Across the Ditch – Sarah Allsop

In this new series of articles, we put the spotlight on New Zealand and over the coming issues will look at the extraordinary talent… across the ditch!

Sara Allsop has obtained her reputation as one of New Zealand’s top Editorial and Session Stylist, through her relationships with leading fashion magazines and designers as well as her many award wins. Sara leads by example by working internationally each season at New York, London, Paris, and Milan as well as Couture Fashion Weeks, assisting top Hair Artists on shoots and shows such as Luigi Murenu, Guido Palau, Anthony Turner and Tina Outen. As well, Sara has led on shows at NZ Fashion Week since 2005.

Co-owner and founder of Dharma salons, Industry Extracted Event and Industry NZ Hairdressing Awards, Sara is dedicated to the growth of the NZ Hairdressing Industry in its entirety.

Sara has art directed and produced shows and shoots both locally and internationally for leading product companies, and the best NZ Hair Stylists.

Having developed many initiatives for young NZ hairdressers over the years to include the Industry Creative Young Artist Team, Protege Competition, and the Hair Expo Australia Gen Next NZ, Sara is driven to providing platforms for young NZ talent to show case their work. We recently caught up with Sara and got to ask her about her journey thus far in the industy..

Tell us about how you started in the industry, where did it all begin?

My journey started back a long time ago when World Cup Hairdressing was the biggest competition for hairdressers globally. I did my apprenticeship with NZ’s best World Cup hairdresser, who also happened to have both of her parents as hairdressers, my training was exceptional, as all three of them had travelled extensively, mostly to Europe for work, comps, and training, I was very lucky.

What excites you most about your work?

Always learning and pushing myself to do more, I particularly like it when people tell me something can’t be done, it challenges me to do it.

If you had to name one skill that got you where you are today, what would it be?

The ability to make people look the very best they can through creating shape, balance, and texture in hair.

Can you share with our readers a time when you overcame a challenge?

The biggest challenge I have faced is being based in NZ, it took me a long time to realise that I was good enough to travel and work with teams of hairdressers from all over the world, as well as present education on global stages.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given in your career?

Probably a conversation I had working backstage at Australian Fashion Week in about 2009, with a hairdresser who just happened to mention that his boss was going to work at NY Fashion Week, that was when I thought I was going to do the same…in 2010 I was there working on shows, and I have done it every year since.

Where do you find your creative inspiration for your collection work? Who do you look to for inspiration, or who has guided your career?

I have guided my own career with the huge support of my Husband Jock. Inspiration comes to me from traveling, I don’t really get inspiration from a particular person

What are your top tips for the planning and execution of a collection?

Start with the overall concept, then build your hair looks from there. Work with the best people, makeup, models, photographers…let them do what they do best, hairdressers should stick to doing hair

Do you find the Hair Trends in NZ different to what’s trending here in Australia, or are our fashions the same?

I think our hair fashion is very similar to Oz, I prefer more editorial hair myself, so the hair I create is usually dictated from fashion that is coming off the runways.

How do you achieve your balance between the creative and the commercial needs of your business?

I’m lucky, my husband is a hairdresser, and we have worked together for 25 years. We have a great balance in our working relationship

What’s on the agenda for the future?

Now that the world has opened back up, I’m keen to get back overseas to the Fashion week circuit. Plus, I have a few ideas for 2023, I’m about to go into some meetings to work out what we can do to inject creativity into the NZ hairdressing Industry.