Hj crowns student creative team of the year at salon international

Grant Williams from Reed Hair and makeup artist Claire Lushington have been named as HJ's Student Creative Team of the Year at Salon International 2013. The talented students created a look which combined curls, braids and feathers for a look inspired by Charlize Theron's wicked queen in Snow White and the Huntsman. "It's not just about the winning," Grant told HJi, "it's about the experience too and what you learn along the way. I've learned so much from all of the other contestants here today and from the judges." Judges Jamie Stevens, Lisa Shepherd and Warren Holmes chose Grant and his team after a rigorous round of judging, which saw the finalists recreate their look live in the competition area at Salon International. And, in an unprecedented turn of events, Molly Towle from Daniel Grainger was awarded a runner-up prize for her Pink-inspired updo. Molly has only been hairdressing for six months and is just 16 years old - two factors which wowed the judges so much that they decided to recognise her talent. Judge Lisa said: "We weren't going to award a second place prize at all, but we were so blown away by her talent and what she has achieved in such a short space of time that we decided there had to be some recognition of her work." Entrants had been tasked with creating a celebrity-inspired look for the competition, with finished styles ranging from Katy Perry's bright blue locks to a Jimi Hendrix-themed sculptural style.