LOUIS TRICHARDT - A hair show hosted by Goldwell International on March 22 was presented on the Monterey, a boat travelling from Durban to Bazaruto Island in Mozambique.

The local significance of this event was that a hairdresser from Louis Trichardt, Connie De Sousa, was one of three hairdressers from South Africa selected to present a hair show. This was part of a seminar attended by 150 hairdressers from all over the country as well as two guest hair artists from Germany.

On March 21, the evening before the Hair Show, everyone on the boat attended the Captain's banquet in their best evening wear in the Monterey's formal five star restaurant. The boat's hairdresser obviously wasn't used to having help at hand in the form of more than 150 hairdressers on board. She showed some of the passengers away since she had her hands full to help so many people for the Captain's banquet.

"We asked her later why she didn't ask some of us to help her out," Connie laughed.

Connie De Sousa's group comprised Mark van Zyl and Daphné Calitz, two hairdressers from CJay's in Louis Trichardt as well as Colette Bisset whom Connie had chosen to model the various hair styles and outfits during the hair show. The model had to show three outfits with corresponding hair styles in the categories daywear, eveningwear and gala- wear. The hairdresser was given five minutes to change the model's hair style, make-up and dress.

When the day of the actual hair show (March 22) dawned, it was a day with perfect weather and no seasickness.

"I was a bit nervous when I saw how many boxes with furs, hairpieces and extra accessories the other two hairdressers had brought along. I looked at my two small boxes, one with the three outfits inside and the other with the headdress for the galawear and I was secretly wondering if I would be understating," confessed De Sousa.

"However, when the Hair Show was over, I knew that we had been a great success. The compliments streamed in from all the hairdressers and even the German guys loved what they saw. Of the whole trip, Colette and I enjoyed the hair show with the corresponding compliments and attention the most."

Connie said that the hair show was such a remarkable experience that she would do it again even if she received no remuneration for it.

When the stress of the hair show was over, Connie and her friends could relax and enjoy all the entertainment offered on the boat. The rough sea during the last evening, however, saw all the passengers remaining in their cabins, feeling nauseous. "I am so grateful that we had good weather during the hair show, otherwise we would have had no audience," said De Sousa.