'my best job' - hairdressers' career highlights

From styling Kylie's hair to filming underwater shoots with Keira Knightley, there are some pretty amazing jobs in the industry. A selection of hairdressers recall their most memorable opportunities.

	Michael Barnes, Michael Barnes Hairdressing, London “My favourite job so far has to be the underwater collection I did with Keira Knightley. It had everything I could want in a photoshoot: a beautiful model, a great concept, a great team and a great location – we used the underwater stage at Pinewood Studios where some of the James Bond films are shot. “Keira was lovely and looked incredible in the Jenny Packham dresses the stylist provided, along with £500,000 of Bulgari jewellery. “It was also the busiest shoot I’ve been on with two behind-the-scenes film crews documenting the day. The shoot went really well and we got six great shots that have been published worldwide. “I’ve since worked with Lily Cole, Tamzin Outhwaite, Sophie Anderton and on Living tv’s show Britain’s Next Top Model. That shoot definitely opened some doors for me.”
	Mark Woolley, Saks, Brighton “Mine has to be that very first day, when I was just 15 years old, and I’d started work as a Saturday assistant at Saks Hair & Beauty, Darlington. "Within a few hours I realised that this was the career for me. I could tell it was going to give me everything I needed to be both successful and creative. “Since then, I’ve gone on to seize opportunities to satisfy my goals – from opening my first salon at 21, to presenting on stage and winning industry awards. That day was the first day of my future.”
	Lisa Whiteman, Webster Whiteman, London “My best job came out of the blue. I was busy working in the Far East and took a holiday to Australia. A couple I was staying with had their own salon. They had been asked to do a shoot but weren’t available, so they recommended their stylist friend from London – me! “The shoot took place on Bondi Beach, Sydney. It was such a contrast from the bustling, fast-paced city life that I was used to in Japan – and was worlds apart from working in a stuffy studio in London. To be on one of the world’s most famous beaches at sunrise, finishing off the models’ looks I had created in the salon earlier that morning was an incredible feeling. “It was such a perfect location, the people were fantastic and I got to have my work published in one of Australia’s top glossy magazines. It was a dream job come true.”
	Josh Wood, realhair, London “I am lucky to have a fantastic job and an extremely successful salon with passionate and dedicated staff. However, if I had to choose the best element of my job, it would have to be working with certain clients. “I have known and worked with Kylie Minogue for a number of years and during those years have changed her hair colour many times. In the early 90s I coloured her hair bright red and then a couple of years later she adopted the sultry Brigitte Bardot-look. "The opportunity to work with someone at that level and have the confidence to give someone a major change is fantastic and something that I’ll always appreciate and enjoy doing.”
	Richard Ward, Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, London “My most memorable hairdressing moment was flying to New York to do my first collection of pictures for HJ’s British Hairdresser of the Year Awards. "Working with an amazing photographer in a foreign country is always an inspiration, but I was overwhelmed seeing such fresh talent at the casting. "The models were superb and it was so refreshing to work with some professional, different girls. I was thrilled with the pictures – the shoot took me to a different level and I started to develop a passion for photography because of it.”