Any Baby Can: "To improve the lives of children by strengthening them and their families through education, therapy and family support services." Photo: http://www.abcaus.org/

Any Baby Can has been serving families of Austin and Travis County, along with surrounding areas, since 1979 in order to achieve their mission: “ensure that all children reach their potential through education, therapy, and family support services.” This Saturday, MFX will aide them in this effort at Mom’s Night Out, an event hosted at the Embassy Suites Downtown.

According to their website, Any Baby Can “serves more than 6,000 of the youngest, sickest, and poorest children and their families in the Central Texas area.” This Saturday, we will show our appreciation and support for a very important aspect of these families- moms!

The two groups of Any Baby Can that will be hosting this event are the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Program and the CARE Program. The Candlelighters provide support to families dealing with childhood cancer, and is the only program in Austin to do so. The CARE Program, or Comprehensive Advocacy and Resources for Empowerment, provides support for families caring for a child- until the age of 21- who has chronic illness or developmental delays.

This Saturday, all attending moms will not only receive dinner, door prizes and manicures, but MFX’s very own Tess Rodriguez and Jennifer Allen will be performing relaxing facials and sending moms home with Aveda goody bags! These moms work so hard to be a stabilizing and supportive figure for their families, MFX is proud to be able to show their appreciation for all of their hard work.

Mom's Night Out! Saturday, February 26, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Photo provided by Mom's Night Out sponsor

How have you spent the last three days? Did you spend Saturday morning running errands or shopping for some new spring clothes? You probably spent Sunday afternoon hiking in the greenbelt, enjoying the nice weather. Today was back to the office- the daily grind.

Javier Herrera, cutting educator, co-owner and beloved master stylist of Maximum FX, has spent the last three days at the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City! He has been preparing models to head down the catwalk sporting the hottest hair trends headed our way this fall. With some help and preparation from the Aveda Academy, Javier is learning what behind-the-scenes at the most awaited fashion event of the year is like- and he’s giving you an exclusive, inside look!

The talents of MFX debut this week at the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week! Photo: http://www.mbfashionweek.com/

It all starts with the Runway Styling class offered by the Aveda Academy. Here’s where Javier, along with his future teammates, practice creating this season’s new trends and learn proper backstage and model etiquette.

After this, the teams reassemble at Fashion Week to put their practice to the test. With a team of twenty to forty members working two shows a day consisting of twenty to 110 models, Javier and his teammates are prey to ever-changing show schedules. It’s not the hair pins, combs or brushes that are invaluable in his experience this week; it is the instilled value of flexibility, which he embodies in the salon and out. We at MFX believe that flexibility is vital to the needs of our guests and our team, fostering an environment of caring and understanding, and it has never been more vital to Javier’s success. With his experience, training and an endless supply of this shared value, Javier is able to work any show that needs him and quickly adapts to any of the new looks desired by a designer.

Now that the process and what it takes to succeed at Fashion Week has been shared, aren’t you thirsty for more? Stay tuned for more from Javier as the week progresses and, eventually, comes to an end. With his insight, MFX will be one of the first to bring you the new looks for fall (which so far include 50’s retro, pin curl bang and even large beehives!) and even more insight to one of the largest, annual events in the beauty and fashion industry.