Salon international news and gossip

For three long October days, ExCel in London's Docklands became the haven for hairdressers that is Salon International.

It goes without saying that there were hundreds of on-trend hairstyles cut, styled and finished on the numerous stages around the Hair Show, but there were plenty of other stories that caught the hearts and minds.

Here are some of the many stories that came to our attention, but if you've got another you'd like to share drop me an email or enter a comment.

On a Treasure Quest

When it came to striking gold, more than 2,000 hairdressers tried their luck by taking part in the treasure hunt on the HJi and Salon Supplies stand.

By searching for the hidden products entrants gave themselves a chance to win a place behind the scenes on a Matrix shoot or a £1,000 pair of  Kasho scissors.

As an added bonus, there was also a chance to meet many industry icons who popped by the stand.

And the winners were student Cassie Hylans who'll spend a day on a Matrix shoot and Abigail Mead, manager of Jagged Edge salon who bagged the scissors.

Razor-Sharp Technique

Think you can get snappy with your scissors? The chances are you've got nothing on Ivan Zoot, the Andis director of education and training, who was demonstrating his art of quick cutting on the Andis and Denman stage.

Ivan's bagged himself an impressive three Guinness Book of Records world records for the world's fastest cut (a ladies bob that took him 55 seconds, in case you're wondering), the most cuts in an hour (34) and the most cuts in 24 hours (340).

He's developed his own technique for getting through the cuts as quickly as possible and is up for racing anyone who thinks they've got the beating of him for charity. 

Calendar Boys

Speaking of charity, it was the first chance to see the HABB Calendar featuring hairdressers who were charmed into taking their kits off for the industry's good cause! The calendar looked sensational, and a big well done to the lucky few who managed to get their hands on one signed by the men themselves.

Over the course of the exhibition, hairdressers including Gary Hooker and Michael Young (pictured), Errol Douglas, Akin Konizi and Jamie Stevens all dropped by to autograph a selection of the 2010 calendars and they were such a hit that the HABB team had to ship in some more copies to meet the demand!

Hot Property

And HABB weren't the only ones who found themselves running low on stock. As the thousands of visitors shopped until they dropped everyone wanted to get their hands on the tools of the trade for creating on-trend texture.

Mini-crimpers were top of the wish list and some stands, including Babyliss pro had already run out before the end of the exhibition.

All in the name of Charity

There was quite a crowd of men waiting to have their hair cut by the Wahl experts. The team had built a Victoriana-style barber shop and were offering charity hair cuts priced at £5 with all the money going to Cancer Research.

Meanwhile, over on the main Wahl stand, the troupe of hip hop dancers were once again a hit with the ladies. This year the routines caused quite a reaction when the guys removed their boxer shorts and finished their section in itsy-bitsy silver thongs.

Browned Off

And on the subject of people stripping down to next to nothing, the self-tanning companies were a popular addition to the Hair Show.

There were scantily clad men causing a furore on the St Tropez stand; while Fake Bake and Helionova also invited visitors to strip down to their bikinis for a spray tan.

Working in a Goldfish Bowl

Another major eye catcher was the aptly named Babyliss Pro 'Goldfish Bowl'.

The huge glass tank was something of a voyeurs dream, enabling visitors to watch for hours while platform artists including Patrick Cameron, Chris Foster and Desmond Murray prepped their models for their stage shows.

British Beauties

And if you were looking for things to catch your eye, how about a whole bevy of Miss England winners?

Eight of the beauty queens, along with the winner of Great Lengths Miss Stunning Style Awards stopped by the Great Lengths stand to have hair extensions applied.

Andrew's new Role

These leading hairdressers included Ten Years Younger star Andrew Barton who also made arrived at the HABB stand where he took over a new role as Ambassador for the Hairdressing Council.

Andrew's put his name to the cause because he's determined to raise the standards of professionalism in the industry.

 

You Look Beautiful Ma'am

One man who has been rewarded for his professionalism with a MBE is Tie Towels founder John Wood.

John received his investiture on the Thursday before Salon and was happy to show his medal to anyone who asked.

We requested a sneaky peek and John told us all about his experiences at Buckingham Palace and shared with us what he said to her Royal Highness (it's top secret but the clue is in the header!).

Rock TIGI

If anyone knows how to party in style it's team TIGI! Their Bedhead/Rockaholic bus has spent the summer touring the festivals and it took pride of place next to their stage at Salon International.

With A DJ blasting out tunes and models sporting edgy youth culture looks on th e top deck it really was the must-visit destination of the weekend.  

And Finally...

When it all got too much, the massage area by Heaven Sent was the perfect respite. Weary backs and shoulders were brought back to life on a pay-what-you-think-it's-worth basis.

And if my experiences were anything to go by, it was worth every penny!