Andrew collinge's trip down hairdressing memory lane

'Andrew Collinge is as passionate about hairdressing as he was the day he started in the industry' it said on the ticket to the twice British Hairdresser of the Year's Fellowship Power Night.

If anyone was in any doubt about that, his masterclass, which demonstrated everything from the classic up-dos that marked his early career to the Avant Garde styles he created for the 2008 L'Oréal Colour Trophy Grand Final presentation, was all the proof that you needed.

Packed full of anecdotes from his early days at Michaeljohn, where he used to wash Baroness Margaret Thatcher's hair;  his time as hairdresser on This Morning; and tales of styling Autumn Kelly and her bridal party's hair at her wedding to Peter Philips, this was a classic trip down memory lane with some fantastic hair creations thrown in. 

First up was Andrew's speciality - long hair - and as Andrew created a duo of classic pleats and a chic top knot, all held in place with just one pin, he emphasised the importance of working with length.

"I always tell my teams to work with long hair - it's what will get you noticed," he said. "And it is also a great way to get three or four looks out of a model when you are putting together a collection for awards."

Long hair holds fear for many, but Andrew insists that doesn't have to be the case as long as you are well prepared. "The key thing about long hair is to be in control," he added.

In true long hair style, Andrew's second pleat did not go quite as he had expected but he seized this opportunity to revamp the look by leaving texture at the top and bottom of the pleat and told the audience: "When you cut a bob, you know roughly you will get a bob at the end of it, but with long hair, it throws up all sorts of things."

Next it was the turn of an 80s revival as Andrew worked on two platinum blondes using a barrel curling technique.

As Andrew created an asymmetric look that echoed Madonna's 'Who's That Girl' vibe and an upside down pleat with an on-trend quiff he said: "Texture is what hairdressing is all about."

Next, it was onto to the present. Andrew worked with wigs that were cropped to a beret style and given colour, texture and a strong asymmetric shape by weaving the cap with wefts that had been coloured and rick-racked.

Then, after introducing members of the Andrew Collinge Artistic Team, he concluded with a look that he and the team had created for the British Hairdressing Awards 2008.

The crimped up-do that was teased and styled into voluminous shapes and completed with geometric points proved a hit with the audience and a fitting end to an inspirational evening.

More pictures to follow...