Hairdressers to look out for in 2008

Hairdressing never stands still - and 2008 will be no exception. But who are the people you'll be hearing about in the coming 12 months? These are our predictions... Nineteen-year-old Leah Walton from The Colour Room in Stockport won Junior of the Year at HJ’s 2007 British Hairdressing Business Awards. She’s been building up a strong reputation locally as an exceptional colourist, and has recently been promoted to The Colour Room’s technical director. Leah has been involved in makeovers for consumer magazines, has done some stage work for a major beauty event in Manchester, and was a regional finalist for Wella Professionals Trend Vision 07. She also won The Colour Room’s 2007 Employee of the Year award. Paul Ferguson from Hooker & Young in County Durham has been hairdressing for seven years and was a first-time finalist for North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year at HJ’s 2007 British Hairdressing Awards. Paul plays a significant role in the Hooker & Young artistic team, and was a popular presenter on the Hairaisers stage at Salon International last year. His photographic collections are in demand and hair shows worldwide have requested Paul’s appearance over the past 12 months. Sam Burnett is a member of the Rush artistic team, and a well-known character within the industry. Also known as Sammy B, he won Newcomer of the Year at HJ’s 2003 British Hairdressing Awards. In 2004, he became a member of The Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s F.A.M.E. team and in 2005 was part of the winning art team at the HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards. As well as being an educator for Goldwell and Rush, Sam is also the joint partner of Rush in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. Emma Hodgkins of Toni & Guy Sloane Square, London, has been with the company for 10 years. After winning the Wella Professionals Trend Vision Award 2007 in October, Emma’s career is set to rise significantly. For now she is focusing on making the most of her award and building up her portfolio of work. She hopes she will inspire other young people to follow a career in hairdressing. Anna Chapman at Trevor Sorbie has been hairdressing for four years and is the current Newcomer of the Year. Anna is 23 and a stylist at the Trevor Sorbie salon in Brighton. She has built a strong customer base and has developed her artistic skills and is making her mark on the UK hairdressing scene. Emma Steven at Lisa Shepherd in Sutton Coldfield is the company’s first franchisee. She’s causing quite a stir in the Midlands as she’s not only running a successful salon, but was also the winner of Clynol’s 2006 Image of the Year award and 2006 Newcomer of the Year at HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards. Gemma Hensman is the director of Hensmans Salons in Northampton and Milton Keynes. She began her career at her parents’ salon, Changes, in 1999, and has recently been appointed director of the salons which have been rebranded to Hensmans. Gemma has a real passion for training and has a long list of qualifications to her name. She has been on the Schwarzkopf Professional Young Artistic Team for two consecutive years and, along with her team, has won the Schwarzkopf Professional Creative Team competitions four times. She also heads up the University of Northampton Fashion and Textiles Department. Phil Downing from the Mark Scott salon in Derby was a dynamic member of the 2007 TIGI Inspirational Youth Team, where he presented on stage at Salon International. Phil has excellent presentation skills and produces first-class hair work, and, as a result, has also become a TIGI Ambassador. This has meant he’s been out to TIGI salons teaching product knowledge and supporting its regional educational team. All this and he is still only 21. Jason Welch from Eleven Hair in London is fast building a reputation as a colourist. Jason is a Redken Platform Artist and his session styling credits include shows for the BBC and Channel 4. He has also worked backstage at Fashion Week in Milan and London. As his photo shoots and credits grow, Jason is one to watch in 2008. Amanda Brooke began her hairdressing career at Hair Associates in Taunton, Somerset, where she completed her training in just one year and subsequently became a member of the Hair Associates Creative Division. She has won the Hair Associates Top Stylist award for the past two years and remains the group’s top taker each week. Amanda became a member of the KMS California UK art team in 2006 and has represented it internationally. Ultimately, her ambition is to become an industry leader. Maria O’Keefe from Sanrizz, London, was the 2007 L’Oréal Colour Trophy winner. She has been hairdressing for 20 years and is the international artistic director for Sanrizz. Since winning, Maria is now sharing her expertise across the Sanrizz group and her colour work is definitely worth watching out for.