Meet the semi-finalists of the kevin murphy icon awards

The Kevin Murphy Icon Awards celebrate the choices the professional makes in the salon. Every stylist in the salon network is great at what they do, but they want to focus on those stylists that are also positively and actively impacting the environment, people’s lives and/or communities. So, after wading through an impressive collection of applications, Kevin Murphy are proud to introduce their semi-finalists and a little bit about their work! Meet the Kevin Murphy Icon Awards' semi-finalists... Andi Kelly at Andi Kelly Hair Studio, Edinburgh [caption id="attachment_85933" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Andi Kelly[/caption] After realising that she had an abundance of clothes she no longer wore or needed anymore, Andi Kelly decided she was going to encourage her clients to have a clear out too and collectively, they’d donate everything to the homeless. In total, Andi and her clients donated 13 full bags of clothing to a charity that collects clothes for the homeless. Andi didn’t stop there. Her next venture came in 2020 when she set up a fundraiser via social media, which made a brilliant £850.50. This money was donated equally to Abused Men in Scotland and Women’s Aid, due to the incredible work they do to help victims of abuse. Following this work, she went on to use her salon as a drop point for any food that any of her clients could spare, after she discovered that the food bank across the road from where she lived was running low on supplies. In total, Andi and her clients donated 14 full carrier bags of food, and she continues to collect for the food bank regularly. Joe Milazzo at Esente Hair, London [caption id="attachment_85932" align="aligncenter" width="186"] Joe Milazzo[/caption] When his wife, Lina, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, Joe found himself frustrated, angry and upset with the lack of information and advice out there for cancer patients who were about to or had already lost their hair through chemotherapy. Keen to support his wife, and others going through the same thing, Joe started talking to people to learn more, and eventually set up the charity, Hair Reborn. He created the programme by offering three free appointments per week to those who were dealing with hair loss due to cancer, which was manageable for him when his salon was quiet. He then rebooked these clients back in for 10 weeks’ time for another two sessions to trim their hair back to health, and within six months, they had a style back again. Over the last two years, Joe has helped a fantastic 60 people regain their confidence. Hair Reborn now has 16 salons in the UK, with 25 more scheduled to join in the next 18 months. Read here to find out more about Kevin Murphy and his brand!