History Timeline V3

1953

THE PURSUIT FOR PURPOSE

As a teenager, Leo Passage assists in his father’s barbershop in Belgium. Leo moves to the Netherlands to apprentice in a salon owned by a friend of his father’s—the president of the Dutch Hairdressing Federation—and becomes inspired by beautiful hair and the world of competition. 

“I had no intention of becoming a hairdresser or a barber; I wanted to be an explorer. But my father was a barber and I was expected to assist him. I hated it and ran away often. As a last resort, he sent me to work for a friend of his who owned a ladies salon.” — Leo Passage

1957

AN ICON EMERGES

Leo wins more than 100 European competition awards, including the Championship of Holland in 1957 and receives an invitation to join the Dutch Olympic Hairdressing Team. Leo is later recognized by Modern Salon as one of the top 50 hairdressers or all time.

“As I say to my students many times, I lost the first eight competitions. So, you don’t give up. Losing isn’t bad. You learn to see and appreciate what makes a difference. Seek the best mentors and surround yourself with people who have a positive attitude and always believe in yourself.” — Leo Passage

1962

THE FIRST PIVOT POINT SCHOOL IS OPENED

With a deep desire to share, Leo opens a beauty school in Chicago, offering classes to both professionals and students. He starts with five students and grows it into a network of millions around the globe. 

“I use the terminology of design and analysis that was proven already in many other areas. Break it down and put everything back together. I was able to share that with my peers in competition and it made sense.” — Leo Passage

1965

OUR ROOTS, OUR INSPIRATION, OUR LEGACY

Leo is inspired by the teachings of the Bauhaus, the most celebrated Arts & Crafts school of the 20th century, and establishes a design philosophy for hair – The Scientific Approach to Hair Design. Northwestern University and the Art Institute of Chicago verify and ensure correct design terminology is used in Leo’s education—utilizing terms previously restricted to the traditional design arts, such as architecture, painting and sculpture. 

“So my peers say, put your thoughts on paper, and put your Pivot Point concept down in a book. We called it Entrée to Hair Design. That’s where it all started.” — Leo Passage

“An object is determined by its nature. In order to design it so that it functions correctly—a container, a chair, a house—it is necessary to study its nature.” — Bauhaus founder, Walter Gropius

1969

SHARING PIVOT POINT EDUCATION WITH THE INDUSTRY

As more and more schools ask if they can teach Pivot Point’s unique design system, Leo builds a Member School network. Approved schools that adopt the Scientific Approach to Hair Design can proudly display the Pivot Point School logo. 

“So already we knew that our concept was right, and that we could bring hairdressing education into something everyone around the world would benefit from.” — Leo Passage

“Seek and appreciate the best mentors in your life. Surround yourself with people who have a positive attitude and always believe in you. Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning and make your career a hobby so you have fun doing it.” — Leo Passage

1972

CREATING A BETTER MANNEQUIN

As Pivot Point’s influence grows, Pivot Point collaborates with custom hair manufacturers to design new, high-quality mannequins that are hand-implanted to mimic natural growth patterns and densities – provide the most life-like and realistic learning experience for students and professionals. 

“Most of the major manufacturers in our industry use Pivot Point hair because it showcases their products very well. What’s unique about Pivot Point products is that they are 100% human hair. We want our mannequins to act like they would on a real live client day to day. Our hair is implanted the same way it would on a human head.” — Robert Passage, Leo’s son and current Chairman and CEO, Pivot Point International

1976

WORKING TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Leo Passage invents the first ever Slip-On mannequin. This allows the user to utilize one single head form with a variety of hair lengths, colors and textures and marks the Pivot Point’s first crucial step to creating more environmentally-friendly solutions. 

“Never compromise integrity, ethics or doing what is right.” — Leo Passage

1979

SHARING PIVOT POINT EDUCATION WITH THE WORLD

Pivot Point receives permission from the U.S. government to participate in a history-making exchange with Chinese vocational educators and tour mainland China.  

Leo Passage and a crew from Pivot Point schools around the world were the first to visit mainland China after U.S. President Nixon’s famous visit, a breakthrough in education, professional exchange and international communications during the historic spring tour that opened new frontiers all over the global beauty industry. 

“Bringing beauty to China was a revolutionary moment in time that may never come again. But you need not go so far to give the gift of your own brand of magic—because it’s always within you.” — Pivot Point Educator, Carlos Valenzuela

1980

THE NEW STANDARD FOR BEAUTY EDUCATION

Pivot Point sets a new standard for haircutting education by defining a universal design language and logical concepts to explain the “why” behind the “how.” Pivot Point’s Scientific Approach to Hair Sculpture sets a new standard of haircutting education, explaining “why” techniques produce predictable results as well as “how” to perform them. Four basic length arrangements and their combinations are identified and color-coded for consistent reference in all future libraries. Mathematics professors help develop accurate terminology that can be translated into different languages. This becomes one of Pivot Point’s most widely translated courses and its timeless concepts continue to be taught all over the world. 

“At Pivot Point, we believe in the importance of teaching a hair designer why as well how something works. Knowing how only results in technical skills. Knowing why allows the freedom to create.” — Leo Passage

1980

SEE. THINK. CREATE. ADAPT.

Pivot Point’s Modular Sculpting System is launched, an innovative hair system that begins with a head form and progresses from smaller to larger hair pieces positioned on sections  of the head, designed to teach techniques from simple to complex. The program is first released for ladies sculpture, and specifically redesigned to support each new Scientific Approach course as they are developed.

“I usually connect our design education to music. How do you learn music? One note at a time. Learn your notes, and create music compositions. Designing hair is similar: learn your components and you can compose hair designs, no matter how trends change.” — Leo Passage

1980

MAKING COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE

Pivot Point mannequins are approved for OMC Hairworld & Worldskills competitions. This gives young designers the opportunity to compete more affordably than professionals who work with live models. Leo puts a strong emphasis on competition as a creative outlet to channel skills and challenge hair designers. Pivot Point continues to support and sponsor competitions throughout the world for students and professionals.

“Competitions are a platform to express creativity.” — Leo Passage

1988

THE FIRST ONE-STOP SHOP FOR SCHOOLS

By making education, hair and tools available in one place, Pivot Point becomes the first single-source school supplier. Our student kit options can be highly customizable and are market-tested by students, educators and professionals.

“Our academies provide us with a unique research-and-development competitive advantage.” — Leo Passage

1992

A PIONEER IN TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN EDUCATION

Pivot Point pioneers video education on interactive laser disc and adds barcodes to student coursebooks and teacher support materials to quickly access specific frames, video segments and slow-motion playback. This innovative approach to education give educators control and makes it easier for students to stay on track. 

“So we’re talking continuous education, lifelong learning for all of us. Our education and how we deliver it continues to evolve.” — Leo Passage

1997

COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children becomes Pivot Point’s charity of choice, spearheaded by Leo’s daughter, Corrine Passage, and schools participate in nationwide Cut-A-Thons to support the mission.  Pivot Point Cares for Kids™ was created to support the international efforts of the NCMEC, an organization that heightens public awareness about missing children, communicates important safety information and raises funds that will help continue the important work of the NCMEC.  Over the years we’ve raised over $1,000,000 to support the organization.

“Like many high schools and colleges across the country, we want our students to recognize the importance of community service to their own professional development.” — Corrine Passage, (1962-2012) Leo’s daughter and Pivot Point International’s Senior Vice President, Production and Systems Development

“Pivot Point first became involved with the NCMEC in 1997, when my late sister Corrine created the Pivot Point Cares for Kids™ program. Over the years, we’ve raised more than $1,000,000 to support the work of this organization. Our stance on protecting children is unwavering—we believe every child deserves a safe childhood; we won’t have children harmed on beauty’s watch.” — Robert Passage

1998

RECOGNITION BY OUR PEERS

Pivot Point wins six America’s Best Beauty Industry Efforts for Salons – including Best Salon Industry Education Program, Best Print and Electronic Education, Best Direct to Salon Communication and Best Salon Industry Education.  

As one of the industry’s most-honored organizations, Pivot Point has been recognized by Intercoiffure, the National Cosmetologists Association, NACCAS, City of Hope, Cosmetology Hall of Fame, HairAmerica, HairWorld and Beauty Changes Lives, among others. 

“It is important to be inspired by beauty in nature, the arts and the world around us… being inspired by beauty can enrich everyone’s life, both personally and professionally.” — Leo Passage

2005

WORKING TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Pivot Point introduces Snap Cap, a more environmentally–friendly mannequin, eliminating waste and saving space. Snap Caps are designed with hollow headforms, eliminating the foam fill inside a traditional mannequin. One headform… endless possibilities. 

“The Snap Cap uses a premium reusable headform. The significance of one headform is that after the product is used, a cap can be discarded and a new cap can be used on that same headform. This reduces our environmental impact and still provides a premium experience. ” — Brandon Passage, Robert’s son, 4th generation hairdresser, and Senior Director of Hair Product Management

2010

PIONEER IN TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN EDUCATION

Artist Access, Pivot Point’s online learning system is launched. Designed for use in the classroom and at home, students and educators can now access all learning materials anytime, anywhere. 

“Our goal is to stay at the forefront of educational strategies, hair trends, fashions and techniques on a global basis, and deliver these through the latest technologies and media, such as e-Learning.” — Leo Passage

2013

ETHICALLY-DRIVEN

Pivot Point is SA8000 certificated on all of its manufactured hair products to guard against forced labor, provide workers with safe working environments, respect the rights of workers to join unions and practice zero tolerance for discrimination. The #LookfortheTag campaign emerges to bring recognition to Pivot Point mannequins with this certification. 

“The SA8000 certification affords our partners the confidence that our educational hair goods are produced in sanctioned conditions. My father often said, ‘People are at the core of our business.’ Our moral compass must continually guide decision-making, including our commitment to lead with integrity.” — Robert Passage

“I believe that the best way to change the world happens long before you think about donating to charity. It happens when you make your decision as a purchaser.” — Social Entrepreneur Leila Janah

2014

THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF ONLINE LEARNING

Pivot Point introduces LAB (Learn About Beauty), a groundbreaking online learning platform built specifically for the beauty industry. LAB combines best-in-class educational content with a collaborative ecosystem that supports multiple learning styles, capturing the progress of learners within a social learning platform. Communities of learners are encouraged to collaborate and share accomplishments through activities, games and feedback – blurring the lines between learning and fun. 

“Students prefer to actively discover information, rather than have it told to them. They enjoy collaborating with peers for recognition and expect to do it all via digital devices.” — Pivot Point Education leader, Sabine Held-Perez

2015

SUPPORTING BEAUTY SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS

The Passage family establishes a $1 million endowment fund with Beauty Changes Lives in remembrance of founder Leo Passage. The fund supports student scholarships and lifelong learning to encourage students and professionals to continue their journeys in beauty and wellness. 

“When I saw what P&G did to honor Vidal Sassoon [P&G donated $1 million+ for advanced education], and what [CND founder] Jan Arnold did to honor the Vietnamese nail movement, my mother and I knew it would be a great way to honor my father’s legacy through endowment to Beauty Changes Lives in his name. My father believed wholeheartedly in providing hair, beauty and wellness professionals a thorough and complete education in their craft, as well as how to be successful.” — Robert Passage

2016

REAL-WORLD EDUCATION

Specifically designed for the digital environment and a blended learning experience, the launch of Pivot Point Fundamentals: offers a flexible and modularized library for Cosmetology (2016), Barbering (2018), Esthetics (2020) and Nails (2022), focusing on teaching students to be successful professionals based on a comprehensive beauty education library designed for successful licensure pass rates and entry-level proficiency. Pivot Point’s extensive involvement in the professional industry helps create curriculum designed to make students more “salon ready.”

“Technical skills are only one part of the overall service. The details leading up to the service and after the service should not be overlooked.” — Pivot Point Education Leader Vasiliki Stavrakis

2017

REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE… RE-CAP!

Pivot Point introduces the next generation of Snap Cap, Snap Cap 2.  Utilizing ABS-recycling material and easier to use. The next generation of the sustainable headform is a space-saving, detachable hair training tool that utilizes ABS-recyclable material to help reduce waste from traditional mannequin heads. Whether perfecting your cutting, coloring, texturizing or finishing techniques, the internationally patented Snap Cap gives you the high-quality hair students and professionals have come to expect from Pivot Point. It’s now available in a wide range of lengths and textures and uses 100% human hair. 

“It’s important to not only reduce our environmental impact, but also train our customers to get the most out of their hair. A single piece of hair can be used for a dozen or more exercises.” — Brandon Passage

2020

BRINGING TEXTURE EDUCATION FRONT AND CENTER

We increase our collection of texture mannequins and offer a wider range of curl patterns – from wavy to coily – so that students can build a more diverse skillset and be confident working on all hair textures. 

“At Pivot Point, we stand for justice, equality and fair and respectful treatment of all people.  Doing what’s right and making a difference are central to our core values.  Accordingly, we will do everything we can to foster social change. From our earliest days, Pivot Point has striven to keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to the needs and wants of communities of color around the world. We recognize the contributions people of color have made to the beauty industry and believe our industry is better because of them.” — Robert Passage

2020 - 2021

A BETTER TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION

To support schools during the pandemic, our new technology platform LAB 2.0 is launched. We quickly start transitioning over schools, including hundreds of new customers who had not been working with Pivot Point so that they can offer distance learning and time tracking to their students.

“We understood that the COVID-19 health crisis would create uncertainty and cause significant disruptions for everyone, including schools in our industry. As an education partner, we knew the importance of supporting them during these difficult times as they transitioned to remote learning seemingly overnight.” — Corey Passage, Robert’s son, 4th generation hairdresser, and Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Senior Manager

2021

SLIP-ON REVIVED

The educationally inspired and environmentally conscious Slip-On mannequins are brought back to Pivot Point’s comprehensive portfolio of products to add another eco-friendly alternative to traditional mannequins. The all-new launch of the re-envisioned and historically important learning tool allows up to 51 workshops in a single box. Benefits include more hair for less cost, lower shipping costs and space-saving design, and the reduction of hair waste with a specially designed curriculum flowchart.

“We started back in the 1970s with a product called the Slip-On and that product utilized a reusable headform where a PVC mask implanted with hair would slip over the headform and that headform could be used over and over. ” — Brandon Passage

2022

ALWAYS LEARNING FORWARD

Pivot Point is recognized by the Loyola Family Business Center for outstanding efforts on behalf of the environment, our professional community, our business partners and our employees.

“Brands are a concept of trust and we strive to earn and keep our customer’s trust through a combination of transparent and measurable outcomes of ESG and DEI initiatives that positively impact our corporate social responsibility.” — Corey Passage

2022 & Beyond

CONTRIBUTING TO A MORE JUST WORLD

Pivot Point continues our commitment to a more equitable world by providing tools and inspiration to support diversity and inclusion across our industry.  These include an industry-specific DEI-B (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) guide for beauty schools, a special mannequin to help beauty schools more effectively teach texture, adding additional texture content to our learning platform and launching a competition that gives beauty school students and their instructors professional industry recognition for their texture designs.