Back in June, HJ was priveleged to meet eight hairdressers and a gorgeous group of women who have had or are undergoing treatment for breast cancer. We all gathered at SE1 Studios for a wig shoot like no other.
Mentored by Darrel Starkey, and brought together by the Pink Ribbon Foundation, eight hairdressers were matched with eight models who had entrusted them to craft handmade, bespoke wigs from scratch. On the day, the models were shown their new wigs and the moment was captured by renowned photographer Liam Oakes.
No pressure right?! Amazingly this was the first time that some of the hairdressers had ever created a complete wig before.
Keep scrolling to see BTS video from the day!
Under the guidance of WIG-torship creator Darrel, hairdressers completed a two-day course that was firmly hands-on and fast-paced. HJ loved getting to know the students, who revealed that they'd been up until the early hours making sure their wigs were spot-on for their most deserving of clients.
You can see the shoot in the August issue of Hairdressers Journal which drops on 1 August- PLUS bonus images below.
A huge congratulations to the hairdressers below who created the wigs:
Niamh Hayden, Shannon Jones, Clare Maxwell, Fred McCann, Rebecca Mills, Georgia Mountain, Emma Mulvihill, Carol Ritchie and Jade Shirley.
A big thank you to the models: Santina, Net, Paula, Anais, Natasha, Kathryn and Giovanna.
On hand throughout the day to make the women feel like the best version of themselves was make-up artist (and hairdresser!) Safy Burton, photographer Liam Oakes and Marie Nieuwoudt, Group Education Manager for Cloud Nine Professional, who guided the women through using their new Cloud Nine tools on their new hair.
The day would not have been possible without the direction of Lisa Allen, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Events and PR, at Pink Ribbon Foundation. "Today is not just about the before and after pictures," she revealed. "We've seen the way the women held their heads higher when they had their bespoke-made wigs fitted.
"They walked in with a new sense of confidence. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, so the opportunities for hairdressers to be providing and creating bespoke wigs for everyday use is a much-needed skill."
How Can the Hairdressing Industry Raise Awareness of Breast Cancer?
Darrel is on a mission to raise both the awareness of breast cancer, and to make sure that clients who have or are undergoing treatment are being supported by their hairdressers.
"As hairdressers we are in a privileged position of potentially seeing our clients more frequently than a healthcare professional, and in a more informal, enjoyable setting, so we are perfectly placed to remind clients to check for symptoms of health conditions, such as breast cancer," Darrel shares. "As an industry it's so important to have self-check cards in your salon window or at your styling stations. We need to create more awareness for our clients, and our peers in the industry."
Keep scrolling to see BTS video from the day!
See the Incredible Before and Afters from the Shoot Below!
