Hooker and young inspire on the matrix icons tour

Beneath the wings of an iconic Concorde, British hairdressing icons Gary Hooker and Michael Young took to the stage for an evening of inspiration through the ages, as the Matrix Icons Tour arrived in Manchester with distributor Alan Howard.

The sixth leg of the Icons Tour, which inspired hairdressers at 12 locations in the UK and Ireland in partnership with Matrix's major distributor partners, was quite a spectacle as the pair celebrated hair icons from the 1950s to the present day.

But far from being a hairdressing retrospective, this was all about taking the celebrities who turned heads in their heyday and giving them a modern twist that guests could take back to their salon.

Naturally, the iconic looks being reinterpreted were Marilyn Monroe, Twiggy, Chrissie Hynde, Joanna Lumley and Madonna, but these were crossed with the signature styles of modern fashion stars to create Monroe-esque platinum curls slicked back and dressed-out with nods to Rihanna, and Madonna meets Alexa Chung lived-in long locks.

As Gary and Michael worked live on stage to create their current take on the celebrity looks, Michael revealed that it is time for hairdressers to rip up their rule books.

""Hairdressing is not so text book any more, it's more visual," he explained. "It doesn't matter if it breaks the rules, what matters is that the client looks great. If she comes back six weeks later and says 'that was the best haircut I've ever had, it was so easy to maintain', you have done your job."

Meanwhile, Gary emphasised that the key to making any vintage look current is to give it a slightly undone finish. "It's all about styling that is not too perfect. Dress it out for a dishevelled, lived-in feeling that is very now," he added.

Complementing the pairs' cutting and styling was colour work by Jeanette Summer, regional education developer for Matrix distributor, Alan Howard. An Autumnal palette of coppers, vibrant oranges and black cherry and blondes ranging from platinum, through to a blonde and pink infusion were applied using techniques named Spotlight, Dazzle, Coco and Timeless - this was all about hair colour to turn heads.

And Michael told the audience that there is real potential for hairdressers to benefit from the creative ideas being showcased. "People don't experiment with colour enough. Play with it, because the possibilities are endless."

The finale was a spin on the icons theme with Gary and Michael creating looks that evoked the spirit of their own hairdressing icons.

Venturing into their passion for creative avant-garde styling, Gary produced a larger than life blonde creation that was reminiscent of the work of Charlie Miller, the man whose hair show first made Gary realise hairdressing was the career for him, while Michael's long, exaggerated mohawk was inspired by the creativity of his hero, Aldo Coppola.