Be There: What to do with your hair? HairWalk, a fundraiser, has ideas

WHAT: HairWalk: The Movement.

WHERE: The Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

WHEN: Aug. 15.

HairWalk: The Movement is exactly that – a movement. Alisa Barnes, the event’s creator and director, was a hair stylist with 22 years of experience when she realized just how many of her clients had been diagnosed with cancer over the years and how important their appearance was to them during recovery.

“They would call me and say, ‘I just got diagnosed with cancer, what am I going to do with my hair?’” said Barnes. “And I would say, ‘Don’t worry about your hair. Let’s worry about you going to the doctor and beating this.’ And again they would say to me, ‘What am I going to do about my hair!’ It was like saying, I have cancer and I really don’t want other people to know I have cancer. So my image staying intact while I fight this disease is important.

“And so I said to my clients that we’re going to do it together.”

Barnes set out to bring the world of cosmetology and the community together to create an event that supports foundations that helps cancer survivors. That was two years ago.

“HairWalk has been so successful in all parts,” she said. “Some of the things I hear bring tears to my eyes because I’m really just doing something from my heart that’s really impacting a lot of people.”

Just in the first two years, the event has been able to donate more than $6,000 to charities in North Carolina and South Carolina.

“Ticket sales, sponsorship, everything goes right back into the organizations that we’re supporting to help them continue to do what they’re doing in the community,” she said.

This year’s event, themed “Masquerade,” will feature more than 100 models ages 4-65. Tiffany Whiter, a local entertainer, will perform throughout the night, and Jay Michael, a piano instructor, will play jazz during the VIP “pink tie” reception. During the reception, the men who support their wives with cancer are acknowledged for being unsung heroes.

“The first year, one of the survivors came up to me said when she got diagnosed with cancer her husband was with her 100 percent of the way and she never did anything to thank him for supporting her,” said Barnes. “Pink tie was her opportunity to say thank you and celebrate him for supporting her.”

The show itself is a mix of hair and fall/winter fashions, with sponsors Macy’s, Cato’s, David’s Bridal and Sunglass Hut providing clothing and accessories. A team of makeup artists will highlight some models with masquerade-style dramatic looks. Hair stylists will be on hand to style anything from natural hair to wigs.

“We have survivors who will wear wigs, and we also have survivors that will grace the runway bald,” said Barnes. “It’s different styles and trends that you’ll see on the runway with our survivors, as well as our models who aren’t survivors.”

These elements and more can be seen at this year’s new venue, the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

“Columbia’s airport is the biggest secret in the city,” said Barnes. “We’re in the parking garage, and there’s a beautiful garden that sits in the middle. Even if it rains, it won’t impact anything that we’re doing. We’re in a good place.”

Looking to the future, Barnes’ ultimate goal is to take the event global.

“Wherever there’s a group that supports survivors, there should be HairWalk,” she said.

THE VIBE: The show is more than your typical runway show. With theatrical looks, performances, and a mix of models and cancer survivors, the energy is palpable and infectious. Just be warned – you will leave with an overwhelming need to purge your closet and replenish it with a shopping spree.

THE VERDICT: It’s a fashionable event that supports cancer organizations. Do you need another reason to be there?

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 1:48 PM.