Meet the Hotshots Team – Elle Coco

Elle Coco started her hairdressing career in December 2011 at her mother’s salon in central Queensland called HotHeads on Eclipse, in a small town called Springsure. Even though her career started in the small town, she was given so many amazing opportunities and education.

Within the first month of her apprenticeship, she was flown to Las Vegas to the Redken Symposium, sat in crowd of 20,000 hairdressers from around the world and visited the Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica in LA and San Francisco. It ignited her fire and passion for the industry and for education, and being able to educate, inspire, entertain, and create art, all at the same time, resonated with her deeply.

Prior to starting her hairdressing career, she was studying a Bachelor of Creative Art majoring in theatre, minoring in multimedia with the ambitions of pursuing an acting/circus career and training in her spare time in aerial acrobatics and fire twirling! “Let’s just say there was a time I ran away with the circus so to speak”, she says.

Elle has been a part of the 2021 Wella Fashion Week Team, Assisted Sophia Hilton, and Harriet Stokes on their tour of Australia for Not Another Salon in 2019 and in 2020, and now just short of 11 years later she is a Director Stylist at Jack Horton Hair, QLD finalist for the Matrix collective colour competition, 2023 Fame Team Finalist, 2022 AHIA New Creative Talent of the year and 2022 Hotshots Team member!

What made you want to be a hairdresser?

I remember always nagging my mum before I started my career if I got go to hair expo or any other hair events that were happening and she would say no because I wasn’t a hairdresser. One day after relentless nagging she finally let me, and it was the Chromatics Launch in Brisbane at the Light Space in Fortitude Valley.

Needless to say, it was fabulous! I remember watching Kristina Russell presenting her model on the runway and we had an amazing chat about the industry that evening, and I remember thinking I want to do that, I want to educate, create art, inspire, and entertain all at the same time and I loved hair.

What kind of hair work is your favourite and why?

I find this a really hard question to answer because I loved every aspect and kind of hairwork, I always have! And I have always strived for excellence in everything I do, and I love it all! Behind the chair I love being on the whole journey with my guests, but I do also love collaborating with other stylists too!

How do you manage life and work balance?

I am big on scheduling and routine, I have nonnegotiable selfcare days scheduled throughout my calendar now and my morning routine of either FaceTime or Pilates with my bestie and a coffee is sacred to me. but I am still learning on how to balance them both, it’s definitely a juggling act! But when you are so passionate and love what you do, it’s hard!

Who inspires you in the creative field of hairdressing and why?

Gosh I have such a long list! There are so many people I admire in the creative field, At the moment I am feeling very inspired by Angelo Seminara, Jose Garcia, BeniTez, and Errol Douglas. There are so many layers to their work from a creative and technical aspect that inspires me, and I am bit obsessed with how an artist conceptualises their work… it fascinates me.

If you could spend a day with anyone from a business or lifestyle mentorship perspective, who would it be and why?

Hands down! Jen Atkins! from the very beginning and before my career I have always admired her and her career, She is a boss! for multiple reasons and after reading her book “blowing my way to the top” Her work ethic and drive is really admirable, She is driven! passionate, self-made and has worked hard to be the international celebrated stylist and entrepreneur that she is.

How important are competitions and awards to you?

They are extremely important to me; they are our creative outlet to really push the boundaries of what we do on a day-to-day basis and express ourselves and our skills as Hair artists! Like other Artists using different mediums we get the opportunity to create something beautiful, inspiring, and emotive. I can’t begin to tell you the personal growth that is also intwined with the creative process. But I love that we also get to celebrate our industry all at the same time.

Can you tell us a little about what you are most looking forward to being a member of the Hot Shots team?

I’m looking forward to the growth! personal and professional. I don’t know how/what that looks like or what to expect and I find that really exciting. Spending time with the other hotshot members and creating meaningful connections with them. I also can’t wait for Louise’s iconic Spaghetti! I keep hearing about how amazing it is!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Being a Global creative director leading a creative team, working with fashion and other creative industries, Educating and mentoring, Entrepreneur, creating collections and of course still being behind the chair. I have always been told to dream big, aim for the moon and land on the stars.

FUN SNAPSHOT:

Worst Fashion Moment

My emo phase in my teens... I used to wear Emily Strange and Spikes you name it.

Worst Hair day

Having I guess what you would describe as a skunk tail mohawk for a while during my apprenticeship

Fave Destination

Paris or Barcelona

Fave Drink

Cognac Blazer or Iced latte with macadamia milk

If you weren’t a hairdresser, you would be a…

A video editor or content creator!