Creative HEAD UK July/August 2023

Change is coming...

mood swing

BELIEVE IN MIRACLES

Want a haircare regime that’s bond-rich, saves clients time, and dials down on your salon’s water bill? You’ve got it – meet Ultimate Repair from Wella Professionals

Clients want it all – and they want it NOW. Guests crave instant results, even in the shortest appointment. They want transformations, to head back onto the high-street as a brighter, newer version of themselves without compromising on colour or condition. Now no-one will leave disappointed with Ultimate Repair from Wella Professionals.

This new innovation not only offers a solution that clients have been seeking, but it’s also a new business opportunity for salons that have been looking for another revenue stream, without a hefty time, education, or cash investment.

A definitive four-step system with no extra time needed, Ultimate Repair really lives up to its name as the in-salon solution for demanding clients who are short on patience yet after transformative results. Along with a luxurious and lightweight shampoo and creamy deep-working conditioner, the Miracle Hair Rescue is the breakout star! Lightweight yet ultra-powerful, this leave-in spray offers intensive inside-out repair for all hair types, ensuring no manes are left out in the cold.

It works its restorative magic in just 90 seconds* – a real gamechanger for those short-on-time clients who want almost instantaneous “Wow! Look at my hair!” results. Whether you

use it after a colour service or before a blow-dry, watch them swish, smile and get on their merry way – a great way to finish a five-star service. And you’ll save water at the backwash because Miracle Hair Rescue is a non-rinse spray, a big tick for your green credentials too!

The final step is the Protective Leave-In Serum for smoother hair and best-in-class styling. The delicate yet potent cream serum offers five-in-one protection against breakage, UV damage, heat up to 230˚C, mechanical damage, and frizz for up to 72 hours.

What’s the secret sauce? Well, Ultimate Repair contains patented technology that packs a punch on two fronts; alpha hydroxy acid targets the deepest level of hair fibre, rebuilding bonds in the cortex for a strong hair core. Then omega-9 replenishes strands on the outside too, recreating a protective barrier to help prevent further damage, so clients get that ‘wow’ factor in the mirror. Beauty and brute strength from the inside out make for healthier hair, but surface level beauty matters still.

Whether clients are enjoying the powerful care of Ultimate Repair in-salon or at home, it will be an experience that won’t be a time drain, just a major hair gain…

Keen to keep clients happier and plug that time and water drain? Contact your Wella account manager, or Wella customer services on 020 3901 1163

@wellaprofessionalsuki

BUILD YOUR BLONDE ARMY

Got clients swerving blonde because of damage worries? Convert the colour agnostics into blonde believers with No Bleach Blonde from Wella Professionals

Whatever the natural shade, texture, or complexion of the client in your chair, taking their hair lighter can make them feel fabulous.

But damage fears can turn away virgin heads and putoff current colour customers from another service, and is a key reason why clients choose not to go lighter.* What if there was a way to create blondes AND keep hair healthier, all while keeping your colour business increasing? No Bleach Blonde with Koleston Perfect Special Blonde is an innovative service collection by Wella Professionals without bleach, (yes, you read that right!). It could help you turn the tide against decreasing in-salon colour services and attract blonde seekers to your door…

We can’t let blonde services self-destruct; they are far too profitable. They have an ace to play that many other services don’t. They’re hard to DIY at home, so that’s built-in loyalty from your client who wants the best bespoke blonde look, each and every time. Now give that to them with less damage, all courtesy of No Bleach Blonde. The lift may be gentle on the hair, but it’s effective too, and offers up to five levels of clean and controlled lightening. There are selected cool dyes for powerful neutralisation, meaning a one-step lift, tone, and polished finish.

This beautiful blonder isn’t just bleach free. It’s conditioning with caring lipids for root-to-tip fibre nourishment, making it welcome news for those with concerns about their hair quality being compromised, such as clients with textured hair. Expect creamy results and a sensually soft lightening effect, a great first step into blonde. Special Blonde offers three different blonding techniques in just one bottle. We’re talking foils, full head, and balayage – that’s minimal in cost to you for a maximum return from a real multi-tasker.

Restoring client confidence in blonding isn’t just about creating new blonde clients. You need to get the current ones back for more – and there’s another range in the Wella Professionals family that’s ideal! Blondor Lightening produces a higher degree of lightening on previously coloured hair while being as gentle and nourishing as possible.

And finish any BlondorPlex lightening service by toning with new BlondorPlex Cream Toners for up to 90 per cent less breakage.*

No one wants the exact same shade of blonde; you have the expertise to tailor it just so. Ensure you have the right tools too, for every blonde, thanks to Wella Professionals. You’ll have a happy, loyal army of blondes before you know it…

* Instrumental testing measuring combing resistance of BlondorPlex bleach and BlondorPlex Permanent Cream Toner versus BlondorPlex bleach alone.

BY KOLESTON PERFECT

POWERFUL, PROFESSIONAL TOOLS. NOW IN GOLD.

Powered by advanced lithium technology for the ultimate cordless cutting performance. Our heavy-duty Super Motor range of professional grooming tools are now available in a gold finish. Featuring ultra-sharp Japanese Steel blades and a high-torque brushless motor for consistent fast blade speed, even through longer, thicker hair. And the Titanium Foil Shaver gives exceptional crisp fading and blending.

BABYLISS.COM

EDITOR’S LETTER

School’s out for summer… but is school ever really “in” when it comes to sharing with pupils the brilliant opportunities that apprenticeships can offer? The overwhelming feedback from the apprentices we spoke with as part of our On The Floor special was that this vocational option was never discussed or encouraged in the classroom, with the push being overtly towards A-levels or college. And those who did start off at college doing hair? All felt the need to hunt out an apprenticeship to get the real skills – find out more from page 50. Those apprentices all spoke of the love they have for working with clients, and that power of the stylist/guest relationship is outlined by model and activist Rain Dove in our exploration of Trevor Sorbie’s new campaign, You – Hair Has No Gender, (page 38). “The hair experience is supposed to be a place where, for just a moment, you have control over your life and you’re seen as an individual, and not an idea,” says Rain, star of the campaign. The hope is that if salons see that if a 45-year-old iconic brand like Trevor Sorbie can change, then others can too. Have a read and consider what you’re doing to ensure everyone – guest or stylist – feels welcome in your space.

Amanda Nottage Editorial director

JOIN US!

Pop the prosecco corks, MWIT’s time to celebrate!

Congratulations to our Most Wanted and It List 2023 finalists – all earning a prized place at the Grand Final at Tate Modern on 4 September, and all worthy of SO MUCH praise. Want to be there, too? Tickets go on sale at 9am, 3 July. For details and lists of all the finalists, turn to page 62. And there’s another hot ticket in town! As this issue went to press, we were putting the final plans in place for The Coterie on 4 July. Set to sizzle in Shoreditch, speakers include British GQ’s former creative director Paul Solomons, and session stylist Joe Mills. Too late to book? You can follow the event on social media using the hashtag #TheCoterie.

creativeheadmag.com/events

OUR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

AMANDA NOTTAGE

DEPUTY EDITOR

ANNIE MAY BYRNE NOONAN

ART DIRECTOR

NICK JABBAL

CHIEF SUB EDITOR

ADAM WOOD

DIGITAL DESIGNER EVA VESTMANN

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT AOIFE CONNELL

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

KELSEY DRING

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

LAURA TUCKER

CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER

JENNY BROOKS

CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR

JOANNA ANDERSEN

PUBLISHER

CATHERINE

HANDCOCK

SOPHIA HILTON, NOT ANOTHER

LUKE HERSHESON, HERSHESONS

KAYE SOTOMI, CHOP CHOP LONDON

JORDANNA COBELLA, COBELLA

FRAZER WALLACE, HAUS STUDIO ASHLEIGH HODGES, HAIRDOTCOM

LUKE PLUCKROSE, SAKS CLAIRE MARTIN, CLHAIR

LEAH HAYDEN CASSIDY, UNIT8 ROB WHITE & LEE NASH-JONES, NASHWHITE

MAKE BETTER CHOICES FOR A BETTER FUTURE

Discover Benvoleo, a new Alfaparf Milano brand with a sustainable approach, bringing a transparent, responsible and participative idea of beauty to our industry. A range of professional, customisable products and treatments for astounding results. Taking care of your hair, people and the planet. Available from August.

IN THE KNOW

A SELECTION OF THE ESSENTIALS

Johnnie Sapong hits crowdfunding target

The crowdfunder campaign to support beloved session stylist Johnnie Sapong’s recovery from a brain tumour has smashed its $300,000 (UK£235,000) target.

The British stylist, who is now based in the US, was rushed to hospital after complaining of a severe headache and vision loss, where the tumour was discovered. Following successful surgery, his son started a Go Fund Me campaign to help not only cover the mounting medical bills, but also help support Johnnie’s family as they aid his recovery while he is unable to work.

Adored by peers and celebrity clients alike, donations ooded in from the likes of Daniel Craig ($10,000), Bryan Adams ($10,000) and Joe Jonas ($15,000). If you would like to donate, visit gofundme.com/f/my-dad-nearly-died

ghd style squad revealed!

The 2024 ghd style squad members have been unveiled. They are: Hannah Hayes (NOCO Hair, Bristol), Elijah Hourrides (HOB Salons and Academy, London), Georgia Irving (The Loft, Reigate), Mamie Lumsden (November Collective, Livingston), Rachel O’Neill (Sarah Mason Professional, Galway), Alice Payne (Headmasters, Orpington), Tom RowleyClifford (HB Boutique, Bromsgrove), and Abby Tudor (my.lab, Stamford).

SLICK SHOW AT GFW23

AMONG THE GENERAL vibe of slicked back, wet-look finishes that hit the runway for the Best of Graduate Fashion Week show, hair leads Paul Davey (Davey Davey) and Claire Mariscal (Johnson Blythe) for L’Oréal Professionnel Paris incorporated a selection of ’90s, up-styled twists, featuring some loose ends, ironed to add spiked detail.

The week saw 20 shows take place over four days; the L’Oréal Professionnel Paris Portfolio hair team created bespoke styles for each show with a range of influences to complement the collection. Elsewhere, Central Saint Martins BA Fashion presented two live shows with 134 collections, as Darren and Jackie Ambrose led the hair team backstage. Frankie Pullen and the Daniel Galvin team styled up a storm at the University of Westminster, while Clare Hansford and the Headmasters team tackled hair duties at Kingston University, all for L’Oréal Professionnel Paris.

Everybody’s talking about…

The Coterie

The Coterie, the hair industry’s premier hair networking event for fashion-forward creatives, returns on Tuesday 4 July in Shoreditch, London. It will be a deep dive into the topics of identity, authenticity and new culture norms. Words of wisdom will be shared from barbering icon Leah Hayden Cassidy, session stylist star Joe Mills and former GQ creative director Paul Solomons, among others. Follow the action on @creativeheadmag

Pictured from left: Keri Blue, Leah Hayden Cassidy, Charles Rose, Joe Mills, and Jamie Windust

Claire Mariscal

Paul Davey

Johnnie Sapong

Type 4 clients under-served by industry – study

Type 4 hair customers require better haircare speci cally suited to their hair type, according to the ndings of a new report by haircare personalisation platform Carra. The most fragile of all textured hair types, Type 4 hair clients were found to have multiple hair concerns including dryness, slow growth and breakage. The Texture Gap study revealed that those customers had little con dence in products that are classi ed as ‘suitable for all hair types’.

And it was not just about better products; clients were crying out for better education – including hair routines – revealing an important opportunity for salons and stylists to become better service, advice, and product providers. Type 4 hair customers were also looking to better understand hair loss problems including baldness, receding hairlines and alopecia. It illustrates an opening for hair professionals to become more proactive with diagnosis and styling for Type 4 hair while also strengthening partnerships between trichologists and dermatologists that they may need to refer clients to. In the report, Harley Street dermatologist Dr Sharon Belmo pointed out that “central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia [a form of permanent hair loss], is more common among Black women”. The report advised sensitivity when dealing with hair loss issues, as it said there remains a particular cultural stigma. Understanding the culture and history behind Type 4 hair is crucial, the report concluded. As natural coily and curly styles have historically faced prejudice, it said any brand trying to target these consumers must do so with sensitivity and understanding.

To read the report in full, visit thetexturegap.com

BOOK IT!

10-MINUTE TECHNIQUES BY GREAT LENGTHS

The summer is all fun and games until you’re rushing around a stuffy, crowded salon – the lights! The heated tools!. Keep your complexion bright and keep your cool with Imber Toner by Luka Beauty. Make this little spray your best kept secret as you spritz yourself to boost your glow and cool down.

RRP £15, lukabeauty.co.uk

IT’S THE FINISH that really wows the client in a salon visit – so get some timeefficient styling tricks under your belt with this fabulous Great Lengths course, led by award-winning extensions specialist Kirby Blythe. You’ll learn how to create four 10-minute styling options from textured chignons, tousled ponytails, sweeping braids to half up-half down looks.

WHEN AND WHERE 17 July, London;

21 August, Leeds

BOOK 0113 216 3064

With interchangeable patterned sleeves for creative stylists

ABC PARTNERS WITH PEGGY GOU

South Korean artist, DJ and producer Peggy Gou is the new face of holistic hair and beauty brand Authentic Beauty Concept. The yearlong collaboration includes a brand shoot; campaigns such as festival, fashion week and art collaborations; how-to styling inspiration; and limited-edition products at Christmas. The former London College of Fashion student and co-founder of luxury streetwear line KIRIN will be playing the Pleasure Gardens festival in London in August, where the hair brand will host a styling tent.

CATCH-UP

Great Lengths has launched Beyond Hair Expectations, a nine-minute documentary that shares how hair is sourced and how it achieved B-Corp certi cation. See it at greatlengths.com.

Jack Mead, co-founder of Jack & the Wolfe, will be speaking at Vagaro’s iconic.23 Business Conference in San Diego, California on 24 to 25 September. The event will be live-streamed at iconic.vagaro.com

Lou Christou from London barber shop Thy Barber is to team up with Haircuts4Homeless to help ve recovering addicts become trained barbers.

Green Salon Collective has hit a major milestone – it has now diverted 100 tonnes of hairdressing waste from going to land ll and incineration.

Mark Tyers has been appointed as Conair’s country manager for the UK and Ireland.

Samantha Cusick teams up with yuv

Multiple salon owner and colour specialist Samantha Cusick is yuv’s first UK colour ambassador. She will share insights on the latest colouring trends and techniques and will collaborate with the yuv team to develop new shades and formulations. The news comes as Samantha prepares to open Stā Studios later this summer near London’s Liverpool Street, a brand-neutral 3,500 sq. ft space for independents that includes 18 workstations, private studios, flexible meeting areas and more.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CALLING

ALL INFLUENCERS

Informative hair and beauty experts with impressive online followings can nominate themselves or others for the NHBF Top 100 In uencer Index

It’s that time of year again. Get your nominations in for the NHBF Top 100 In uencer Index, and your nominations can include yourself.

The NHBF introduced the Top 100 after lockdown to celebrate the individual hair and beauty professionals who champion the industry, sharing their knowledge and engaging with colleagues.

Each year it has re ned the criteria and, for 2023, it has made changes again based

on feedback from those included in the Top 100 and the wider industry. The key principles that are judged by the independent external agency are engagement, consistency of posting, the quality of content and its relevance to the audience. The NHBF also looks at the growth of following, and it looks to weed out anyone who has obviously bought their followers.

This year Instagram, TikTok and YouTube will be the only platforms measured. If you don’t have all three this doesn’t penalise you in any way, it’s just how the analytics are measured. Facebook has been excluded as it doesn’t allow an external AI tool to search the analytics. Another change this year is that only those who still have an active clientele/column will be eligible to enter or be nominated – other criteria about being a quali ed professional remain. This is an individual-only list; no brands, salons or barber shops.

The entry deadline is 31 July 2023, and you can nominate as many people as you want. Just don’t nominate the same person repeatedly as judging is based on analytics, not votes. The nal Index will be announced in November – watch this space for more details! @nhbfsocial

For full details about the Top 100 Influencer Index and how to nominate, visit nhbf.co.uk/top-100-influencers

Alexander Shatov for Unsplash

Peggy Gou

Clients are concerned about damage, and it can put them off colour. So, what about delivering a service that gifts a gorgeous blonde while keeping hair healthier? Enter the No Bleach Blonde with Koleston Perfect Special Blonde from Wella Professionals. Boost blonde numbers without the bleach…

In-salon service

uk.wella.professionalstore.com

Inspired by skincare, Ultimate Repair from Wella Professionals is a four step ritual that delivers quick, transformative results in the salon and at home. The Miracle Hair Rescue spray repairs damage inside and out in just 90 seconds!

In-salon service, Miracle Hair Rescue RRP £27

uk.wella.professionalstore.com

Help clients hit their holiday hair goals with this multitasking capsule BC Sun Protect collection from Schwarzkopf Professional. You’ll nd the Scalp, Hair & Body Cleanse, 2-in-1 Treatment and the 10-in-1 Summer Fluid, too.

RRP £26

schwarzkopfpro.com

Brrr, something super-cool has landed – new LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquid shades from JOICO. Welcome Blue-Violet, Platinum Violet and Violet Gold to the brass banishing party, all dressed in a hint of icy iridescence.

In-salon service

joico.eu

Prime, protect and perfect a fabulous colour nish long after your client has left the chair, with the new-look Color Fanatic spray from Pureology. It’s an all-in-one hero with 21 healthy hair bene ts and 100 per cent vegan ingredients.

ORI Lab is a new organic haircare line from Australian favourite NAK Hair. Each product starts from its Clean Beauty Base, and is elevated with Beauty Boosters to nourish and nurture diverse hair types. And each bottle is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, too.

RRP from £11.80

xpertprofessional.co.uk

RRP £30.10

uk.lorealpartnershop.com

A bad blow-dry can ruin the entire salon experience, so create softer, stronger and healthier-looking nishes with Volumizing Blow Dry Mist by OLAPLEX. That’s bond-building for blow-drys! Who’d have thought it?

RRP £28

salon-services.com

astonand ncher.co.uk

STOCK IT!

LAUNCHES AND INNOVATIONS READY TO HIT YOUR SALON SHELVES

Part of the Davines Heart of Glass specialist blonde care range, Instant Bonding Glow is an extra-shine serum for stronger blonde hair that delivers instant long lasting colour intensity and luminosity.

RRP £34

uk.davines.com

R+Co’s Dallas Biotin Thickening Treatment is a mega-thickener that helps build texture for long-lasting volume without weight. We’re talking instantly visible results!

RRP £34

xpertprofessional.co.uk

Providing top-notch tone on tone and permanent colouring all in one product, PureTone from ASP Expert Haircare comes in 35 intermixable shades for nourished, ultra-shiny results.

In-salon service

asphair.com

RRP from £18

salon-services.com

Hair feeling thirsty? Food For Soft from Matrix is the ideal recipe for hair hydration. There’s a shampoo, conditioner and a multi-use hair oil serum stuffed with avocado oil and hyaluronic acid for seventimes more moisture and up to 72 hours of softer hair.

RRP from £14.50

uk.lorealpartnershop.com

Fresh from Swedish favourite Maria Nila comes LeaLuo to celebrate youth and identity. Care ranges and colour masks are packed with upcycled ingredients and its free-from formulas are vegan.

ACCESS ALL AREAS:

Pearls are here to stay with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris

Balayage isn’t just for the young, it’s for everyone. Its low-maintenance look* is something busy clients can get behind. As the sun shines this summer, make your clients’ hair shimmer and glow with French Balayage Pearl from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris.

Embrace the inclusivity of French Balayage Pearl as an essential summer service. Whomever is in your chair, a complexion and con dence booster is appreciated by all... and that’s where French Balayage Pearl’s two-step technique using Blond Studio and Dia Light comes in! Pearls really are a client’s best friend, and you can convey that message better than anyone. The opportunity to extend balayage services to older clients has never been greater. Trust in their stylist to deliver the right colour result is as high as 90 per cent for those aged 55 and over.* What’s more, clients with white hair feel they are being left out from professional colour services. Once again, French Balayage Pearl is the ideal professional service, perfect for summer and for all.

BALAYAGE EDUCATION BOOST

FRENCH BALAYAGE PEARL – HOW TO WITH HARRIET STOKES

L’Oréal Pro Global Artist Harriet Stokes shows how to create a French Balayage Pearl result, including placement when working with a fringe. Also learn about application choice and creating the best tonal result.

WHERE Online at L’Oréal Access COST Free Scan the QR code for more details

ACADEMY: PAINT WITH PURPOSE WITH HARRIET STOKES

Paint in person with Harriet Stokes’s one-day in-person balayage course. See Harriet display her freehand balayage technique and how to paint different hair types.

WHAT One-day practical course WHERE Edinburgh COST £295 Scan the QR code for more details

The buzz around French Balayage Pearl remains sky-high this summer, and everyone can experience its shimmering beauty…

POWERFUL PEARLS

French Balayage Pearl is the perfect summer service, so get inspired to paint with passion with these four looks!

Curl Placement Balayage

Before After

Face Framing Balayage

Danielle Louis @dandiggaz_hair @headmastersuk

Nancy Stripe @nancystripecolour

HERO HELPERS: Blond Studio 8 Multi-Techniques + NEW Dia light 9.82 and 10.82 Before After Pearl perfection on short hair

HERO HELPERS: Blond Studio 8 Multi-Techniques + NEW Dia light 8.18 and 9.82

Before After White hair blending with ammonia-free balayage

@loreal_education_uki

HERO HELPERS: Blond Studio 9 Bonder Inside + NEW Dia light 10.18

@loreal_education_uki

HERO HELPERS: Blond Studio Clay 7+ NEW Dia light 9.18

Want to know more about the amazing L’Oréal Professionnel Paris education services and show-stopping colour ranges? Register for free at lorealaccess.com

@lorealpro

SUBSCRIBE NOW TO CREATIVE HEAD

AND RECEIVE AN OLAPLEX TRAVELING STYLIST KIT, WORTH

£78*

Be one of the rst 10 new subscribers to Creative HEAD and you’ll receive a Traveling Stylist Kit from OLAPLEX, which includes one No.1 Bond Multiplier (100ml) and two No.2 Bond Perfectors (100ml).

The original bond builder, OLAPLEX’s patented technology repairs the damage caused by chemical services by seeking out and repairing broken disulphide bonds.

When used together, the two-part system allows hair professionals to push the limits of creativity while protecting the health and integrity of hair. The Traveling Stylist Kit is perfect for on-location use for up to 30 applications.

SIGN UP NOW FOR JUST £10 VISIT CREATIVEHEADMAG.COM/SUBSCRIBE

Already a Creative HEAD subscriber? Then we’ve got something for you too! One lucky member will win a full-size OLAPLEX Salon Intro Kit worth £234, which includes one No.1 Bond Multiplier (525ml) and two No.2 Bond Perfectors (525ml).

For more information, visit uk.olaplex.com

*For the rst 10 new subscribers to sign up between 1 July and 31 August 2023. Subject to availability, no cash equivalent will be offered.

the Forecast

POWERED BY

Dopamine beauty

Between the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and climate change, consumers are looking for experiences that take their minds off the challenges of the past few years. In fashion, it’s about dopamine dressing – wearing clothes that boost your mood. For haircare, nail care, skincare and make-up, it’s dopamine beauty, a trend that has consumers seeking mood-boosting moments in their personal care routines.

Dopamine, also known as the happiness molecule, is a chemical released in our brains that makes us feel good. Having high levels of dopamine is important for mental health, and things such as exercise, music and food can boost our levels. In the beauty industry, the trend applies to everything from products to physical spaces, with consumers and clients across all generations (but especially Gen Z) looking for haircare and beauty moments that uplift them.

Although the dopamine beauty trend has been emerging over the past year – with nostalgic glitter make-up, a rainbow of hair colours and intricate nail art – there’s still a big opportunity for the professional beauty industry to take it on. You can do this by adding trend-driven treatments to your service list that are also dopamine-boosting, such as Barbie pink highlights. You can also adopt an emotional approach to client care, and you’ll resonate with clients who prioritise their mental health. Now’s the time to look for ways to work dopamine boosts into everything you do, focusing on joyful, uplifting experiences.

For your space, colour is key. Research shows that different wall colours can affect how people feel when they visit your salon. Bold colours not only brighten up a space, but they can help clients feel more emotionally connected to your salon. Softer tones, alternatively, can provide a sense of stillness and calm. You want to engage all your clients’ senses in both a digital and physical way. Install artwork in your salon that creates a visual focal point for clients, choose uplifting fragrances to ll your space, and play mood-boosting music.

Clients are already visiting salons to invest in themselves, physically and mentally. And since dopamine beauty is all about prioritising selfcare, services such as facials, massages and manicures will naturally boost those dopamine levels. But there are ways to add extra elements to your services and treat your clients’ wellbeing directly, so they feel even better when they leave.

Mental health can be affected by skin health, and vice-versa. That means if you offer skincare and facial services, contributing to your clients’ mental wellbeing will only improve results.

You can upskill your staff with emotional intelligence training so they can connect more deeply with clients through elements such as improving listening skills, guidance on body language, and breathing exercises.

This kind of super-personalised experience will help you stand out when clients are looking to boost their mental health.

Keep up with the latest trends so you can offer new treatments, deliver the best possible client experience, and outpace the competition. Stay tuned for a trend report from Fresha, the world’s leading booking platform, in collaboration with WGSN and available for download later this summer. Discover more now at fresha.com

You may have heard of dopamine dressing. But what’s the ‘dopamine beauty’ trend, and how can you make the most of it with your clients?

THE PLACES

NEW SPACES, FRESH LOOKS AND LOCATIONS TO HELP YOU WORK BETTER

CHOP CHOP LONDON, CAMDEN @CHOPCHOPLDN

Nestled in the hustle and bustle of Camden Lock Market you’ll nd the latest outpost of Chop Chop London. The locale is a destination with a rich history that has always had something of an unconventional edge, so it’s an ideal spot for this texture equality champion. “Camden has been on our radar for quite some time – a perfect match for our audacious spirit,” says founder Kaye Sotomi. “We seamlessly blend into the lock’s timeless aesthetic while standing out in all our edgy glory.” The store is meticulously designed with minimalism in mind by First from spacelab_ and stays true to its consistent brand identity and sustainable ethos. You’ll nd recycled plastic worktops and kitchen surfaces from Surface Matter and plasticiet, alongside biodegradable cork ooring from Granorte. Those comfy chairs are courtesy of Maletti. Its also expanded digitally with self-service kiosks from Allsee Technologies that allow customers to explore, book, and check-in independently. Read how Kaye Sotomi has built his salon culture, on page 30

LUKE BENSON HAIR, BERKHAMSTEAD @LUKEBENSONSALON

Award-winning session stylist Luke is opening his own salon in September, specialising in cut, colour, and occasion hair that draws on his own red carpet styling.

MICHELLE DAVIES HAIR, GOODWICK @MICHELLEDAVIESHAIR_ARTIST

This refurbished Pembrokeshire boutique salon from Matrix ambassador Michelle boasts furniture from Takara Belmont alongside tones of cool lavender and sage green.

STYLING OUT SUMMER

As the weather heats up, Uberliss brings you its hottest new products to keep hair looking fresh.

BOND ON THE GO

To achieve a stand out look this season, condition is everything. The Uberliss Bond Healing spray features sub-micron technology for bond building on the go. Including a powerhouse of healthy hair ingredients such as Uberliss Patented Bond Regenerator, Betaine, Smoothing Ceramides and Vitamin E, this revolutionary leave in spray instantly strengthens, moisturises, and hydrates all hair types, while offering heat protection, detangling and reinforcing those all-important bonds.

KEEP YOUR COOL

The Uberliss Frizz Elixir gives triple protection against frizz, humidity and thermal damage, protecting the hair from heat up to 450°. This versatile spray is infused with Vitamin E, Marula Oil and Moringa Oil, providing an anti-humidity shield to control static while smoothing and softening the hair cuticles. Lasting up to 24 hours, the Uberliss Frizz Elixir helps you keep your cool this Summer.

CLAIRE CHELL, UBERLISS AMBASSADOR

“As temperatures rise, it’s really important that we are maintaining the condition of our hair. Just like our skin, our hair and scalp need protection too. All of the Uberliss Bond products help to strengthen the hair while balancing the pH of the scalp. The heat protection found in Uberliss Frizz Elixir repels humidity to keep hair soft and manageable. Homecare for your clients is paramount to a keeping colour looking polished and not brassy.

Uberliss Platinum Jasmin Bond Sustainer is great for cleaning blondes while also strengthening the hair fibre elasticity and rebuilding any broken bonds.”

THINK PINK

From candyfloss, to peach and fuchsia, pink hair is this summer’s hottest colour trend. Claire Chell shares her top tips to help hairdressers to think pink.

“Skin tone analysis so important when choosing the perfect pink shade to suit your client. Cooler and darker skin tones will suit different pink tones and so you need to decide whether to go for a pastel or vivid shade. The eyes are a good indicator. Lighter eyes such as pale blue, green or grey typically will suit lighter hues and brown or hazel can rock a stronger shade.

“To create the perfect pink, it should to be placed over a clean white pre-lightened base. This is a technique we call double toning or dual toning because we are toning the hair twice to achieve the perfect shade.”

GET THE LOOK: SWEET LIKE CANDY

This candyfloss shade is so sweet! To achieve this look, apply to a pre lightened base of Level 10, followed by Uberliss Colour Bond Sustainer in shade Pink Rose and leave for 25 minutes before styling as normal.

THE FACES THE FACES

THE PEOPLE IN ACTION

What would Kaye Sotomi do?

A bad work culture can take hold in your salon before you’re even aware. But all is not lost, says Chop Chop London’s Kaye Sotomi. He explains how to spearhead positive change…

A BAD WORK CULTURE means toxicity. Your clients will know that your team aren’t cohesive or enjoy working together, and the client experience will suffer. Other things will suffer too; productivity for one, because resentment builds in different people for others in the team.

A culture void happens when you’re busy being an operator and want the business to succeed. You’re juggling different things and not saying, ‘okay, we need to first identify the culture we want’. You start missing monthly team meetings because you’re busy and then it rolls on, then nobody knows what’s going on in the organisation. It’s a slippery slope.

The culture issue starts from the very beginning with recruiting. If you’re only recruiting based on demand, you might bring in a person who is not a fit for the culture of the organisation. You need to stay consistent with the truth, regardless of the pressures that you’re feeling about having to bring people into your business. Then there’s the onboarding process. When you’re running so fast, you’re not taking the time to onboard people properly to get them into the essence of the business. Find out what they want to achieve then put them on a roadmap to get a sense of what things are going to look like in six to 12 months, and so on.

Building a good culture is something you must work at on a weekly and monthly basis until the system polices itself. Does the team take accountability for their own actions and make sure that everybody that comes onboard is following the process? Do they feel supported and heard and all the different things that are important? In a good culture, if someone hasn’t shown up for work, they send a message right away and there’s a group chat. Even from small things like that, you can see people understanding the impact it has not just on themselves showing up on time to work, but also the customer and, ultimately, the wider team. To solidify your culture, think about having a culture deck with something clear that allows your team to understand what you’re about and what it means for them working within your organisation.

@ chopchopldn

WHAT MADE ME SIOBHAN HAUG

HAUG HAUS

@goldensiobhan

Once I had made my decision to start a hair apprenticeship, in theory the hardest part was going to be giving up the long summer that all my school friends were about to have. But from day one I was hooked.

From getting the timing right of when a client needed to come back to see a busy stylist, to blow-drying the stunning colours that were coming from the colour specialists, even as a first year apprentice

I felt like I was in part responsible for that ‘head swish’ clients do when they walk out at the door. I hadn’t missed out on something by not going to university, I had found something better, and I was part of something that made people feel great.

Over the time it took to get qualified, the group of apprentices I worked alongside were encouraging and so much fun. They taught me loads; from what particular clients liked or disliked to how to blow-dry and cover reception. But the biggest thing we had in common was a desire to learn as quickly as we could to start looking after clients of our own.

When I see apprentices today, I think nothing’s changed. They’re so hard working, so excited for their future and full of passion for looking after people. What a job!

THE BIG PICTURE

A salon can’t be successful without a strong vision. Vagaro salon software helps you skip the daily grind

Being busy can leave salon owners feeling as if they’re spinning out of control, especially if they’re stuck doing admin, payroll, and constantly picking up the phone to manage bookings. Many are trapped in the chaos of a business day rather than taking a bird’s eye view from the top, as a leader should. There is a better way…

Vagaro is the salon software solution to help your business run smoothly and ef ciently, giving you the space to lead from the front and work on your brand magic – away from disruptions and distractions. It helps keep your salon not just a oat but thriving. Attracting new customers, lling stylist schedules, paying them quickly and easily, it does it all. It’s also got the seal of approval from more than 174,000 beauty and wellness professionals, so you know you’re in safe hands.

One of the many salon owners who has bene ted from using Vagaro is Andria Asare, owner of Kannis Undiscovered Beauty in London. Her brand vision is inspired by love and family. “My salon is named after

my sister,” she reveals. “She passed away when she was 16 and her beauty was never discovered. Our salon gives women a chance to explore different styles, explore their beauty and feel good about themselves. We don’t believe in ‘one-stylets-all’. We want everyone to explore different looks and just walk out feeling con dent, good and loving themselves.”

Cultivating an authentic and compelling brand story like Andria’s requires legwork, and keeping the mission alive demands strategy. That’s where Vagaro comes in and takes the operational strain away, letting passionate owners like Andria get on with their ‘why’.

“I always tell my friends they need to switch. I understand as a business owner you don’t always have the time. But once you’ve done the switch, you’re not going to move again. Vagaro is perfect.”

Vagaro offers ease, but it provides a helping hand too. Just ask Andria: “Being able to depend on the support team if I need something or I need someone to quickly help me, is worth its weight in gold. I just have to book in a call session.”

Vibing with the Vagaro message? Sign up for a 30-day free trial by scanning the QR code

Andria Asare, Kannis Undiscovered Beauty

I GET UP AT… 5am. That’s my time. I’ll be in bed scrolling through emails with my phone in one hand and my cat tucked into one arm! If it’s the day I wash my hair, I put my Olaplex No.3 on and go downstairs to make my coffee and breakfast. Then I’ll shower.

MY WORK WARDROBE CONSISTS OF… I’m usually wearing a dress. People think that I always dress up, but dresses are like sweatpants for me. I feel comfortable in them.

MY JOB ENTAILS… Aside from colouring hair, ensuring people leave my chair feeling happy. I help change the way people feel about themselves.

I GOT HERE BY… A lot of hard work. I never think that a job is ‘too low’ for me. I do everything I can, and I love doing it. I do all my own bases, I highlight everybody. My assistants will do glosses, it’s important to me that they’re involved.

MY DAY CONSISTS OF… Working on a lot of clients in the salon then running to house calls afterwards. I’ve also got a gift as a friendship matchmaker. If I know two women who might get along, I try and introduce them as it can be hard to make friends as an adult. Then they see each other in the salon all the time!

A DAY OF WORK/LIFE BALANCE FOR GLOBAL COLOUR ICON TRACEY CUNNINGHAM @TRACEYCUNNINGHAM1

MY FAVOURITE WORK TOOL IS… Olaplex No.1 every time!

MY DAILY FUEL IS… Coffee.

MY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

INCLUDES… Anything by Lana Del Rey.

I’M ALWAYS… Overthinking.

WHEN I GET STRESSED… You will never know If I’m stressed!

WHEN I GET STUCK… I just work it out.

THE HABIT I NEED TO BREAK IS… Eating sugar as I’m pre-diabetic!

THE MISTAKE I LEARNT THE MOST FROM… Not trusting my gut to say ‘no’.

THE ADVICE I’M GLAD I IGNORED… It’s not so much what I ignored, but what I did. Some hairdressers don’t give people the time of day if they want to show you a new product. I decided to meet with someone, and the product they were showing me was Olaplex. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

MY INBOX LOOKS LIKE…

There are about 47,000 messages in there, it’s chaotic!

MY BIGGEST INDULGENCE IS… Chocolate, but it has to have nuts in it.

AFTER WORK… I watch TV.

I DECOMPRESS BY… I hold my cat!

You

HighNotes

DREAM WEAVER

High-shine permanent and tone-on-tone colouring with zero damage – say hello to dream colour with PureTone from ASP Expert Haircare

Ensure you have the perfect tool to banish client colour nightmares with PureTone, a game-changing new colour from ASP Expert Haircare. Truly clever and versatile, PureTone precisely directs colour to the perfect location in the hair to give permanent or tone-on-tone results with zero lift.

It all depends on what coverage your client wants. Just when you thought PureTone couldn’t get any more versatile there’s the 000 Pure Gloss Treatment to create absolute pure shine when used alone, with your chosen developer, or when intermixed with any PureTone shade for bespoke colour results.

Embrace PureTone and free up your physical and mental space. There’ll be no need to reach for a different tube when switching from a permanent to a tone-on-tone colour client, PureTone takes care of both. It’s all thanks to its GPSTECnology, a whip-smart dual action formula; simply adjust your application technique to give them the result they want.

Both tone-on-tone and permanent colouring bene t from a choice of two activators. Cream Activator can be used for full head colour, root stretches, technical toning applications, and achieves up to 100 per cent white hair coverage. The Liquid Activator offers a quick application with its gel-like consistency, as well as being ideal for glossing, glazing and offers up to 70 per cent white hair blending.

Mix and match

Offering a variety of shades with high grey and white coverage, PureTone is available in 35 intermixable shades with a built-in ultra-shine formula thanks to shea butter and argan oil. The nishing touches in a colour service matter, PureTone has 10 shimmering effect toners to choose from too! Just wait for those gleaming smiles when they see those high-gloss and healthy-looking manes in the mirror. A kinder and cleverer option for hair colouring, PureTone is free from silicone, sulphates, alcohol, paraben, wax, and mineral oil, with zero damage guaranteed.

Ammonia free, vegan and 90 per cent naturally derived to boot… all the bases are truly covered with PureTone!

Time to turn up your colour technique with PureTone from ASP Expert Haircare. Buy it directly on asphair.com or discover your local stockist at asphair.com/trade-locator

BE MORE PORSCHE BE MORE PORSCHE

CONCENTRATE ON LUXURY, NOT JUST THE BOTTOM LINE

Client experience beats money in the till – that’s the view of Most Wanted Best New Salon winners, Lee Nash Jones and Rob White of Nashwhite. Let them state their case…

IF THERE IS one piece of advice we can give you it would be: ‘Focus on your client experience, not how much money they put in your till’. Focusing on their experience and making it unique to your brand will make sure they want to return again and again. Why? Because their experience will create brand loyalty, far beyond service loyalty. This applies to the team running a large salon group, or to the freelance hairdresser renting a chair and starting their own journey. It’s universal.

As business owners it’s easy to drift away from the client experience and focus on numbers and spreadsheets. We believe this is deadly and could be the end of the business you always dreamed of. Now don’t get us wrong, you need to be aware of the numbers. But that’s what we pay our accountants for, right?

We didn’t come into this industry because we love spreadsheets. Neither was it to make a load of money. Most of us are creative people-pleasers and we MUST remember this. The first and last thought should be: how can you make your brand experience unique and special?

Remember, it doesn’t always require spending a lot of money or giving away profits. It’s about continuity across the experience both in and out of the salon. Some of the smallest things that our guests pick up can be the most memorable,

and we know they will end up telling all their friends about them. ‘The handwash at my hair salon was divine’. ‘The contact after my visit for feedback was a nice touch’. ‘The salon has the most beautiful tone of voice’. ‘I left feeling looked-after and loved’. One rule we stick with is whatever you implement, ask the question: ‘is this on-brand?’

For example, Porsche is known for making luxury sports cars. It will tell you the story of crafting the vehicle and how it has selected the finest components.

The experience of creating your own, then the unveiling and collecting of your Porsche, is like no other (so we’re told!). If it announced it was going to be producing a budget car, ordered online and delivered in a shipping container, you would be shocked. Your salon guests are building the same feelings towards your brand based on your actions and their experience.

An experience never starts and stops at the salon door. It’s the tone of voice when you respond to digital questions, through to visually telling your story – everything needs to have continuity, whatever you implement. Couple this with great hair, and the by-product is bums on seats and money in the till. By focusing on that client experience, your business will grow beyond what you could have ever dreamt.

LAST OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN TEST CASE AGAINST SALON GOLD

SALON GOLD COVID-19 BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE TEST CASE HEARING IN SEPTEMBER 2023

If your business was insured by Salon Gold during the government lockdowns in 2020 then you should act quickly and join the only test case against Salon Gold. The deadline for joining is Friday 11 August 2023. You must be part of the test case to benefit from the hearing in September. RLK Solicitors and Hugh James have joined together to bring a test case on behalf of hundreds of barber shops and hair and beauty salons who were insured with Salon Gold. They can act for you on a ‘no win no fee’ basis to get you the compensation that you deserve.

Beautifully CONSCIOUS

Work together with Benvoleo from ALFAPARF Milano to make heads, hearts, and the planet happier and more beautiful

Products built for surface level styling with little care for the bigger picture are so yesterday. Attitudes are changing. Clients want brands that care for hair, people, and the planet.

Those that put time and passion into curating new products while respecting Mother Nature will win the hearts of these environmentally conscious customers, whose numbers grow larger by the day. They require a more benevolent touch – and Benvoleo, a new and deeply caring range from ALFAPARF Milano, is the answer.

Never before used in cosmetics, the four innovative new hyperfermented active ingredients create a low environmental impact and underpin the Benvoleo range – making it a real first. Across its four lines – Daily, Glossy, Hydration and Recovery – you’ll find oak bark, vine sap, rice water and citrus fruits, all sourced from across Italy, a firm nod to the ALFAPARF Milano heritage and its love of the local. In the Daily line, oak bark is an antioxidant and colour protective property. Chemical treatments, pollution, UV rays: it protects hair against it all, and cosmetic colour fading too.

It’s not just the inside that counts. Benvoleo’s primary plastic packaging is 50 to 100 per cent recycled plastic; glass is 100 per cent recycled, while cases are made of FSC-certified 100 per cent recycled and recyclable paper.

Going further, it has also actively reduced extra packaging such

as sleeves and wrappers, strictly limited secondary packaging to the essentials, and has reduced the weight of its bottles, for less plastic waste.

Clients connect with brands that genuinely love nature. But how do you show your love for something? You care for it – and that’s what Benvoleo is doing through the AGROCORTEX Amazon project. It is fully offsetting its CO2 equivalent emissions via carbon credits to finance forest protection and sustainable farming. Closer to its home, there’s the PARKS FOR CLIMATE project in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines region. Here, Benvoleo is working to increase the resilience of oak trees to climate change by promoting sustainable and responsible sourcing.

Benvoleo is just the latest in what has been a determined and committed sustainability journey for ALFAPARF Milano. Inspired by the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals launched in 2015, it created its own Sustainability Plan to help make these goals a reality.

Clients are changing. As an ecologically conscious generation hits salons and looks for the most ethical and responsible products, they don’t want to compromise on quality and they’re going to have their eyes on you and what you stock. So make it Benvoleo for haircare that really works – and goes the distance on the subjects that matter, too.

Need a haircare brand that goes further for people and planet? Discover Benvoleo now – visit alfaparfmilanopro.com

@alfaparfmilanopro_uki

OUT

CO2 EMISSIONS OFFSET

FREE FROM SULPHATES, SILICONES, SYNTHETIC COLOURANTS, PETROLATUM, PARAFFINS, MINERAL OILS, BHA AND BHT

HYPER FERMENTATION, AN INNOVATIVE NEW PROCESS WITH LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

VEGAN AND NATURALLYDERIVED INGREDIENTS

BIODEGRADABLE FORMULAS

“This is a calling card for change”

‘You – Hair Has No Gender’ is the new campaign from the iconic Trevor Sorbie, and marks an important moment in the brand’s 45 year history. It celebrates its collaboration with model and activist Rain Dove, the end of gendered pricing across its six-strong group, and its partnership with The Dresscode Project – a UK salon first – to create safe salon spaces for both guests and its teams. Discover how it found the confidence to change, and how the brand hopes it will inspire others with its journey…

CREATIVE DIRECTION BY GIUSEPPE STELITANO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTN FISCHER

It was an Instagram tag that started the ball rolling. Activist and model Rain Dove (@raindovemodel) was visiting local salons in Hampstead to ask about pricing disparity between men’s and women’s services, and tagged Trevor Sorbie. Spotted by Bex Ohta (the brand’s head of marketing and PR) and Bree Davie (Hampstead co-owner and group general manager), it shone a spotlight on a disparity across the sixstrong salon group.

When the flagship salon in Covent Garden launched 45 years ago, there were no men’s or women’s prices. Then as the additional sites followed – Hampstead, Richmond, Manchester, Bristol and Brighton – each decided on its own services menu, leaving half the salons with gendered pricing, half without. Rain’s videos on the subject helped not only restart a conversation about pricing, but also a wider discussion on the message gendered pricing sent, and creating a safe space for everybody in Trevor Sorbie salons. It also fuelled a relationship between the two that has climaxed with Rain featuring as the face of the brand’s new consumer campaign “You – Hair Has No Gender”, under the guiding hand of creative director, Giuseppe Stelitano.

“I do a lot of social experiments and try to test how far we have progressed as a society,” explains Rain about the videos shared on social media. “With hair, this space is not equalised. I wanted to find out why people felt justified to charge those different prices. There are people, especially our elders, who have been loyal to a salon for decades, and are paying sometimes close to twice the amount of money as their societal male counterparts for the same kind of short haircut. It’s sexist, and it’s easy to eradicate, just by making some changes in your salon. You don’t have to lose profit.”

Of course, a focus on modernising pricing isn’t new in itself – the past decade has seen an increase in forward-thinking salons establish “gender neutral” pricing and, more recently, take proactive steps on creating LGBTQ+ safe spaces. But the significance of the Trevor Sorbie activity comes alongside its collaboration with the US-based The Dresscode Project.

The latter’s mission is “to empower and help educate hair stylists and barbers to give people haircuts that help them look the way they feel”, and has worked with brands such as Pantene to help it be more inclusive and to deliver content in a more authentic way. Trevor Sorbie is The Dresscode Project’s first UK salon partner.

“The best part of our jobs is when you do someone’s hair and they see themselves for the first time,” smiles Kristen Rankin, The Dresscode Project’s founder. “It’s really impactful – and I’m talking about a regular hair salon experience. Now take someone who has never felt themselves and the mirror has been their enemy for a long time. And you look at them after your haircut and they’re smiling. Everybody deserves to be able to go into a salon, get a decent haircut and feel good about themselves.”

Rain takes that one step further. “The problem with a lot of salon pricing is that it treats people as ideas but not as individuals. Haircuts themselves are individualistic; the person sitting in your chair cannot be an idea. They are an individual trying to realise their individuality.”

Rain’s videos and involvement “gave us the confidence to change things sooner”, says Bree. “We had already started to close the price gap over time in the salons that had gendered pricing, but this project gave us a sense of urgency to move things along. We spoke internally about how this was going to work, and the team was really behind it.” Through its training with The Dresscode Project it addressed vital concerns. Some stylists in regional salons were worried about losing gents guests where the price gap was higher, so the brand identified established frequent clients and offered them a loyalty discount for a set time. “Then you’re not losing 10 per cent of your business,” explains Bree, “but anybody new coming in will have the equal prices. That gave our team the confidence that they would not lose existing guests.”

There was also a generational concern over language. “A lot of our team in their 50s and 60s really struggle with the word ‘queer’. To them, it’s offensive. We talked about how we wouldn’t use that to describe them,” adds Bree. “It’s opening up the conversation, everyone being honest with how they feel and creating a space where people can feed that back,” agrees Bex. “It’s about that personalisation and identity – not just for the guests, but also for the team. We want to make sure we’re creating safe spaces for both.”

The marketing campaign – beautifully styled yet simply delivered with black and white production – harks back to classic Yves Saint Laurent imagery. “The visual is really theatrical, it’s creating a feeling of drama. As hairdressers we’re almost performing every day on our stage, behind the chair. It’s not going to be what you expect from Trevor Sorbie,” explains Giuseppe. “And the black and white idea, there’s a depth to it, it’s timeless and there’s no colour – no pink, no blue. Let’s just create something that stands out. I didn’t want to use this topic as a trend without having any meaning.”

For Rain, Trevor Sorbie “is an incredibly important salon for this discussion”. “It’s the salons that have visibility and space in the industry that are the issue. They don’t want to change because it’s the way they’ve always done it, and they feel they’re too far along to make any changes. Trevor Sorbie proves that isn’t the case. It saw it, addressed it and changed it within a year.”

“But we’re not saying you should follow our formula,” Bex chimes in. “Look at your business, you’ll have the answer.”

“This is a calling card for change,” nods Rain in agreement. “People are already struggling with so much; the hair experience is supposed to be a place where, for just a moment, you have control over your life and you’re seen as an individual, and not an idea. And that’s it.”

GIUSEPPE STELITANO. HAIR TIZIANA DI MARCELLI. PHOTOGRAPHY AUSTN FISCHER.

RAIN DOVE. MAKE UP MIRIAM SPANU. STYLING FRANCESCA RUSSO. BTS PHOTOGRAPHY BEX OHTA.

To see more from the shoot and hear more from Rain, Kristin and the Trevor Sorbie team, visit creativeheadmag.com @creativeheadmag

BLOW-DRY

PRIDE WITH

Put the love back into your blow-dry with the new Volumizing Blow Dry Mist from OLAPLEX

* Based on an independent consumer perception study of 43 women with fine to medium hair who use blow-dry products.

Blow-drys can make or break a salon visit. You want every client to have an Instagram-worthy finish. They should be the cherry on top of a great salon experience, but a sub-par finish could hide the wonderful colour or cutting work you’ve spent hours crafting. For those giddily preparing for an event, a lacklustre result could stop them returning.

The all-important final touch can deliver a red carpet-ready buzz when done right, so restore pride in your blow-drys with new Volumizing Blow Dry Mist from OLAPLEX.

Don’t defer to dryness and dullness. Instead, use Volumizing Blow Dry Mist for a reparative blow-dry that feels softer, looks shinier and is visibly healthier. It also holds the style longer without weighing down the hair. Think lasting body and bounce without the stickiness or heaviness that other styling products can create. Not just concerned with improving results, OLAPLEX’s Volumizing Blow Dry Mist has innovated the blow-dry experience. It’s clinically proven to speed up blow-dry time, great news for your jam-packed day. It’s also a shield against humidity and heat up to 232°C.

And what do clients think? The results are in! A study on women using blow-dry products saw 96 per cent agreed it retained their style with a lightweight touch, 94 per cent experienced buildable volume,

93 per cent felt lightweight body, and 89 per cent said their hair did not feel sticky.*

All that, AND it’s helping hair get healthier, too! The Mist’s exclusive patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology relinks damaged bonds, creating stronger and healthierlooking hair.

What creates the soft, smooth, and sensual blow-outs with a hold that lasts? That’s the work of jackfruit polysaccharides and advanced polymers, while bamboo extract lipopeptides protects against styling damage and pea peptides plump, hydrate, and protect strands. Those ingredients are IN, but this Mist is also 100 per cent free of sulphates, phthalates, parabens, gluten, and silicone. How proud are you of your blow-dry game? Reach for Volumizing Blow Dry Mist from OLAPLEX, and you’ll pack power and restorative results into every finish. Hairdryers at the ready…

STRENGTH

FROM

WITHIN

Stronger and healthier-looking blow-drys from the original bond builder, OLAPLEX

Plenty claim to really care for hair, but who has the receipts to prove it? OLAPLEX burst onto the scene in 2014 with its revolutionary bondbuilding technology, changing the industry and the way we care for hair for good. Now, it’s here to change the game again – now it’s time to evolve your blow-dry!

The new Volumizing Blow Dry Mist from OLAPLEX takes blowdrys further. On any day, a stylist must make the best of what they’re given in the chair, including damaged locks that are begging for transformation. Some might try to hide the damage with clever styling, but they’re only temporary fixes.

With just a few sprays of OLAPLEX Volumizing Blow Dry Mist you can take your client on a journey – not just of styling, but of intense repair, too. If you could peek into the hair as the blow-dry takes place, this is what you would see; damaged and compromised hair bonds being repaired from the inside out, protecting it from damage while simultaneously relinking

broken disulphide bonds. That’s real muscle work!

Whether they’re just having a wash and blow or the ‘full monty’ with colour, this clever new addition works to repair many types of client hair damage, from heat styling to outside factors such as pollution. All from a name that consumers know, trust and actively hunt out, making it an easier upsell for the team, too!

Offer your clients the fab, final flourish they deserve with a stronger, softer, healthier, and more durable blow-dry, with new Volumizing Blow Dry Mist from OLAPLEX.

Want to hear more about the OLAPLEX story and grab that new Volumizing Blow Dry Mist for your shelves? It’s available at uk.olaplex.com and your local professional distributor: Aston & Fincher, Capital Hair & Beauty, Sally Beauty, Salon Concept, Salon Promotions, Salons Direct and Xpert Professional @olaplexuk

It’s full steam ahead for RUSH Hair’s revitalised RUSH AND GOLDWELL

When you nd the right business and brand partner to support your salon, it’s like the stars have aligned. It sets your heart racing in the best way possible.

The future certainly looks bright for multi award-winning salon group RUSH Hair & Beauty, as it returns to a trusted friend, celebrating its renewed powerful partnership with Kao Salon Division and Goldwell.

From exceptional professional hair products – including Goldwell, KERASILK, KMS, Oribe and VARIS – to extensive education, training support, inspirational global events and awards, Kao Salon is passionate about working hand-in-hand with its salon partners, to help salons and stylists thrive.

For RUSH’s joint chief executive, Stell Andrew, this renewed partnership is the perfect meeting of hearts and minds, set to take the industry by storm. He says: “Kao Salon Division, Goldwell and RUSH believe in business and creativity working in

harmony. We share the same values, supporting and building a strong community through the training and support we provide our salons. Kao and Goldwell are the perfect partners for us to achieve this with.”

Julie Winchester, general manager of Kao Salon Division UKI, agrees: “At Kao Salon we understand that the expression of creativity is the lifeblood of the industry. We’re dedicated to joining each of our salon partners on their journey, supporting them in every way we can to help them grow, create and succeed. We’re thrilled that the RUSH Art Team has already found its place back in the Kao Salon and Goldwell family, hosting presentations around the UK and with international travel planned for this year. Our creative relationship is already going from strength to strength, and we’ve only just started!”

Goldwell’s game-changing sustainable salon colour products proved to be a major pull for RUSH returning to the fold. The

Kao Salon Showcase –UK Tour

“The RUSH Artistic Team has educated and motivated hairdressers around the world, leading to multiple industry awards. We’re so excited to have them and RUSH back onboard and look forward to sharing more about our partnership and what we plan to bring to the industry together”

JULIE WINCHESTER, GENERAL MANAGER OF KAO SALON DIVISION UKI

“Working with Goldwell provides RUSH with the perfect balance of creativity and good business sense. We are renowned for our colour work and we know that the training and support provided by Goldwell will ensure an increase in our colour business and make our salons more profitable”

“As a creative team we are delighted to be working with Kao Salon and Goldwell. We have a mutual passion for creativity and both Goldwell and RUSH have a desire to share techniques that can be used in-salon to motivate stylists to continually develop their craft, and on a creative platform to our peers”

ANDY HEASMAN, INTERNATIONAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, RUSH HAIR & BEAUTY

TOGETHER AGAIN…

partnership with Goldwell

brand story is hard to beat. Its first hair colour product hit the market back in 1971 with Topchic and, ever since, Goldwell has sustained a strong reputation for colour excellence and expertise. Just look at the newly launched Topchic Zero, which encapsulates Goldwell’s tried and tested colour performance in a new, more sustainable format that’s even more gentle on clients’ hair, as well as our planet. Colour is the premier money-maker in hairdressing, and Stell believes that partnering with Kao Salon and Goldwell means RUSH can 100 per cent ensure “that each colour client receives the perfect colour”.

Coming back to Goldwell is like coming home for RUSH; there’s a sense of familiarity and excitement about what’s on the horizon. The partnership arms RUSH stylists with the right tools for the job and that means a happier, more motivated workforce and exceptionally happy clients.

A great alliance requires synchronicity. What could be better than a salon professional brand house that’s stood the test of time and an award-winning salon group? Watch this space – the sky is the limit!

For more information visit kaosalondivision.com and goldwell.co.uk

@goldwelluki @officialrushhairbeauty

ANDY PHOULI, CO-FOUNDER AND JOINT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF RUSH HAIR & BEAUTY

WHO WANTS TO BE A HAIRDRESSER

NOWADAYS?

2017/18 – 11,500 apprenticeship starts

2019/20 – 7,000 apprenticeship starts

2024/25 – 3,400 apprenticeship starts (projected)*

Hairdressing apprentices are fast becoming an endangered species – their numbers have halved in the past five years. But could recent changes to apprenticeship content and funding help turn things around? Creative HEAD investigates…

* Hair and beauty apprenticeship starts, NHBF

What on earth has happened to apprenticeships? Once upon a time, hairdressing had a proud tradition of recruiting and training young people, with salons and barber shops providing apprenticeship opportunities for thousands of school leavers each year. But the way our industry works has changed and apprenticeship starts have plummeted – just 3,400 are predicted for 2024/2025.

So, what’s gone wrong? A hard-hitting 2022 report from the National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF), Careers At The Cutting Edge: Tackling the Skills Shortage in the Hair and Beauty Sector, identified a number of factors that have combined insidiously over time. These include funding issues that have led to many training providers going out of business; unfavourable perceptions around hairdressing as a career, which, coupled with government cuts to careers support funding have meant hairdressing apprenticeships have rarely – if ever – been promoted in schools; employers increasingly using self-employed staff within their business to cut costs, with apprenticeships part of the collateral damage.

And that’s not all, says the NHBF’s director of quality and standards, Carolyn Larissey. “It used to be the case that every qualification had to meet national occupational standards set by the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority (Habia),” she says. “But since government took that away, we’ve seen a black market in non-accredited courses that deliver minimal knowledge and skills. Not only are employers baffled by the different qualifications, there’s a complete lack of accountability among the providers that’s causing serious reputational damage to the sector.”

However, the past 12 months have seen the introduction of changes that it’s hoped might provide a boost for our sector, including new content and funding for apprenticeships in the hairdressing and barbering industries (but only in England), and a shake-up of the post-16 education and training system designed to remove low-quality qualifications lacking job prospects. Is there finally light at the end of the tunnel?

A BOOST TO STANDARDS AND FUNDING

In May this year it was announced that new Hairdressing Professional and Barbering Apprenticeship Standards at Level 2 had finally been approved by the Secretary of State, for delivery by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), along with a substantial increase in the funding band.

The original Hair Professional Standard, introduced in 2016, had covered both hairdressing and barbering as optional pathways; the fact that this has now been split into two separate apprenticeship standards is “a big step forward”, says Carolyn Larissey. “We’ve been working on this for three years with IfATE and it’s been like trying to bash a square peg into a round hole, getting academics to understand a creative industry like ours where personalisation is such a critical element. I’m so pleased that the new content better reflects how modern hair salons and barber shops are run, covering issues such as employee rights and responsibilities, codes of conduct, social media, hair types and classification, as well as mental health and wellbeing.”

It has also been announced that the new Standards will receive more funding – the Hairdressing Professional at Level 2 has been given a revised funding band of 14, meaning training

providers will receive £11,000 per apprentice – a rise of £4,000; the Barbering Professional at Level 2 has been revised to band 12, meaning a £2,000 boost to £9,000 per apprentice.

Says Larissey: “It’s a big leap forward for our sector to help address the skills shortages we are facing. After two years of battling on every single point to help government officials understand and value our creative industries, I am so pleased we’ve been able to secure a funding band that reflects the breadth and depth of training required.”

But not everyone is celebrating – yet. Award-winning training provider Andrew Collinge explains: “Back in 2016, when the Standards were initially introduced, we asked for £11,000 funding because the improved content and the new End Point Assessment (EPA) both involved extra work and cost. In the end, we were given £9,000, which was just about do-able, so off we went – and just six months into the first cohort, the then minister for education, Gavin Williamson, suddenly cut the funding back to £7,000. It was devastating – and impossible to deliver at that price. My business was able to cross-subsidise our costs with revenue from our salons, but many training providers simply stopped offering the Standards or went out of business altogether.

“The new Standards being introduced this summer do represent another improvement but there are various elements – a new theory test and a two-day EPA requiring more external verifiers – that increase the costs still further. While the £11,000 funding is great, it’s only what we were asking for right at the beginning – and I can’t help but worry that history might repeat itself and funding will get cut once again in the near future.“

POST-16 QUALIFICATIONS GET A SHAKE-UP

Meanwhile, government is pressing ahead with reforms to qualifications for those aged 16 and over, which it hopes will address the UK’s nationwide post-pandemic, post-Brexit skills gap. For too long, it says, university has been seen as the only worthwhile marker of success. Now government wants to give equal priority to college training and apprenticeships, strengthening links between employers and further education providers while simultaneously removing low-quality qualifications that lack job prospects.

The new system will create two clearly defined paths for students who’ve just completed their GCSEs (or similar): academic, meaning qualifications that primarily lead to further study; and technical, which primarily lead to skilled employment. Apprenticeships, A Levels and T Levels will become the main progression options.

In a further development, qualifications will now be classified as either ‘job ready’ or ‘preparation for work’, giving both students and employers a better understanding of what they’re getting into. ‘Job ready’ qualifications will be those delivered on the job, such as an apprenticeship, resulting in full job competence and the ability to work to commercial timings. The new Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy T Level (once it is finally introduced) will be classified as ‘preparation for work’, as it will require further skill building to develop ‘job-ready’ competence.

Other qualifications will continue to be available, but in a bid to clean up poor-quality courses or duplication across the system, they will need to prove they give employers the skills they need

or lead to good higher education courses, in order to receive funding. The government has already begun a clean-up operation of sub-standard courses and by August 2022 had removed funding from about 5,500 qualifications. The next task will be to remove funding from qualifications that overlap with T Levels for 16- to 19-year-olds – although as the T Level in Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy has been delayed, de-funding of hair and beauty courses has also been delayed.

It's no secret that many in our industry are sceptical about the T Level for Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy. “There’s this huge government push towards the T Levels,” says Andrew Collinge, “but I’m nervous about where they will leave our industry. It’s been designated as ‘preparation for work’ yet also as a Level 3 qualification – this means the student will not be ready for the salon floor when they qualify, but employers will not have access to any funding if they take them on. So who exactly does the T Level serve? Like many employers, I’ve had to turn away college-trained students because they’re simply not good enough, and it breaks my heart. The best we can hope for is that they form a bond with the salon who provides them with the work experience element of the course, and that salon then decides they’re worth the investment of time and money it’s going to take to get them on the floor.”

SCHOOLS TO BE HELD TO ACCOUNT

Since January this year, schools have been under a legal duty to provide pupils with more exposure to technical education opportunities, in a move to beef up the so-called ‘Baker clause’ introduced in 2018. Secondary schools must now provide pupils with “at least six encounters with a provider of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships”. Two of these must be in the “first key phase” of school – to take place any time during year 8 or by 28 February in year 9. Another two encounters must then be in the “second key phase” – to take place any time during year 10 or by 28 February in year 11.

A further two must be offered in years 12 or 13. However, unlike the earlier encounters, students in years 12 and 13 will not have to attend by law. Schools that fail to adhere to the new rules face a legal direction from government.

The change follows criticism of the lack of enforcement of previous rules, with a 2019 study by the Institute for Public Policy Research finding that two-thirds of secondary schools were still flouting the Baker clause a year after it was introduced.

The legislation could potentially see hairdressing employers and training providers gaining precious access to a new pipeline of talent, but Caroline Larissey is not convinced.

“The expansion of the existing legal duty to cover careers advice in all schools is welcomed by the hair and beauty sector – in fact, it is common sense,” she says. “But we’ve had years without access and it will take time and resources for schools to ensure they have the capacity and expertise to make careers education a true priority. Hairdressing is a hard sell and so much damage has been done. It’s going to be really tough and I wonder if the training providers will have the stomach for it.”

“There’s no doubt apprenticeships are talked down in schools,” says Nahid Mortuza, head of individual services at IfATE. “Part of the problem may be that teachers have generally gone to university, so they have no experience of apprenticeships themselves. However, it’s been announced that teachers will soon be able to qualify via an apprenticeship, so we can only hope that this, too, implements positive change.”

Mortuza also revealed that the minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education, Robert Halfon, is to write to all pupils who’ve taken their GCSEs this year, alerting them to the Career Starter website (tinyurl.com/t348rdf3), which gives a taste of how apprenticeships work and where they can lead. Different careers are profiled – such as chef, healthcare support worker and freight forwarding specialist. Sadly, hairdressing is not yet represented.

CASE STUDY CASE STUDY

STEVE ROWBOTTOM

“The Westrow Academy is a busy place right now, with up to 240 full-time students at any one time. In 2023 we’ve had tremendous growth and exceeded the capacity of our 5,000 sq ft building; so we’ve open satellite studios in Harrogate and Sheffield.

“A success story was lobbying to win a government contract for adult education as we came out of lockdown. We now have the facility to deliver hairdressing skills to people in all industries, of all genres, and all ages, who could only have dreamt of becoming a hairdresser pre-pandemic.

“Most recently, while delivering a business seminar, I spoke to a salon owner who had a particular grudge with apprenticeships. He said that as he has to take time out of his week to deliver education, he should be the one receiving the new funding increase.

“When you take on an apprentice, you have a duty of care to deliver 20 per cent of their working hours back to education, otherwise you are not in a position to employ them. That’s one day a week where the salon owners have to either deliver the education themselves or employ someone to do so, which is a huge commitment.

“Westrow has launched an initiative where we charge £25 a day for the apprentice to come to us and be taught by our team. We have delivered about 187 EPAs, at a 100 per cent success rate with more than 60 per cent gaining outstanding results. This is due to the fact that our class sizes are between eight and 10, where most colleges have classes between 30 and 35. It’s a different model, and a huge team effort.”

Focusing on genuine industry needs has been key, says Steve Rowbottom of training provider Westrow Academy

HEADMASTERS

Headmasters gained huge interest at this year’s National Apprenticeship Show

APPRENTICESHIP EDUCATION AT-A-GLANCE

WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT

• Affordable, high-quality apprentice schemes for small businesses with enough funding and apprenticeship places to meet the needs of learners and employers across the UK.

• Funding for learners over the age of 19 that supports progression to Level 3 qualifications and enables job changers and job returners to access apprenticeships.

• Greater recognition by schools, colleges and parents that hairdressing is an attractive and worthwhile career and that apprenticeships are the preferred route into the industry.

• Clear distinction between ‘job ready’ qualifications (apprenticeships) and ‘preparation for work’ qualifications (T Levels).

Recruiting new apprentices is not the issue – the challenge is keeping them, say Rebecca Richardson, Headmasters recruitment manager, and Charlotte Hayward, Headmasters apprentice engagement and in-salon training manager.

“We haven’t had a significant drop in recruiting apprentices – although parental opposition is still really evident, and we take calls daily from kids who started something else because their parents wanted them to and then they drop out and want to do hairdressing!

“But we are experiencing more of an issue with apprentices dropping out as they struggle to cope with the demands of a full-time job. The candidates coming through currently were largely home schooled and missed work experience as a result of lockdown; they need a lot more nurturing and support on top of their training. We believe this will rectify over the next two years or so.

“We are constantly working with our training partner to find ways of recruiting that involves parents – we’re planning an open evening at our academy where parents can attend to ask us any questions. We also took part in the National Apprenticeship Show, where we actively engaged with parents as well as the students, to get them onside and to educate them on how rewarding a career in hairdressing can be.

“We’re also taking on more part-time assistants who are interested in an apprenticeship while they are still in school so that they can get a feel for the salon and get used to working – without expecting them to go straight into a full-time apprenticeship. We hope this will help with dropout rates.

“In terms of training, we really focus on the technical side of hairdressing to keep the apprentices engaged and we ensure that they have two full days of education a week. We also include new apprentices in social content on TikTok, which we are using to engage that generation by showing them what it is like to be an apprentice at Headmasters. This of course helps us with our campaign but it also makes our current apprentices feel involved and increases their confidence.”

WHAT EMPLOYERS MUST PAY APPRENTICES

Apprentices must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW).

23 and over £10.42

21 to 22 £10.18

18 to 20 £7.49

16 to 18* £5.28

WHAT EMPLOYERS GET PAID

Small employers (fewer than 50 employees) will not have to make any financial contributions towards the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment if they take on:

• 16- to 18-year-olds.

• 19- to 24-year-olds who have been in care, or have a local authority care plan.

In addition, any employer taking on 16- to 18-year-olds or those aged 19 to 24 who have been in care or who have a local authority care plan, will receive £1,000 for each apprentice to support the additional costs of training these groups.

*An apprentice over the age of 19 in their first year can be paid the apprenticeship rate of £5.28, but in the second year of their apprenticeship must be paid the age-appropriate NMW/NLW

ON THE FLOOR

With apprentice numbers in freefall across many industries, the government is in the throes of implementing a ‘radical rethink’. Employers have been given a direct role in designing new qualifications, funding for substandard qualifications is being scrapped, and when it comes to careers advice, schools are being told in no uncertain terms to give equal priority to both academic and vocational routes. As plans go, it sounds pretty good for hairdressing. But of course, it’s no good talking the talk without walking the walk.

Last month, Creative HEAD spoke to a range of young people (including some career-changers) currently undertaking a hairdressing apprenticeship. We wanted to know: how had they come to hairdressing? Had they felt supported in their decision? Were they fully prepared for apprenticeship life? And did they feel an apprenticeship was a better option than college-based learning? Their answers may – or may not – surprise you!

OUR KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

l There is no encouragement from schools towards a career in hairdressing.

Schools persist in promoting A Levels or college – even when the student is not academic and would be better served by a more technical option.

l The gulf between college and apprenticeships in terms of quality of training is huge.

It was widely agreed that the college experience is neither as enjoyable nor as rewarding as being trained on the job in a salon.

THERE IS NO ENCOURAGEMENT FROM SCHOOLS TOWARDS A CAREER IN HAIRDRESSING

Despite the government’s Baker clause – which states that schools must act impartially and not show any bias towards any route, be that academic or technical – having been in force since January 2018, it is clear that schools persist in promoting A Levels and university to students – even when students are clearly not academic and would be better served by a more technical option. There is no encouragement from schools towards a career in hairdressing (in fact, one apprentice was actively discouraged from following that path), and zero information about hairdressing as a career option.

“When I was at school, it was very university-focused, which is probably why I initially ended up going down that route. I remember we had to write personal statements for university, and people in my group would say they didn’t want to go to university, but the teachers would ask them to write one anyway.”

“When I was at secondary school and I said I wanted to be a hairdresser, the teachers were quite judgemental, and not very supportive because all their focus was on people who wanted to go to university. I wish they had paid more attention to people who wanted to pursue more creative careers.”

l The value of an apprenticeship extends beyond practical skills-building.

It’s about confidence-building, the growth of interpersonal and communication skills, the benefits of being in a real salon environment with real clients and real hair! But it’s a massive transition from classroom to the salon floor, and not enough is being done to inform and prepare students for the change.

There is little or no promotion of apprenticeships – on a show of hands, only 5 per cent of our group had been told about apprenticeships at school – and when they did get mentioned, hairdressing was rarely included.

“We had people coming in to talk to us, but it was always police officers, the military, doctors, nurses – people who’d gone through university. Never once did I see a hairdresser come in, or a bricklayer for that matter – because that’s how they lump us together.”

Hairdressing salons are sometimes given access to school careers events, but even then they are not always taken seriously.

“Whenever we had a career day, all the tables were set out and you’d go to each one, to the doctors, the nurses, the firemen –and then you’d get to the hairdressing table. And all the girls would rush over to get free samples of hair products, and then run away again. Teachers would see the bags and say, ‘Oh, you’ve been to hairdressing, but you’re not actually going to do that, though, are you?’ And you’d say no, because you were embarrassed to go over and talk to the hairdresser. That was the kind of attitude I experienced.”

“I remember being in school and you had to choose your options to take before you left. And I chose hairdressing. And the teachers were like, ‘No, that’s not an option you can take –your grades are too high. Pick something else’. That was an eye-opener for me.”

HOPE GOHOREY 19,YOKE,

Plymouth

“At my school the kids were a bit more challenged and not particularly suited to sit in a classroom. We were very quickly pushed down the vocational route – it felt like kids who weren’t smart or good enough to go to college or university would instead do hairdressing, bricklaying and things like that.

“People always say hairdressing is easy and for those who aren’t very clever. You have to be brave to stand up and say it’s not easy, it’s something I’m passionate about. Because there’s so much you can do with hairdressing. I’m making a lot of money. It’s fun. I can take it anywhere. And I think that should be recognised just as much as going to university.

“I started my training in a college, just after lockdown, but it was just blockheads, doing your bog-standard blow-dry, things like that. And I got through that pretty quickly, because I was good at it. I got some work experience at YOKE and then I ended up switching to an apprenticeship because I learn better being hands-on, and everyone around me was at a high standard already. I learn better from them.

“I don’t think colleges have the capability to teach you as well as people who do it every single day. I’m not saying the college teachers are rubbish, but there’s a big difference between being in a salon and going off to shoots and things like that and being taught in a classroom – you miss out on so much.”

THE GULF BETWEEN COLLEGE AND APPRENTICESHIPS IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF TRAINING

IS HUGE

Hairdressing employers often complain that applicants who have qualified in a college lack basic cutting and styling skills. This was reinforced by the apprentices we spoke to – many of them had started off doing their hairdressing training at a college of further education – and without exception they mentioned the huge difference in training approaches and standards.

“I went to college first and it was mistake. It was like being at school again, kind of like a muck-about really, and a waste of time because I didn’t really get anything out of it. I didn’t gain any skills beyond when I was 14 and doing my Saturday job.”

“I don’t know if I just went to a rubbish college but I was taught to put foils in the wrong way, and they wouldn’t let us cut hair dry, which obviously we do in the salon. Things didn’t add up. In college,

EVIE HEATON 16,

En Route Hair & Beauty, Wakefield

“I’ve been at En Route since I was 14, initially just doing Saturdays, but then I was struggling at school a bit, so they put me on some work experience. I was here three days a week and then also on Saturdays, so I was actually at the salon more than school. And I’ve never felt so much in my own world, and so content.

“I absolutely love my job – it’s so different to how they spoke about it at school. We had careers meetings and I’d tell them, ‘I’ve got everything set out. I know what I want to do’. But they would try to divert me into doing something else. It was like they wanted to make the decisions for me.

“I enjoyed college, where I did my Level 1, but I think because I’d been at the salon so much, it was too basic for me. I just wanted to get into the salon as much as I could and do as much training as I could. I want to do everything that I can to be ready for employment.

“The group of girls I work with are probably the reason I’m so ready. Any opportunity they get to train me, they take it! There’s never a moment where we’re just sat doing nothing. The other day, we did blonding techniques and I practised balayage with one of the stylists – it’s things like that which make me feel very included in the team, even though technically I’m not there yet!”

you’re taught to do things only one way, but in a salon you personalise everything to each client. When I started my apprenticeship, I decided to forget everything that I did in college and started again.”

“The amount of training I get in the salon, compared with when I went to college full time, is crazy. Here, I’m doing cutting and colouring. At college, it was just basic hair washing, straightening and curling. It was very simple, nothing that could really benefit me now.”

“I was doing a Level 2 course at college and I didn’t feel like the training was very good. They kept changing the information, which wasn’t helpful. Over time, you could see students dropping out because they didn’t find it very inspiring. Since I’ve moved over to my apprenticeship you can see how structured training can really help you on your hairdressing journey. I think that’s so important, but it was never mentioned at college.”

THE VALUE OF AN APPRENTICESHIP EXTENDS BEYOND PRACTICAL SKILLS-BUILDING

Apprenticeships are important for both businesses and learners, providing a blended learning experience. For the business owner, apprenticeships are important for long-term sustainability, while for the student it’s about confidence-building, developing soft skills and learning how to cope in a commercial environment –and that’s as rewarding as learning the skills themselves.

“College courses don’t even scratch the surface. It’s an introduction to hairdressing, but nothing more. The only way to do it is to immerse yourself within your apprenticeship – that’s the only way it starts to piece together. There are so many other things as well, such as salon timings and working to 45-minute appointments.”

“The apprenticeship route was more attractive to me because you’re getting paid but you’re also getting that insight and experience you don’t get at a college. You learn to deal with problems and you get to work on real hair, not just blocks!”

“I feel confident about my skills in the salon because I’ve been trained in the salon. I feel confident speaking to customers and helping out with the technical stuff, such as mixing colours. I know that if we took on someone from college we’d have to retrain them so we know what skills they’ve got and how they do things. We would want to know that they can actually do things, and that it’s not just been ticked off on a form.”

But apprenticeships aren’t all a bed of roses, and unsurprisingly the issue of pay came up, especially from older apprentices, although low rates of pay can also impact on whether or not to

CASE STUDY CASE STUDY CHLOE WARRINER 19,

Collinge & Co, Liverpool

“At school I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I couldn’t see myself going to university, so I left when I was 15 and everyone was like, ‘You’re making the worst mistake ever’. All the usual stuff. I came to an open day at Collinge & Co to have a look around and I loved it.

“Quite a few of my friends would probably have done better if they’d left school too, but now they’re finishing degrees because they were pushed through, and they’re never going to use those degrees because they don’t want to do those jobs. That’s why you end up with so many people coming out of university with all these degrees and then working jobs they don’t want to be in.

“Starting my apprenticeship was quite scary. I went into it blind because I’d never done anything like it before. I was used to sitting in a classroom all day. I remember I was horrified because my first shift was 9am to 6pm and I was like, ‘I’m used to finishing school at 2.30pm!’ You’re definitely not pushed to take that jump, but it’s so worth it when you do.”

continue training at Level 3 or go straight out on to the floor.

“The pay has been a bit of a struggle and for a while I was on Universal Credit because I had rent and bills to pay and I’d spent all my savings during lockdown. So it was a massive challenge and it’s physically knackering too – especially in the first year. I came home exhausted most days!”

“I’m not sure whether I’m going to do Level 3. We do a lot of training with our product supplier and to be honest I can’t really afford to stay on an apprenticeship wage for another year. I’ve spoken to my manager about it and I’ll probably go down the route of getting Level 2 done then working on the floor, supplemented by separate training courses in extensions and so on.”

“I’ve loved the hairdressing side of my apprenticeship but to be able to sustain myself financially I had to have a pub job at the same time. So I was working two jobs, one finishing late and the other starting early, often going straight from one to the other. I did that for about a year and half… I was knackered!”

Perhaps as a result of the lack of promotion of apprenticeships in schools, people are often unprepared for the transition from classroom to the salon floor; not enough is being done to inform and prepare students for the change.

“I was working as a Saturday girl at my salon for two years before I started my apprenticeship, so I knew how they worked. I knew I’d be rinsing colours before I could start applying them. But if I hadn’t had that Saturday job, I think I’d have gone into an apprenticeship believing I’d be cutting someone’s hair right away. There is just nothing out there that tells you what to expect.”

LUKE FOREMAN 28,

Russell Eaton, Leeds

“I’m a little bit older than the average apprentice. I came into hairdressing just over two years ago. I was looking for a new job and wanted to go into hair – the apprenticeship was the best route to go into.

“I had been working full time as a manager in a coffee shop but thanks to lockdown I lost my job so I was doing anything I could – driving, restaurant work – just to pay my bills. And then I saw a college in Leeds advertising a short course in hairdressing and I thought it was a great opportunity.

“After a few months I was looking for work experience and I got an interview at Russell Eaton. The team made it clear it was an apprenticeship or nothing. Very quickly I realised the college course I’d been doing was similar content, but it wasn’t anywhere near as in-depth as an apprenticeship.

“I have more appreciation for apprenticeships now and how they work. They’re really intense and they don’t deserve the stigma that’s attached to them. I went into mine quite naively, perhaps because of the college course I did.

I was thinking, ‘if they can condense a Level 2 into eight months in college, why is this apprenticeship taking so much longer?’ But there’s a reason for that and I can see it now.

“Being older, I do find it hard. It’s a lot longer route, I still need to earn money. I still need to pay bills. I got lucky with my salon in that it is able to pay me more than the relevant apprenticeship wage, but I know that’s not always the case.”

GET BACK TO SCHOOL!

Since the beginning of this year, secondary schools have a statutory duty to give all pupils in years 8 to 13 at least six opportunities to meet with a range of providers of technical education. If you offer apprenticeships in your business, that could mean you!

The change in legislation is a move to beef up the Baker clause, introduced in 2018 to help overcome funding incentives in the system and ensure that young people are aware of all the options available to them – including through technical education. A 2019 study* found that two-thirds of secondary schools were still flouting the Baker clause a year after it was introduced.

In real terms, the government’s Skills and Post-16 Education Act (aka the Skills Bill) means that schools and colleges now have a legal obligation to act impartially and not show any bias towards any route, be that academic or technical. Furthermore, colleges and other providers

must work with employers to develop skills plans, so that the training on offer meets the needs of local areas, and people no longer have to leave their home towns to find great jobs.

At Creative HEAD we’ve listened to you tell us how you’ve been prevented from talking to pupils about apprenticeships within your salon. Well, now you have a legal right to access those pupils, so make the most of this opportunity to promote the value of a career in hairdressing.

You’ll find some incredible assets to support your arguments in a special Careers Pack – including industry stats, a 50-minute filmed documentary, information on the different ways to train, 12 real-life case studies demonstrating the wealth of opportunity available within a career in hair – on The Industry website at the-industry.co.uk/not-just-ahairdresser

We hope it helps with your search for your next new apprentice!

* By the Institute for Public Policy Research

1.TAKE

AN

APPRENTICESHIP

Hairdressing

2. STUDY AT COLLEGE

3), equivalent to A-Levels at grades A to E, designed to raise your skills to the highest level.

45%

HAS SHOWN GROWTH IN LAST FIVE YEARS*

IN 2019/20*

99%

SALONS ARE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED***; 82% OF SALON OWNERS ARE

SIX-FIGURE SALARIES ARE NOT UNCOMMON

In England, Trailblazer apprenticeships have already replaced the old frameworks, but reforms are also underway in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – check for updates at Skills Development Scotland Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly

so long as you meet eligibility requirements, but for others you will have to pay – at Toni&Guy, for example, the City & Guilds Hair Professionals Level 3 Beginner’s Course, designed to get you salon-ready, costs £13,000 plus VAT for a 30-week full-time programme.

the-industry.co.uk | @theindustrysquad

Exaucé Imbo, also known as Ex the Barber, first picked up his clippers at age 14 and never looked back.

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The most coveted ticket in town. See the Creative HEAD Most Wanted and It List Award winners crowned. It’s time to celebrate the UK and Ireland’s most exciting hair talents!

#MWIT23 @creativeheadmag

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SINGLE TICKET £280 plus VAT TABLE OF 10 £2,700 plus VAT LIMITED VIP TABLES on request

Most Wanted celebrates the most outstanding, progressive and game-changing talents in UK and Irish hairdressing. Meet the finalists hoping to lift a 2023 trophy!

2023 FINALISTS

AWARD FOR INNOVATION

Sponsored by

Naomi Brooks for

The Hair Sanctuary Training Group

Louis Byrne for I Can I Am and I Will

Tom Chapman for The Power of Pop-ups

Maddi Cook for Boss Your Profit

Ruth Lundstrom for The Freelance Suite

EDUCATION EXPERT

Sponsored by

BEST CLIENT EXPERIENCE

BEST LOCAL SALON

BEST NEW SALON

Sponsored by Sponsored by Sponsored by

Edward James London, London

Linton & Mac, Aberdeen

Samantha Cusick London, London

STIL, London

YOKE, Plymouth

HAIR TREND

Conor James Doyle,

Conor James Education, Dunlavin

Chris Foster, Welwyn Garden City

Sarah-Louise Keane,

SLK Education, Manchester

Laura Leigh Kerr,

Rainbow Room Academy, Glasgow

Harriet Stokes, London

Buller and Rice, London

The Hair Base, Gorleston

The Head Gardener, Inverness

McGills Hairdressing, Edinburgh Medusa, Edinburgh

INDEPENDENT STYLIST

Buller and Rice, London

douce, Cambridge

Haug London Haus, London

House of Bad Apple, Birmingham

Massarella + Jones, Leamington Spa

MEN’S HAIR SPECIALIST

Sponsored by Sponsored by Sponsored by

Grace Dalgleish, London

Adam Garland, Clevedon

Rudi Rizzo, Sanrizz, London

Darrel Starkey,

Taylor’s Hair Studio, Skegness

Anne Veck, Oxford

Louis Byrne, London

Laura Chadwick, Peterborough

Lisa Farrall, London

Chris Foster, Welwyn Garden City

Adam Garland, Clevedon

Charlie Cullen, Dartford

Chris Foster, Welwyn Garden City

Tariq Howes,

Avenue Male Grooming, Cardiff

Dexter Dapper Johnson, TONI&GUY, London

Rino Riccio, Manifesto, London

GAME ON GAME’S STRONG…

BEST SALON TEAM BUSINESS THINKER

COLOUR EXPERT

Sponsored by Sponsored by Sponsored by

Architect Hair, Leeds

Bloggs Salons, Bristol

Ena Salon, London

Fry + Dean, London

Samantha Cusick London, London

SUSTAINABILITY HERO

Pedro Inchecko and Johnny Othona,

Ena Salon, London

Colin McAndrew, Medusa, Edinburgh

Nuala Morey, Nuala Morey, Bristol

Lee Nash-Jones and Rob White, Nashwhite, Warwick

Nicholas Nicola, Allertons, Leeds

TEXTURE EXPERT

Sponsored by Sponsored by

Stephen Buller and Anita Rice, Buller and Rice, London

Nicole Hewitt,

The Salon Of Chi, Henley-on-Thames

Lois Mant, Muse Hairdressing, Salisbury

Lorraine Naughton, OB-1 Hair, Maynooth

Laraine Rose,

Twelve Hair Design, Eastleigh

Vivi Dague, Stanley Watts Greenwich, London

Lisa Farrall, London

Rianna Henry, London

Tariq Howes,

Avenue Male Grooming, Cardiff

Claire Martin, Gro London, London

Jordanna Cobella, Cobella, London

Daniel Couch, Russell Eaton, Leeds

Grace Dalgleish, London

Harriet Stokes, London

Lydia Wolfe, Jack & the Wolfe, Lymington

CREATIVE TALENT

Sponsored by

Bartek Cass, Smiths Soho, London

Grace Dalgleish, Billi Currie, London

Efi Davies, TONI&GUY Academy, London

Danilo Giangreco, Danilo Hair Boutique, London

Richard Phillipart, The Boutique Atelier, Ellesmere Port

SESSION STYLIST HAIR ICON

Sponsored by Sponsored by

BY NOMINATION ONLY BY NOMINATION ONLY

Luke Hersheson

Adam Reed

Eugene Souleiman

Rio Sreedharan

Anthony Turner

Sally Brooks

Errol Douglas MBE

Duffy

Gary Gill

Cyndia Harvey

Syd Hayes

Sophia Hilton

Cos Sakkas

Anthony Turner

itit it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it

Emma-Louise Cantwell and Christopher Laird, November Collective, Edinburgh

Brooke Evans, BE Ironbridge, Telford

Exaucè Imbo, EXSTUDIO, Glasgow

Jack Mead, Jack & the Wolfe, Lymington

Charles Rose, Crate Cheshire, Knutsford

THE EDITORIAL STYLIST

Michaela Bodden, London

Ashley Cockrell, London

Darcie Harvey, Reuben Wood Hairdressing, Manchester

Rosie Jones, Trevor Sorbie, Bristol

Josh Woodman, Eden Hair and Beauty, Stotfold

THE SALON STYLIST

Rebecca Hare, Brooks & Brooks, London

Yasemin Hassan, Woolf Kings X, London

Holly Matheson, ARKIVE by Adam Reed, London

Mia Mozley, Alice and the Hair, Derby

Shay Ryder, Josh Wood, London

THE BUSINESS BUILDER THE RISING STAR THE VISIONARY

Edoardo Colasanti, Trevor Sorbie, London

Birte Klintworth, Radio, London

Emy Roccabella, Danilo Hair Boutique, London

Roman Sys, Brooks & Brooks, London

Frazer Wallace, THE HAUS STUDIO, Dundee

Norman Boulton, Not Another Salon, London

Elle Foreman, Tribe Clapham, London

Maria McCormick, Paint & Powder, Stafford

Francesco Merico, Trevor Sorbie, London

Emy Roccabella, Danilo Hair Boutique, London

THE ONE TO WATCH

Conor James Doyle, Conor James Education, Dunlavin

Georgia Freeman, Q Cut, Kew

Sophie-Rose Goldsworthy, Goldsworthy’s Hairdressing, Swindon

Christopher Laird, November Collective, Edinburgh

Jack Mead, Jack & the Wolfe, Lymington

Annabel Payne, TONI&GUY, London

Emy Roccabella, Danilo Hair Boutique, London

Roman Sys, Brooks & Brooks, London

Miles Twist, Architect Hair, Leeds

Emma Vickery, Percy & Reed, London

/ SUNDAYS

FOR FREELANCERS FOR FREE

Crack The Vault and access a wealth of brilliant sessions from our SELF/STYLED Sundays, and new content too!

EARN NEW SKILLS. MAKE MORE MONEY. EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT FOR INDEPENDENT STYLISTS

• Boosting your treatment and service menus

• Bold and bright colour ideas

• Brilliant blondes, all day every day!

• Insight on cuts and care for texture and curls

• NEW! Business essentials for a fresh approach to freelancing, from Vagaro

THE EVENTS AND PARTIES TO BE SEEN AT

AUTHENTIC BEAUTY CONCEPT GLOBAL COMMUNITY GATHERING

SET AGAINST THE scenic backdrop of Fort Mokotów in Warsaw, the Authentic Beauty Concept Global Community Gathering brought together more than 200 members of the #AuthenticBeautyMovement from across the globe for two days of inspiration, networking, and content creation. Transforming the space into a fabulous garden party, brand advocates including Adam Garland, Hester Wernert Rijn, Said Rubaii, Juliette den Ouden, and Marta Zawiślańska, joined fellow hairstylists, influencers, and beauty editors to celebrate the hairdressing community. Representing the UK and Ireland, Daniel Caines, Mimi Kobayashi, Anthony McMeiken, Dan Mewies, Matt Surplice, and Melissa Timperley were among the attendees treated to trend presentations, engaging creative sessions and workshops. The gathering also gave pros the opportunity to enjoy handson experiences, which included creating multiple looks for a photoshoot. With many of the hairstylists inspired by the brand’s recent collaboration with DJ Peggy Gou, looks included effortlessly undone waves, rick-rack texture, and micro braids. The two-day extravaganza concluded with an innovation workshop focused on gathering feedback from local hairdressing advocates to shape the brand’s upcoming innovations. What does the future hold? Our lips are sealed, but expect great things!

Said Rubaii

Juliette den Ouden

Hester Wernet Rijn

Marta Zawi Ś lań s ka

KAO HUB NETWORK

ON THE STUNNING Costa Del Sol, Kao Hub Network enjoyed its 2023 outing where business owners peeked into a crystal ball to glimpse the “salon of the future”. The best will focus on the “little wins” that add to the bottom line, explained salon business expert Liz McKeon. Upselling retail earlier on in the customer experience will be key as they are “three-times as loyal if they buy homecare from you”. The best salons will also strike the balance between seeking new customers and keeping the ones they like, argued business coach Bianca Miller. They’ll have a goal list of clients and will also ask for feedback from existing ones. For time-poor owners lagging on their salon social media output, Kao’s Nathan Agland suggested they try new AI tool Chat GPT, which produces copy tailored to your desires, almost immediately. But what will these salons look like visually? They’ll be borderless spaces, suggested brand expert Bernd Wagenknecht. A place where activities such as yoga, coffee-drinking and hairdressing take place in perfect harmony. The client outcome will be less “bling” with a return to genuine wellness, with stylists as the fountains of knowledge, linking clients to doctors and dermatologists as well as hair advice.

Caroline Sanderson

Liz McKeon

Bianca Miller

Julie Winchester Jack Stratton

Nathan Agland

Claire Brumby

HOB SALONS’ 40TH ANNIVERSARY

IN THE LAVISH setting of Nobu Hotel in London’s Fitzrovia, HOB Salons brought together the teams from its network of 17 salons to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Directors Akin Konizi, Clive Collins and Paul Simbler steered the party onstage, rewarding dozens of team members with gifts for long service – an astonishing 30+ employees have been with the brand for 20 years or more. General manager (and Clive Collins’ daughter) Natasha Grossman also took to the stage to lead an emotional look back at the incredible achievements of the group. It wouldn’t be a HOB Salons event without some knockout hair, and Akin delivered this with gusto alongside the creative team of Jake Unger, Nestor Sanchez and Dale Herne. The squad unveiled its Icon collection, a consumer-friendly line-up of looks inspired by leading pop culture names – think the Jagger, the Kaia, the Dua – as Akin discussed the importance of encouraging clients to push their look forward. “Never leave your client looking invisible; always make it ‘wow’,” he declared. We couldn’t agree more…

Clive Collins, Paul Simbler and Akin Konizi

Natasha Grossman

Nestor Sanchez

Jake Unger

THE LAST WORD ON…

ACTIVISM

IT’S OFTEN HARD TO KEEP POLITICS SEPARATE FROM OUR DAY-TO-DAY. HERE’S HOW TO EMPOWER

Keeping things professional is a mainstay of working life. Once, the workplace was like a dinner party where politics and religion were rmly off limits. But things have changed…

Employees, especially younger ones, are more politically active thanks to social media and the immediate sharing of information. So how can businesses allow staff to publicly express their passions – whether that’s discussing climate change or a charitable cause – while still ensuring a professional service for clients?

Giving your team a platform for their activism won’t just make them feel seen and heard by your business, it’s good for business too, argues business coach Liz McKeon. “You can use social responsibility initiatives to advance business objectives. You can have a competitive advantage by being seen as a responsible business and attract new talent who will want to work with companies that share their beliefs. Staff will feel valued and will want to work harder and stay, you could also see positive public relations and press coverage from it.”

For Brian Leo McCallum, founder of ROAR Hair and Beauty, personal and political conversations keep the customer/stylist relationship alive: “We talk openly with guests about all the things we were taught years ago not to discuss – religion, politics, money. A healthy debate or difference in opinion helps a genuine relationship form between guest and hairdresser.”

Letting go and giving staff free rein to discuss what’s important to them is one thing; just ensure they don’t go against your brand’s wider purpose. “As a business, we encourage and support any employee activism that aligns with our mission, vision, and values,” explains Brian. “We will gladly share on social media and actively talk about fundraising with guests.

As a LGBTQ+ owned business and safe space, we understand how important it is to stand up for what you believe,” he adds.

But with multiple staff wanting to get their messages out there, could the conversation get crowded? Yes, and that’s why Liz advises leaders to “allocate a month to each person. Ask them to choose a cause they support and get creative with promoting to your community”.

Kubair Shirazee, leader of business consultancy AgiliTea, argues that such conversations can still be professional and workplace appropriate. He says: “Instead of implementing strict rules about discussing politics, focus on educating people about having respectful, open-minded conversations. Highlight the importance of understanding different perspectives, maintaining professionalism, and knowing when to agree to disagree.”

Whatever political discussions are being had in your business, effective management, including giving staff and clients space to vent and share, is key. But knowing when to step in and change the conversation matters too.

STAFF TO SHARE VIEWS IN A HEALTHY WAY

Oleg Laptev for Unsplash