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‘How would you describe your career so far?’
I've been around hairdressing and talented hairdressers for as long as I can remember. I am fortunate to have hairdressers as close family and friends and a Dad who is also a photographer for the industry. This meant I had opportunities from a young age to assist on shoots as well as in salons in a commercial environment. I have been working at Sean Hanna salons for quite a while now; during my career at Sean Hanna I also decided to dabble in the fine art, where I completed a Bachelors in Sculpture - this gave me a lot of knowledge and transferable skills that can be applied in a lot of aspects of creative hairdressing, fashion, and photoshoots. I also didn't do my hairdressing training through the traditional apprenticeship route, instead I was taken on for a mentorship by the Directors at Sean Hanna - an opportunity that is invaluable and which has helped me develop significantly. More recently I have been able to absorb myself into creative hairdressing by assisting in session work at the CSM final show and Graduate Fashion Week in London, assisting on commercial photoshoots for Sean Hanna and running my own photoshoots where I could let my own creativity develop.
‘How did you hear about the Scholarship and why did you choose to enter?’
A lot of the people I work with are members of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing and they receive all the updates from the Fellowship about all the opportunities they run. When the Sassoon scholarship was announced they recommended that I sign up to the Fellowship and apply. Everyone knows it is such a great opportunity and I thought it would be a really great way to enhance my hairdressing skills further and to get a different perspective on hairdressing. I chose to enter for the Scholarship because I am always striving to learn more and to learn as much as I can. Sassoon is one of the best places to do just that. I also knew that if I didn't win the Scholarship that I wouldn't be leaving empty handed, as applying for it and participating in the interviews was a really great learning experience too. Now that I can improve my knowledge in hairdressing tenfold, I will also be able to support my team and other young hairdressers in the industry. Another reason I entered is because I really value and appreciate the belief that knowledge and education should be shared.
‘Please could you give us a brief summary of your presentation and why you took that approach’
In all honesty, my presentation was probably a bit chaotic! I knew that the other hairdressers who were also presenting would have a lot of talent, passion and would have a lot to say about their careers; so I probably went a bit over the top and tried to tell Karoliina, Rachel, and Daniel as much information as I could fit in! I started by introducing myself and gave an explanation of how I got into this career and how I have been learning the craft so far. I showed a portfolio where I included around 10 of my best creative images, I analysed what went well and gave some constructive criticism of my own work. I also made a mood board where I could summarise some highlights of my career, this had pictures of teams I have worked with, shoots I had assisted on, a bit about my time at Uni and a large section dedicated to hairdressers who inspire me. I brought some books to the interview because my creativity is inspired holistically and not from one source; these books included hair books, fine art books, and colour reference books. Finally, I had prepared a speech to give to the judges that consisted of how great this opportunity is, how much it would mean to me, what I would do with the skills afterwards and the ways I can support others with more knowledge.
‘How did you feel when you heard that you won?’
I couldn't believe it, I thought I must have been dreaming, the other entrants were all so deserving of the Scholarship! I am so excited to have been awarded this and I couldn't wait to tell the team in my salon and my family. This is a career changing opportunity that will give me skills that will last a lifetime.
‘Which courses will you choose to take at Sassoon?’
I have chosen to go on all cutting courses at Sassoon - the ABC and the Creative Cut. For myself and my career, this is the area that needs more knowledge and a stronger foundation. I have previously worked with colour specialists to improve my knowledge in that area, so now I am so excited to have the opportunity to learn from the most skilled hair cutters in the country.
‘What’s your favourite Denman Brush and why?’
My favourite Denman Brush is a tie between The Original Styler and The Finisher. The Original is so fundamental to a classic blow dry - especially for those classic Sassoon cuts! But The Finisher is my pride and joy when it comes to Session work! It’s a sturdy brush that lasts so well when you are finishing hundreds of models in a single day and it works well in smoothing the hair perfectly and adding shine!
