Austin Hairstylist Makes History at Annual Awards

It is common these days for Austin to be mentioned and recognized for various reasons (we know why) and one Austinite has added an impressive mention to the list.  Allen Ruiz, owner of Jackson Ruiz  was awarded the Hairstylist of The Year at the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA)  at a Vegas gala ceremony at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino last weekend. Hosted by actor and celebrity journalist, Mario Lopez, more than 3,000 beauty professionals were in attendance and more enjoyed the event online.
Considered the “Academy Awards” of hair dressing, The North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) are awarded annually in 14 categories and salute technical excellence and artistic expression in hairdressing. The Austinite thanked the crowd, “Thank you, thank you so much, I want to dedicate this to my family,” said the 42-year-old, three-time NAHA winner.   Ruiz previously won Hairstylist Of The Year in 2007 and Salon Team of The Year in 2011. In addition to being the first Latin-American stylist to take home top honors twice, Allen is also now one of just three stylists to have accomplished this feat.
For the past 18 years, Allen has served  as the Aveda  Global Style Director for North America.  In addition to creating imagery on fashion and education fronts, Allen has also lent his product development insights and expertise to brands including Aveda and Avon.
Allen’s award-winning collection of beauty images paid homage to 50’s/60’s Americana. “My vision for the shoot was ‘It’ girls come undone,” says Ruiz. “Women perfectly done-up that throughout the day, gradually unravel for a raw, sultry, dark, almost ‘moody’ look & feel.”
Like many artists, Ruiz draws much of his inspiration from fashion and pop culture. “This shoot was a culmination of many different influences, the catalyst being the H&M commercial featuring singer/songwriter, Lana Del Ray singing Blue Velvet,” states Ruiz. “Spring Fashion week was also an influencer, the Marc Jacobs show in particular, his models and styles came together for a really cool ‘mod,’ understated chic look.”
Allen has  studied under runway and editorial legends including Antoinette Beenders, Guido and Odile Gibert and been A creative force behind many runway looks for fashion houses including Cynthia Rowley, Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, Christian Siriano, Rodarte, and Charlotte Ronson.
Allen’s editorial and campaign work have graced the pages of leading consumer and trade publications including Vanity Fair, W, Shape, Harper’s Bizarre, and American Salon.
In 2007, Latina Magazine deemed Allen as one of the Top 10 Latino Hairdressers in America. A four-time Canadian Mirror Awards nominee for International Hairstylist of the Year, Allen took home the prestigious award in 2011. He has also been the recipient of five North America Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) nominations garnering Hairstylist of the Year honors in 2007 and Salon Team of the Year in 2011. Ruiz, Allen’s award-winning salon located in Austin, Texas has been featured by Salon Today Magazine as one of the Top 200 Salons in the US. We wish Allen and the entire Jackson Ruiz salon team a hearty and fashionable congratulations for making some well-deserved hair fashion history.