resiliency and passion of this industry. “We can’t go to work???? Then let’s learn or teach!!!” was a motto for many people. The first major education event that was cancelled was IBS New York in March 2020. Unfortunately, the day before the floor opened. Many manufacturers and stylists lost their time and money. But some Facebook and Instagram users organized pop up education at salons and studios graciously opened their doors. Some of them happened, some of them didn’t, but just the idea of that brings me joy and hope that we will never give up as an industry.

We dearly miss being at Hair Shows. Getting to interact with salon professionals and students, catch up with old industry friends, test shears with current and new users, along with maintenance services provided onsite. In regards to education, we always offered shear handling/haircut classes onsite at Cosmetology Schools around the country that choose Kasho for their student kits. Of course, all of that came to a halt with the shutdown. Yet, we were inspired by our peers in the industry to keep the education moving forward. The only option we had was to virtually visit the schools and have our classes via Zoom. Since we started back up after the shutdown, we have successfully completed close to 20 classes since September 2020. We are grateful for the technology available to make this happen, and pay homage to the artists and manufacturers who jump-started the utilization of these tools.

I know that we, together as an industry, will survive through this pandemic and aftermath. However, without supporting each other (not just within the industry, but as human kind), that goal is almost unachievable. I am touched by the generosity I see all around me, and I hope to pass that along to help others. Thank you for your support and love, Kasho loves you right back!! #ilovekasho

With much love,

Ty Isobe

Kasho Design Educator

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Ty Isobe

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