Casey coleman heads down under for hairdressing experience of a lifetime

Cardiff salon director Casey Coleman recently won the Global Synergy competition and jetted off to Sydney for a once-in-a-lifetime hairdressing experience; here we share his diary. The competition, which is organised by  Australian Hairdresser of the Year, Emiliano Vitale, invites young hairstylists from across the globe to compete for a place at an international show. Arriving in Australia As I passed through customs at Heathrow, it still hadn't hit me that I was about to board a 24-hour flight to Australia to work with the likes of Emiliano Vitale, Robert Lobetta, X-Presion, Brooks and Brooks, Togninis and Richard Ashforth. For the first few days in Sydney I was a complete tourist, visiting the harbour and seeing the Opera House and beaches. But after a few days of sightseeing an incredible hairdressing experiences was fast approaching and I had the chance to meet with everyone on what I can only describe as an unforgettable Thursday evening... Thursday I was welcomed by the Ssshhh: The Art of Collaboration team. At the organisation meeting we had a run through of the outline of the event and, as I sat there listening to what was said, I was already blown away by the amount of emotion that was attached to this incredible event. This team of worldwide icons were all ready to show Australia what they were about and let everyone in on their creative process and mindset. The amount of effort, time, soul and purpose this team put into making sure this event inspired every single attendant was incredible. It was so surreal, not only to be in Australia, but to be gaining this invaluable experience that I won through Global.Synergy. I definitely think that awareness needs to be raised in regards to this competition and the amount of life experience and motivation it brings. Friday Myself and Claire Maher (Emiliano's PR) headed to the Wella Studios in Sydney to meet the New Zealand winner of Global.Synergy, Kiri Roberts. As we were welcomed and introduced to the teams that would be helping, we prepared for a day filled with model castings. One by one, the hairdressing icons walked in and introduced themselves. I had to pinch myself a few times in disbelief. It was so cool to watch them all go through their different processes of picking models and to get an insight into what they'd be creating for Ssshhh. [hji-gallery-legacy] Saturday This was a day of hard work, starting at the Wella Studio to prep the models. Before the day began, I was asked if I minded helping out Richard Ashforth and Pierre Saint Sever from Saco. I corrected his model's colour, taking her blonde ready for the show. Then it was time to rush off to rehearsals. Could this trip get any better? Running around Sydney with this incredible group of talented hairstylists was surrea. After rehearsals, I got to ask Emiliano a few questions about the show. His passion for the industry is so admirable and he told me how he much he loves his fellow hairdressers and how he loves inspiring people as well as gaining inspiration from peers. Vitale also told me how this show idea originated in Madrid when he was working on a show with Richard Ashforth & the X-Presion trio. They'd all agreed that working on an unpredictable hair event could be influential and crucial to the growth of hairdressers all over the world and would keep the fire of passion for hairdressing burning very brightly. Sunday This was the big day. Ssshhh was finally going live and as the Global.Synergy UK winner, I was going to be part of it. As we all arrived at the venue there was a buzz around the room. We were put into groups to aid the global icons and I was once again assisting Richard and Pierre from Saco. While Richard prepped his amazing cut and Pierre readied his beautiful hair up, I helped get the models dressed and made sure everything was running smoothly. Walking around during the day, I got the chance to witness magic. The Brooks and Brooks duo were working on a masterpiece, Jose from X-Presion was in deep concentration, sewing together an art piece. Downstairs, Emiliano and Lisa were proving that their ying/yang partnership worked very well within this environment and father and son duo, Benni & Jules Tognini, were piecing together their off the wall vision. I felt like I was in a dream world. As the crowd filled the venue, the buzz backstage was intense. The music went on, everyone quietened down and the MC started her introduction. First up were the Togninis pair, and the wowed the crowd. Their vivid colour schemes and intense paint splashing art work were spell binding. Both creatives pair fundamental skill with an outlandish sense of artistry, producing some insanely amazing work. Next were Richard and Pierre from Saco, who firstly showcased their headpieces. Once the models finished their choreography, the Saco team took to the stage with their models and started creating precision haircuts and gorgeous editorial hair. A truly artistic presentation and I have no doubt they inspired every single person in the venue. I felt very proud to be British as these guys amazed everyone. After an extraordinary presentation, é Salon took to the stage. Their ethereal hairpieces paired with sharp-lined haircuts silenced the audience. After a short intermission, the room filled back up to see Robert Lobetta sitting on stage. His presentation was comical, serious, creative and eye-opening. Showcasing four different pieces of art on two models, the crowd was enthralled to see what would happen next. Within seconds, Lobetta had one of his models naked and was painting her blue. I'm sure I speak for everyone else when I say I wasn't expecting that. An awesome way to showcase the hairdressing industry in an artistically driven way. Next it was Jamie and Sally Brooks.Their model's clothing was beautiful and the hair matched. Their creations were all very textured and looked difficult, but the were they explained them made it seem simple. To end the show, X-Presion took to the stage. Weird shapes, crazy textures and hair threading! I've been following these guys on social media for a while, but to watch them live was incredible. Their imaginative stylings have won them the AIPP award seven times, and I completely understand why. A very emotional day filled with inspiration, Imagination, beauty and adrenaline. I'm still processing what I had witnessed, and all because of Global.Synergy. Monday Still buzzing from what an incredible show, Monday saw Ssshhh continue in the form of a Masterclass. 100 people came to watch the world icons in an intimate showcase of talent, creativity and education. This was my last full day in Australia before flying home to the UK and I knew it would be just as amazing as the day before. One by one, the legends got on stage and showcased their talents. Each of them explained their creative process and how they find inspiration and brought out their models, demonstrating how they created their looks from the night before. An array or precision cutting, textured editorial looks and inspiring use of colour and materials. After a day full of helping these pioneers, Ssshhh was over. The crowds were applauding, the backstage teams were high fiving and there were definitely tears spotted across the room. Everybody's excitement and emotion really lifted the room, all of the planning, effort, blood, sweat and tears were well worth it. To celebrate, a small group of us (including the international legends) were off to a barbecue. I was rubbing shoulders, drinking beers and celebrating with some of the world’s finest hairdressers, and it was amazing. To end the perfect evening, Emiliano, Benni and Robert all told us of what Ssshhh meant to them. This was probably the most emotional part of my trip. To see how much love each of these guys has for the industry as well as the group of people that were present was really beautiful. They had put everything into this event and they couldn't have been more gracious, thanking each one of us for our help. What a way to end my already amazing trip; laughing about common understandings, talking deeply about our passion for hairdressing and shaking hands and sharing hugs as we left. I didn't think it could happen, but my love for hairdressing grew even larger after this incredible week. After leaving Australia, I still feel like it was all a dream. If I hadn't entered Global.Synergy, I wouldn't have had intimate work shops in London and showcased at Salon International. I wouldn't have won this extraordinary experience in Australia, to work on one of the world’s best hair events and I wouldn't have made friends with the world’s finest characters and people. Global.Symergy isn't just about hairdressing, it's about sharing a love. It's about putting yourself out of your comfort zone and allowing yourself to grow. It's about friendship, integrity and understanding. But most of all, it's about sharing the experiences we have, in hopes that you'll inspire someone else. I really hope this article spreads the word about Global.Synergy and I implore you to enter in 2015. You can't afford not to; if you want a life changing experience, go global!