Allilon brings craftmanship to old spitalfields

Allilon celebrated the craftsmanship of hairdressing in The Crafts; a night of innovation, art and inspiration at Old Spitalfields market. The London-based education company focused promoting the art of hairdressing by bringing together names from the worlds of arts, crafts and hairdressing for one inspiring night. More than 1,800 hairdressers attended, many of whom were in London to attend the Davines World Wide Hair Tour. The brainchild of Allilon education directors Johnny Othona and Pedro Inchenko, the select group of collaborators explored the different interpretations of the word 'craftsmanship' - from chainsaw sculpting to origami. Johnny said: "When I Googled craftsmanship, hairdressing was never referenced, which frustrated me. As a result, we created The Crafts to build a platform for craftsmanship both in the hairdressing industry and beyond, to showcase creativity in an environment accessible to all and to create long-lasting collaborations between the worlds of art and hair. Our aim was to ensure hairdressing is recognised as a craft alongside art, and we plan to make this an annual event." [hji-gallery-legacy] Craftspeople at the event included street artist Nathan Bowen, sculptor Brendan Hesmondhalgh, clay artist Hilary Simms, tattooist Laura Swift, makeup artist Anna Lingis, chainsaw sculptor Andy Burgess, jeweller Lili Colley, graffiti artists Eighties Conspiracy, illustrator Louise Jones, fine artist Meredith Owen, origami experts Alexandra and Maria Luiza Tonchievici, milliner Jenny Mcilhatton and ice sculptor Wenistus Asanga Amerasinge