HAIR STYLISTS WILL DISPLAY CREATIVITY AT BENEFIT SHOW

JACKSON -- Customer preference will take a back seat to creative flair when beauticians from the Style Stop Impact salon put their talents to artistic use for worthy causes this weekend.

The salon is hosting "The Collection Theatre" at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson. The show is a benefit event that will provide assistance for Safe House for Women and the Jackson R-2 schools' fine-arts department.

Also receiving help will be the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, a new organization led by Tammy Gwaltney of Lutheran Family and Children Services.

Aleda Phillips, co-owner of the salon, said the event will resemble the high-profile, creative hair shows stylists often attend, but will be "less educational and more fun." All of the people involved have worked hard during the past three months to develop an interesting and entertaining show that allows them to give back to the community, she said.

"I like to think of us as artists and our medium is hair," she said. "Normally we stand behind a chair and do what the customer wants. Artistically this will be more exciting because we get to release our creative energy doing something that's fun and for a good cause."

Phillips said stylists had personal reasons for choosing to donate the proceeds to abuse victims and fine-arts students. The abused always need the support and compassion of others, and are always in need of monetary support, she said. As for the fine-arts students, Phillips said the stylists felt they weren't receiving enough public recognition and support for the work in comparison to other departments in the school.

"It seems like at most schools you hear so much about sports, and people are always raising money for them," she said. "We wanted to raise money for the fine-arts kids so they could feel important, too."

Phillips describes the show as an avant garde presentation that features bizarre and artistic "live hair creations" by 100 models and seven stylists and assistants. All of the creations will carry a theme and be set to music, she said.

Some of the action guests can expect to see: Living hair forests that include 9-foot tall trees; models receiving three-minute haircuts from blindfolded stylists; music by inspirational vocalist Robyn Hosp; models with electric hair and clothes; and twin girls who are woven together with 10 feet of hair.

"It's going to be like a live, little MTV production," Phillips said. "We're planning to have a lot of things going on, and I think everyone will really be pleased with how it turns out."

Tickets for the event are $5 each and may be bought at Style Stop Impact or at the door. For more information call (573) 243-1070.