Sassoon Academy & Richard Ashforth Seminar – Collection Presentation

If there are still those who don’t know the “father” of modern salon haircuts – meet: RICHARD ASHFORTH.

The maestro himself returns to Lithuania after many years to lead seminars as the International Creative Director of the world-renowned Sassoon Academy.

DATE: 12 April 2026, 11:00
SEMINAR: Collection presentation (look & learn)
VENUE: Pelenė, Litexpo, Vilnius

In the spring of 2026, Lithuanian professionals will have a unique opportunity to see this academy live for the first time and improve their skills right here at home, attending a full-day seminar – the collection presentation:
• A world-class academy and its leading masters in Lithuania!
• A full-day, 3-part program and 6 models on stage.
• Step-by-step demonstrations of modern haircuts, plus styling and coloring insights presented on stage.
• A huge dose of inspiration and up-to-date knowledge.

This is a UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY to learn from the best in the world right here in Lithuania!

Date: 12 April 2026
Time: 11:00–16:00
Price: 175 EUR

More info: +370 600 55466

Link to the seminar

REGISTRATION EXTENDED UNTIL FEBRUARY 1st

Open Call for Artists: Create in Your Own Way

“Pelenė 2026” is a multi-layered cultural experience – a living manifesto of the art of beauty – allowing everyone to encounter aesthetics, self-expression, and creativity in their own rhythm. Seeking to preserve the diversity of rhythms and to nurture transformations in the perception of beauty, we invite artists from various fields to exhibit their works in the unique spaces of the exhibition.

We are looking for visual, performative, installation-based, or thematic works that explore beauty, the body, self-perception, identity, or contemporary aesthetics. This is a great opportunity to present your art in a context where the audience does not only see but also feel.

Artists who have already showcased their work at the exhibition include Kotryna Onaitytė (“Face Dialogue”, 2025), Monika Dirsytė, Rokas Kavaliauskas (“I Am Enough”, 2024), and Monika Dirsytė (“Balancing Beauty”, 2023).

How to participate?

• Submit a detailed description of your idea and concept;

• Include a portfolio or other visual material (photos, videos, sketches, etc.);

• Specify the technical requirements for the realization of your idea.

Artist submissions are welcome until December 1, 2025.

Join the rhythm of Pelenė 2026:

pelene@litexpo.lt

This year, Pelenė celebrates her 33rd birthday—and she has stories to tell. Over the years, she has witnessed it all: fashions that shone and disappeared, unforgettable encounters, thousands of smiles, and that special feeling when beauty brings people together under one roof.

When Pelenė took her first steps, she was shy and small—like a young girl just beginning to explore the world. But as the years went by, she grew—expanding her spaces, welcoming more and more guests from Lithuania and abroad, for whom beauty meant not just the exterior, but inner well-being as well.

Over 33 years, she has gathered countless memories—from spectacular shows and competitions to small, heartwarming moments. We invite you to explore Pelenė’s treasure chest of memories—captured moments and posters that let you feel just how extraordinary and rich this journey has been.

But most importantly—she doesn’t stop. This year’s Pelenė birthday promises to be even more special: more surprises, more inspiration, and even more opportunities to discover beauty within yourself. Whether you come seeking new ideas or simply to enjoy the celebration—you will leave with a smile and warmth in your heart.

Come and wish Pelenė a happy 33rd birthday and experience the joy of being part of this beautiful story.

The largest beauty industry exhibition in the Baltics, “Pelenė,” celebrating its 33rd anniversary this year, is entering a new creative stage. For the first time, the visual identity of the exhibition was created not by external partners but within the LITEXPO team itself. This decision strengthens the main theme of 2026, “Beauty at Your Rhythm,” and emphasizes the idea of community, which has always been a vivid part of Pelenė’s story.

In previous years, photoshoots for the exhibition were handled by creative agencies, but this year the entire visual direction – from the idea to the final frame – was created inside LITEXPO. This became not only a creative experiment but also a symbolic message: beauty is not only about aesthetics, but also about the people who create it every day, from within.

One photoshoot – two sides of “Pelenė”

This year’s photoshoot is based on feeling rather than scenography. The creative team chose two emotional lines that reflect different ways of experiencing beauty:
The Rhythm of Softness – closeness, calmness, a natural feminine pulse. It is a visual story about connection. About women who support one another. About natural, unhurried beauty born not from the desire to impress but from personal connection, both with oneself and with others. This part of the photoshoot was created in a cozy environment, filled with warm tones, natural poses, and feminine connection.
The Rhythm of Night – courage, energy, and creative spontaneity. Here, beauty becomes movement and intuition. The late hour, natural light, and the open space above the exhibition halls familiar to the city created a metaphor: Pelenė is a place where new ideas are born every day and where beauty becomes a stage for creativity. This is the open and expressive side of Pelenė, inviting you to hear yourself differently.
The most significant shift in this year’s visual campaign – the models are three members of the LITEXPO team: Gintarė Milašiūtė, Gabija Šilaikytė, and Greta Tarimaitė. They not only pose but also actually create the exhibition, which is why this year’s visual identity breathes authenticity, human connection, and emotions that cannot be staged.

“Pelenė 2026”: three halls – three different beauty rhythms
This year, the exhibition introduces an updated structure with three clearly defined spaces:
Hall 3 – Beauty Innovation Space – for professionals, technologies, aesthetic medicine, health, and innovations.
Hall 4 – Beauty Direction – for style, creativity, accessories, perfumes, and stage expression.
Hall 5 – Beauty Creation Studio – for hands-on practice, makeup, hair, nails, and live demonstrations.
Each hall is its own experience, allowing visitors to discover their beauty rhythm, and giving brands the opportunity to meet their audience within a real and lively community.

INTERVIEW: participants’ experiences

Gintarė: “It was my first photoshoot of this kind – and it turned out to be special”

Gintarė represents Hall 3 – the Beauty Innovation Space, where beauty technologies, science, and professionals meet.
“This was my first photoshoot of this kind, and I must admit – it was a lot of fun! Everything was thoughtfully planned: makeup, wardrobe, styling, team support. I felt confident and safe. I’m grateful for this experience, and the results speak for themselves… truly wow!” says Gintarė, recalling the creative day.

About Hall 3, she adds: “I would like visitors to see it as a space where the future of beauty is shaped – a stage of innovation, science, and professionalism.”

Gabija: “When close people are around, emotions become real”

Gabija contributed not only as a model but also as a part of the creative team: “Recently, our team had a special experience – a photoshoot created for Pelenė’s visual concept. We were searching for a photographer who could capture natural beauty, movement, and individual rhythm. The atmosphere was very warm – a lot of laughter, a lot of real emotion. Because we are close, that connection is clearly visible in the photos,” she shares.

About posing together with colleagues, Gabija says: “Posing with Gintarė and Greta was easy and fun. When close people are around, emotions become real, and poses come naturally. That’s exactly why the photos are so lively and sincere.”
In the exhibition, she presents Hall 4 – Beauty Direction, dedicated to creativity, style, and stage expression.

Greta: “Beauty lies not only in front of the camera, but also behind it”

Greta represents Hall 5 – the Beauty Creation Studio, the place where looks are created, demonstrations take place, and masters share their craft.

“For me, this photoshoot was not about external beauty, dresses, or makeup. It was about support and female friendship. I felt immense support from the Pelenė team – Rugilė and Laura’s encouragement, compliments, constant inspiration. From Gintarė and Gabija, I felt warmth, closeness, community. You can clearly see that in our photos,” she shares.

In her words: “The secret of beauty lies not only in the frames but also behind them – in mutual support, emotions, warmth.”

The renewed “Pelenė” is entering a stage where beauty is understood as a manifestation of authenticity, community, and individual rhythm. This is reflected in this year’s photoshoot – it became not only a visual project but also proof of togetherness, trust, and creative courage. Exhibition Project Manager Laura Mažuknaitė concludes: “For me, beauty begins where a person discovers their rhythm – not the loud, imposed one, but the quiet inner pulse. And when that rhythm becomes visible, it becomes beautiful. This is exactly the kind of Pelenė we want to present to our visitors and participants.”

On April 10–12, the international beauty industry exhibition Pelenė will open its doors at LITEXPO in Vilnius for the 33rd time to beauty professionals and enthusiasts.

Creative team:
Concept: LITEXPO
Studio: Inlight Studio
Camera and Editing: Gabrielius Bagdonas
Lighting: Tomas Pranevičius
Photographer: Kamilė Aleksander
Assistant Photographer: Žanas Strakšys
Makeup: Martyna Sadlauskaitė
Stylist: Gabrielė Bagočiūnaitė
Wardrobe: Wardrobe Kaunas, UTA Studio

At the beauty industry exhibition “Pelenė”, Hall 4 hosts the exceptional exhibition of works by Stasys Krasauskas, “The Birth of a Woman”, which becomes not only an artistic highlight of the event but also a meaningful dialogue with the story of “Pelenė” itself and this year’s theme – Beauty in Your Own Rhythm.

Stasys Krasauskas is one of the most prominent Lithuanian graphic artists of the 20th century. In his work, the woman is depicted as a symbol of transformation, strength, and vitality. The female figure in his art is not merely an aesthetic image – it becomes a metaphor for state, movement, and inner power. These values resonate organically with the philosophy of “Pelenė”, which invites visitors to look beyond external forms and seek a deeper relationship with beauty.

The exhibition gains special significance through a symbolic coincidence: a work by Stasys Krasauskas was used for the poster of the third “Pelenė” exhibition in 1996, and in 2026 “Pelenė” celebrates its 33rd edition. This intersection of numbers and meanings subtly connects the past and the present, reminding us that the themes of womanhood, beauty, and creativity have been an integral part of “Pelenė” for decades.

The exhibition space in Hall 4 is conceived as a place where art meets fashion, aesthetics, and visual storytelling. Visitors are invited not to rush, but to pause – to establish a slower, more personal relationship with beauty, revealed through art, line, form, silence, and inner state.