Patrick cameron talks about his fondest salon international memories

With Salon International less than two months away we are excited for our Salon Live stage stars to start revealing what they have in store for their audiences. Patrick Cameron has been imparting his educational wisdom for over 25 years but he still has so much left to teach! We spoke to the hairdressing icon about his experience at Salon International over the years - scroll down to hear what Patrick have in store for this year. What was your first Salon International like? Amazing I was new to London from New Zealand and to see so much happening in one space was completely incredible. I was blown away with seeing hairdressers I’d only ever seen in HJ magazine we had delivered to us in New Zealand. Fondest Salon International memory? My earliest Salon International memory was watching one of my favourite hairdressers, Andrew Collinge. He was working with Tresemmé at the time and his presentation was amazing. He was the first hairdresser to inspire me to specialise in long hair. Years later I have fond memories of working on the BaByliss PRO stage. I remember HJ had to get security to hold back the crowds of people wanting to see my presentation. Very happy days for me. Have you ever had a Salon faux pas? Yes I have. So often Salon falls on the day light saving weekend where the clocks go forward. I remember being so worried I would not be able to wake up in time for my early rehearsal for my Salon Live show I ended up arriving at the exhibition at 6am instead of 7am so I had to wait outside in the cold for an hour. Why is it important for apprentices to come to Salon International? Apprentices need to feel that they are part of a bigger story and to see our industry for all the amazing opportunities it can offer. We are all working in the fashion industry with so many opportunities and we need to communicate this message to the younger generation. What will you be bringing to the stage this year that you haven’t brought before? I’m continually looking for ways to make the hairdressers life easier and long hair services in the salon more time efficient. 20 Years ago I invented the Patrick Cameron hair pad to reduce backcombing and enable easier ways of creating fullness in the hair. This year I bring my new ‘PATARIKI Hair Pad’ which is even easier to use. I’m so excited to share this product with my audience. My Heritage Collection will showcase this year at Salon Live and its craft based. I’m going to show the audience how to apply the artistry of dressing long hair to create looks that are suitable for every occasion. Learning a technique is forever, there will always be a point in one’s career when you can draw from that technique. I believe if you invest in my Heritage you will create your future. Describe Salon International in three words? Exciting. Educational. Inspirational [ytp_video source="WWPrgXppHho"]