Ahead of the British Hairdressing Awards 2024, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional, we quizzed Cos Sakkas on his tips for creating a BHA collection. The deadline for the British Hairdressing Awards 2024 is fast approaching on Friday 28 June at 5pm – so make sure you check over our FAQs for entering and read on for Cos’ tips below…
Cos Sakkas Tips for Creating a BHA Collection
Since the 1990s TONI&GUY International Artistic Director and Head of Education, Cos Sakkas, has been creating award-winning images. From his Newcomer of the Year collection in 1999 to his British Hairdresser of the Year Collections in 2022 and 2023, Cos is no stranger to creating beautiful, creative and commercial images. With 20 years of experience, Cos shares his tips for creating incredible images for your collection.
1. Picking your models
“Make sure your models are individual and beautiful in their own right,” says Cos. “Don’t be a follower of fashion but work with their own personal beauty.”
2. Create a mood board
“Make a physical mood board rather than collecting images on your phone. It will help with your creativity and be a reference point for everyone on the day,” advises Cos.
3. Create synergy with make-up and styling
“Make sure hair, make-up and clothes all work together. Remember it is a hair shoot and you don’t want to detract from the hairstyle you have created, so keep everything else simple and understated,” explains Cos.
4. Build a strong team
“Work with a team who have the same vision as you, but will push you to try new things,” says Cos. “Working on photo shoots is one of my favourite things to do – it gives you an opportunity to be creative, work with some incredible people and push yourself out of your comfort zone,” says Cos.
5. Stay true to your vision
“Shoot for you and no one else – don’t shoot for the awards, shoot for yourself. You want a collection that is true to you and shows your skills, passion and vision. If you put pressure on your shoulders to create a winning collection, you will lose your focus.
6. Shoot in colour, as well as black and white
“Shoot in colour and black and white – both will be beautiful but give a different dimension to your finished look,” says Cos. Here, we discuss the benefits of shooting in black and white or colour for your BHA collection.
7. Play to your strengths
“Don’t be distracted by whacky ideas,” warns Cos. “Find your niche and stick to what you’re good at and produce images that are beautiful and trend led.”
8. Take time with post-production
“Take your time when cropping your images – full length has a totally different feeling to close up, so choose wisely and don’t rush this process,” he advises.