Congratulations to Trevor Sorbie MBE for being appointed Worldwide Honorary patron of the Alternative Hair Show by its founder, Tony Rizzo. Now in its 41st year, the charitable event has raised over £14.5 million for blood cancer charities both in the UK and overseas.
Tony comments: “Vidal Sassoon was our first Worldwide Honorary Patron and there was nobody else in our, or Vidal's, view who would be more fitting to take over this title. Trevor is an icon, and we all look up to his achievements. It’s a great honour to have someone of his stature on board. While he’s an incredible talent, he’s also humble, generous and still hungry to be creatively stretched. This marks a real spirit of excitement for us and we hope that he enjoys being part of this unique, creative celebration of hair artistry.”
Trevor says: “When Tony first phoned and asked me if I’d be interested in getting involved, I thought he was joking. To me this is an honour, a privilege and an ambition, so I was thrilled and overjoyed to say yes. I’m in my mid 70s now and they call this stage of life ‘the golden years’. Well, that’s really what they’re turning into.”
As well as taking on the prestigious role of Worldwide Patron, Trevor will also be appearing on the stage alongside his globally renowned Artistic Team. He says: “As hairdressers, we crave any opportunity to have the freedom to creatively express ourselves and that’s what the Alternative Hair Show is all about."
This year’s extravaganza, entitled ‘Tapestry’, will be showcasing some of the world’s leading names, alongside new and future stars of hairdressing to mark the start of a revolutionary new era. 'Tapestry' will take place at Excel in association with Salon International, making it easy for both UK and international visitors to attend. Plus, for the first time ever, there will be more than one show- an early show at 4pm on Sunday October 15, followed by a later one at 7pm.
What's more, the International Visionary Award finals will return to a live section of the show, with its three current awards; Cut and Colour, Avant-Garde and Men’s. The Visionary Award, created by Alternative Hair President Anthony Mascolo, has proved a wonderful exposure of new and unknown talent, and has thrilled audiences since the very first year it was included in the running order.
Anthony explains: “The Visionary Awards give a platform for new talent to really break boundaries in hairdressing. It’s not what you’d normally see, and we always expect the unexpected.” As a former assistant to Trevor Sorbie, Anthony is also delighted to have his name on board. “When you look at what Trevor has achieved and how he has changed hairdressing, he is the obvious choice for this role- he’s known globally and he’s an inspiration to all of us in the hair industry,” he says.
Trevor comments: “With this show, you can’t predict what you’re going to see. There are people who will break rules and stick their neck out and that’s what I can’t wait for. I know I’m going to be blown away.”
To see the Alternative Hair Show in action this year, buy your tickets here.