Rainbow room international’s alan and linda stewart awarded obe

Rainbow Room International founders Alan and Linda Stewart have been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List. Founders of the 12-strong Glasgow, Ayr and Stirling based hairdressing group, Alan and Linda Stewart, who recently celebrated the 40^th anniversary of Rainbow Room International, have been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List for Services to Hairdressing. Listed in the newly released 2020 New Year Honours List, the husband-and-wife team who have built up the largest salon group in Scotland along with a renowned Training Academy and a product company, have received an array of awards for their business acumen and creativity and have raised tens of thousands of pounds for charities in Glasgow and for the hairdressing industry’s charity HABB. “When we received the email to inform us we were being awarded an OBE, I didn’t quite believe it," said Linda. "I was delighted but at the same time wondered if it was a hoax or a joke. We then received more information from the Cabinet Office and it suddenly sunk in that we were receiving an OBE. "To say both Alan and myself were both surprised and delighted is an understatement," she added. "The worst thing is you are sworn to secrecy until it is announced and for almost a month I have been walking about with the biggest smile on my face and not being able to tell anyone anything.  It was such a lovely thing to happen at the end of a year that has been so awful for everyone. We’ve had such a lovely reaction from our team, clients and our peers and we are truly honoured to receive the honour.” Alan added: “As Linda says it was a complete surprise to us and a very nice one at that. To be recognised and rewarded in this way for doing something you love is an honour and a privilege indeed. We owe tremendous thanks to our team, our clients, collaborators, family and friends for being there for us over the past 40 years in business.” The first Rainbow Room International salon opened in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street in 1979, and in 2003, they opened their training Academy, which allowed them to cultivate the next generation of Scotland’s top stylists, along with training qualified professionals from all over the world. See the full list of hairdressing professionals who have made the New Year Honours List here.