THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE

Why I Love the NEW iNOA

By Louise May

The British Hairdressing Award Newcomer of the Year category has been the launchpad for some of hairdressing’s biggest careers. This year’s winner, Emy Roccabella is hoping her trophy will take her all the way to the top

Growing up in the Marche region of Italy, close to Ancona, Emy Roccabella was surrounded by hairdressing. Her mother ran a salon, and she says herself, “I always expressed myself creatively.” After completing school and two years at an Italian hairdressing academy, she packed her bags and set off for London.

“I’d never been to London before and I barely spoke a word of English,” she confides. “But I knew there were more creative possibilities in London, and I wanted to challenge myself.” In what may later look like a divine stroke of luck, her job hunt brought her to Danilo Hair Boutique run by Danilo Giangreco on the Fulham Road. The salon’s philosophy of beautiful, timeless hairdressing coupled with its Italian heritage was the perfect match and Emy joined the team as an assistant.

After six months learning the ropes, Emy took an opportunity at a different salon and what followed was an incredibly busy three years. “I was learning the language at college, working on the salon floor, talking to people, growing in confidence.” Perhaps inevitably though, Emy was drawn back to the nurturing environment of Danilo’s and the man she calls, “my mentor”. Danilo was building an inspired, talented team around him and cultivating a reputation on the international hairdressing stage. To Emy, it just felt “like home”.

Describing Danilo as “a positive presence in my life,” Emy says, “He’s a doer and he can make people’s dreams come true. He’s an inspiration to be around because everything is done with excellence – whether that’s every day in the salon or working on shoots and shows.” The salon attracts high-quality clients, which Emy credits for pushing her to deliver the best standards, but there’s also an incredible team spirit, a creative buzz, and a supportive environment at Danilo Hair Boutique, which has no doubt driven her to excel.

Determined and ambitious, Emy was picked for the Fellowship ClubStar Art Team – the mentoring programme designed to develop artistic talent and engagement out of the salon environment. Due to the restrictions of lockdown, Emy got to be part of the team for two years and is thankful for the opportunities it gave her and the way it allowed her skills to evolve. One pivotal workshop prompted Emy to redefine her style, “One of the second meetings we had as an Art Team was an Avant-garde course with Anne Veck,“ she recalls. “It opened up my eyes to new possibilities and I decided this was my niche.”

There have been plenty of other opportunities that have allowed Emy to thrive. The Hair Pieces show 2021 presented by Tribu-te Magazine at the Battersea Arts Centre was a chance to showcase her work alongside Danilo and the team and – nerve-rackingly - speak on stage. A moment that proved how far the girl who spoke no English had come since she landed in the UK. In 2022, Emy travelled to Madrid for the Revlon Professional® Front Row Summit and later that year accompanied Danilo to shoot his collection in Australia.

Knowing Emy’s drive, creativity, and meticulous personality, it was Danilo that gave Emy the self-belief to craft her own first photographic collection for the British Hairdressing Awards. Step-by-step, Emy had been investing in furthering her education, watching, and learning on shoots, gathering references, and being pushed on under Danilo’s watchful eye.

When planning the creative approach, Emy was drawn to the world of Avant-garde. “Usually, the Newcomer category can be quite commercial, but I wanted to express this side of myself,” she says. The result is Renewal – a collection inspired by the way fashion is evolving. Emy set out to reuse classic shapes and texture while giving them a new spin and purpose: “I wanted Renewal to have a very organic and soft feeling, nonetheless elegant and current”.

The collection – her very first - struck gold and she picked up the title of Newcomer of the Year at the British Hairdressing Awards 2022 and was also named one of the Finalists in the Up & Coming category of The Big One Trophy. No doubt it’s a success story, but for Emy it’s a love story too. Her and Danilo complement each other creatively and outside the world of work. “We’re together almost 24/7, waking up and going to sleep thinking and talking about hair. It’s intense but I love that.”

In the future, Emy sees herself combining the thrill of session work and shows with her passion for being in the salon. “Every day I use my imagination – wherever I am,” she confesses. “I didn’t know how coming to London would work out for me, but it’s exactly what I was looking for –I’ve found my dimension.” It feels like the journey for this ‘newcomer’ has only just begun.