British hairdresser of the year 2011 - akin konizi

Akin Konizi won his third British Hairdresser of the Year title at HJ's 2011 British Hairdressing Awards.

We quizzed Akin about his creative process behind putting together a British Hairdressing Awards collection and what winning the prestigious prize wins to him.

Why did you take part in the British Hairdressing Awards?

To be nominated for the British Hairdresser of the Year is a huge honour and to win the award is the ultimate accolade and acknowledgement of my work.

 

When did you start thinking about your collection?

I begin to think about my collection just after doing our Art Team shoot. I don't like to do them at the same time as they can merge. Once the Creative Team shoot is complete, I have 10 dedicated weeks to focus on British!

What was your budget for the shoot?

Whatever is necessary, sensibly! Ok... about £40-50k.

How did you find a photographer, stylist and makeup artist?

I begin with the photographer and then create the full team. I have actually been working with Jenny Hands, our photographer for eight years now. We had seen some of her fashion campaigns and through a combination of hers and our contacts, we went on to create a full team.

Tell us a little about your models. What do you look for in a hair model? How did you source them and how much did they cost?

Finding models is always the biggest challenge - you can find them from the street and you can find models through agencies. I work by drawing out the hair styles initially, making a plan and then find the models to fit in line with what I need and require. I always look to cut and colour a model though as I wouldn't want to use anyone else's work. In regards to costs, it can vary anywhere from £300 to £1,000! This is why it is so important to budget. You don't want nine models at £1,000 each but you also don't want all non-professionals as that won't give you the standard you need for your collection. It is important to have the right balance.

 

How long did it take from the day of the shoot to sending off a collection you were happy with?

It takes about six to eight weeks including retouch, deciding on which pictures to use, getting my team's input as to the favourite pictures and getting the images ready for entry.

How did entering the British Hairdressing Awards effect life in the salon - did your team get involved and did it mean you had to be away from the salon a lot?

Shooting a British Hairdresser of the Year collection creates a great buzz in the salon. It is also a great opportunity to involve anybody that you need to inspire and assist you. There is lots of preparation to be done, work in the studio and I need to have different members of my team with me at different times - it is quiet a consuming project!

What three tips would you give to people considering entering the British Hairdressing Awards?

• The first tip I would give is not to expect to win the first time. It is not an easy achievement, and you need to work hard for it.
• Get the best possible photographer and best possible models and team together.
• Prepare your looks. Make sure you know how to get the looks and that you are skilled enough to create the best possible styles. Practice, practice, practice!

How, if at all, will you be marketing your win in the salon?

We have promoted our victories by having window stickers on every salon door. We also have our awards listed on all in-salon and out-of-salon communication including our internal newsletter to staff, client newsletter, client emails, all salon collateral and our in-salon tv screens which actually show footage from the 2011 British Hairdressing Awards event itself! Lastly, our wins are communicated on our website - www.hobsalons.com and the news itself was sent out to all press locally, nationally and internationally to inform them of this great hat-trick from HOB Salons as soon as the news was announced!