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L’Oréal Colour Trophy Reveals Sweet Winner In Dublin

L’Oréal Colour Trophy Reveals Sweet Winner In Dublin

L’Oréal Colour Trophy Reveals Sweet Winner In Dublin

Zeba Hairdressing wows with AI-inspired show

by AMANDA | INFORM

Brown Sugar is celebrating – the salon group scooped the overall winner prize at the 2025 L’Oréal Colour Trophy Grand Final. 

Held at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, the event saw Graham Santelíz Molly and James Coleman win the top prize for Brown Sugar South William Street in Dublin. Judges on the night included the likes of Sally Brooks, Errol Douglas MBE, Robert Eaton, Alan Edwards and Abigail Butler.

L’Oréal Colour Trophy Second Place: Anthony McHugh, Reds Hair Salon

L’Oréal Colour Trophy Third Place: Sian Lloyd, Hillary.ie

Hosted by TV presenter, fashion designer, and podcast host Brendan Courtney, the night also saw Anthony McHugh at Reds Hair Salon in Dublin snag the second place trophy, while Sian Lloyd from Hillary.ie in Dublin nabbed the third spot.

The It List is exclusively sponsored by ghd 

 

THE BUSINESS BUILDER 

For the brains behind a brilliant business 

 Chlöe Swift, Chlöe Swift Stylist  

Chlöe has been on a mission since 2018 to connect the world of the professional with the consumer. She’s been trailblazing on social media, keeping her 627k-plus audience up-to-date and encouraging them into the salon, while also providing tips and advanced tutorials for the professional. And her business has expanded further, providing advice on socials to a host of major hair brands.  

Finalists: Ben Jones, Massarella & Jones; Joe Sirry, SHAG!; Frazer Wallace, THE HAUS STUDIO; George Waterfield, The Secret Garden 

 

THE EDITORIAL STYLIST 

For a stylist making waves on set  

Mike Mahoney, Josh Wood Colour Atelier  

It all started in Camden, surrounded by cool kids on the way to work, which gave Mike the desire to push forward his career. His edgy styles have been seen in Elle, Vogue, and Tatler, and he thanks Akin Konizi for inspiring a precision in his work. Plus, for six years already, Mike’s been busy on the session circuit with hair legend Gary Gill, and there’s no sign of slowing down.   

Finalists: Lee Devlin; Yasemin Hassan, Woolf Kings X; Emma Vickery, Percy & Reed; Frazer Wallace, THE HAUS STUDIO 

 

THE SALON STYLIST 

For stand-out skills behind the chair  

Norman Boulton, Not Another Salon  

Reigning champion Norman has been busy delivering beautiful hair with loving energy to his beloved clients. His 10-week waiting list is testament to the transformative power of his colour work, while his positive mental attitude keeps things bright and breezy. This year saw Norman graduate as a L’Oréal Colour Specialist and create his own professional vivid colour course, which he delivered to six different classes.  

 Finalists: Elle Foreman, Tribe Salons; Jo Haywood, Jamie Stevens; Ellie Lewis, Redz Hairstylists; Cameron Willetts, Combers Inside-Out Hairdressing 

 

 

THE RISING STAR 

For an impressive and fast-improving salon assistant  

D’Arcy White, Jack & the Wolfe  

The energy D’Arcy brings to the salon is immeasurable, says Jack & the Wolfe co-owner Jack Mead, and it’s no surprise as she’s been fixated on hair since the age of five! By chance her brother happened to mention her after being model-scouted by the salon, and the rest is history. Now storming through her training, she won UK gold at Kao’s Global Creative Awards, earning her a trip to the US. 

 Finalists: Lucy Boodell, Goldsworthy’s Hairdressing; Harriet Bull, Tribe Salons; Yasemin Hassan, Woolf Kings X; Melissa Reilly, Not Another Salon 

 

 

THE VISIONARY 

For head-turning creativity 

 Emy Roccabella, Danilo Hair Boutique  

Perpetually hunting for a creative project to immerse herself in, Emy is returning for another shot at this title. Her built-in taste for intricacy in styling and an unbowed will to succeed is driving this senior stylist and colourist, whose work reflects an elegant simplicity, inspired by contemporary and modern art alike, such as in her textural shoot, Newtopia.  

 Finalists: Edoardo Colasanti, Trevor Sorbie; Matteo De Vita, TONI&GUY; Roman Sys, Brooks & Brooks; Quentin Taillepied, Stag 

 

THE ONE TO WATCH 

For an outstanding hair talent demonstrating all-round excellence 

 Emma Vickery, Percy & Reed  

The artistic director at Percy & Reed is going places. She’s become Paul Percival’s first assistant, arranged an exclusive deal between the salon and a model management company, led fashion shows, and been pivotal in Percy & Reed’s rebranding – all while still running a weekly column! Emma’s mantra truly sums up her approach and capabilities: ‘unwavering self-reliance, mutual accountability with an affinity for intensity’.  

 Finalists: Edoardo Colasanti, Trevor Sorbie; Lee Devlin; Sophie-Rose Goldsworthy, Goldsworthy’s Hairdressing; Rebecca Jacques, Rebecca Jacques Hair; Birte Klintworth, Radio; Christopher Laird, November Collective; Mike Mahoney, Josh Wood Colour Atelier; Annabel Payne, TONI&GUY; Joe Sirry, SHAG! 

Host Brendan Courtney

STAR Award Winner: Holly Coffey, Style Club Pavilions

Spotlighting up and coming talent, Holly Coffey from Style Club Pavilions in Dublin was named the STAR Award winner.

In the Moving Image Award (UK & Ireland), Headmasters Walton’s Mia Barraball secured top spot. Alisha Drew, Jessica McDermott, Katie Miller, Olivia Braithwaite and Rosie Davies were all named winners of the Future Talent Award for the UK & Ireland.

Zeba Hairdressing

In a jaw-dropping stage show, Mark Sherwood and the Zeba Hairdressing team explored the evolving role of AI in hairdressing – from early robotic imagery to today’s hyper-real visuals that blur the line between reality and AI-generated looks.

The team from Neville Hair & Beauty, including founder Neville Tucker and Jack Merrick-Thirlway, wowed with a balletic take on texture and length dialled up to full glam power.

Neville Hair & Beauty

Creative HEAD Enters A New Era

Creative HEAD Enters A New Era

Creative HEAD Enters A New Era

A letter from Creative HEAD founder, Catherine Handcock

by CATHERINE | INFORM

Catherine Handcock

Dear Creative HEAD Readers,

Can a magazine not only reflect an industry, but influence it, too?

Ever since launching 25 years ago, Creative HEAD has blazed a trail of innovation and energy through UK and Irish hairdressing, revolutionising and re-shaping the landscape with concepts like Salon Smart, The Coterie, the Big Hair Do, Most Wanted and the It List and so much more.

It has been an incredible ride, and at every step of the way we’ve always worked with superb talents – hair artists exploding the world of colour; business owners transforming how salons looked and behaved; independent and session stylists collaborating with creatives outside of the industry to redefine concepts of beauty…

And now the Creative HEAD journey is taking a bold new direction – and yet again, we’re working with the best.

Today, Thursday 5 June, we’re announcing a dynamic new venture with The Assembly Events, creators of the revolutionary new hairdressing and barbering trade show, HairCon. Together, we’re forming a new organisation, The Assembly Media Group, which will offer unprecedented opportunities to showcase, celebrate and champion hairdressing professionals and the brands that serve them.

We had been so impressed by HairCon when it launched last year and even put in a guest appearance with a panel discussion on their Social Stage featuring speakers from our Salon Smart business networking event. Walking around the venue in Manchester, we loved The Assembly’s collaborative approach to the industry – the way they’d teamed up with exciting event concepts like Noise and partnered with influential organisations such as The Fellowship for British Hairdressing. The event was packed with brilliant hair talents, exciting hair brands and innovative new ideas.

HairCon 2024

So, I was very happy when I happened to bump into The Assembly founder, Michael Dynan, earlier this year, and got to compliment him on his event. And as we got chatting about our respective brands, it became clear there was a really great synergy between Creative HEAD and The Assembly, that we were so similar in our approach to, and passion for, the hairdressing industry… And as discussions continued over the following weeks, we realised that there was so much we could do together. And that’s when the idea was born.

Forming The Assembly Media Group means we at Creative HEAD will continue to do what we love – but now we can do even more, and even better. Working with the team at The Assembly gives us access to their expertise in events and awards, their amazing creativity and their smart business thinking (honestly, you should see them in action – it’s breathtaking!). That will result in exciting new opportunities for you, our readers – new platforms for you to perform and share ideas, new showcases for your skills, new events to celebrate your original thinking.

As the person who founded Creative HEAD 25 years ago back in June 2000, I could never have dreamt of the incredible successes we have enjoyed so far, nor that we could be in such a position of strength today, alongside the brilliant team at The Assembly, ready to innovate, inspire and influence for many more years to come.

Together with Creative HEAD’s Editorial Director, Amanda Nottage, and Creative Partnerships Director, Joanna Kidd, I hope you enjoy what you’re about to see – that it excites you about hairdressing and makes you feel proud to be a hairdresser. Because that is what’s important to us and everyone within The Assembly Media Group.

With love,

Catherine Handcock

Founder and Publisher, Creative HEAD

JOICO Unveil New Colour Awards

JOICO Unveil New Colour Awards

JOICO Unveil New Colour Awards

The new colour competition launches as they celebrate their 40th birthday.

by AMANDA | INFORM

Hair by Gill Berry, Marcus Giamattei and Dan Spiller, with shoot direction and coordination by Bruno Marc Giamattei

The Color Talent Awards have been created to recognise and reward exceptional colour talent in the hair industry. A panel of experienced judges from across Europe – which includes award-winning names such as Bruno Marc Giamattei and Grace Dalgleish – will then select the winners.

How To Enter

Step 1 – Choose A Category

Select the category that aligns with your vision and expertise.

Step 2 – Pick Your Mood Board

JOICO have inspirational Mood Boards for help get entrants started. You can use these as a creative kick start.

Step 3 – Get Creative

Create a stunning hair colour look based on your chosen category and mood board.

Step 4 – Submit Your Entry

Upload your entry to Instagram, using the correct hashtags for your category, tag @joicoeurope and make sure that your account is public. Entries open on 1 June and close on 1 November.

Step 5 – Winners Announcement

Following deliberation by the judging panel, winners will be revealed in January 2026.

Click here to discover more about the awards.

Alternative Hair International Visionary Award Launches For 2025

Alternative Hair International Visionary Award Launches For 2025

Alternative Hair International Visionary Award Launches For 2025

The global competition opens for entries with a live-streamed virtual event showcasing finalists later this year

by AMANDA | INFORM

The Alternative Hair International Visionary Award is kicking off its search for artistic talent as it launches for 2025.

Born from the iconic fundraising event, the Alternative Hair Show, the International Visionary Award was created by president, Anthony Mascolo, to shine a spotlight on talent around the world. This year, the finals will be held virtually, although a date has yet to be confirmed.

Selected finalists in each category will showcase their work during the live virtual event, with a live stream that according to the event founders has seen an international audience of more than 2.5 million viewers in previous years.

Stylists are encouraged to submit as many photos as possible across the three categories to boost their chances of becoming a finalist. The three categories are Cut and Colour, Mens and Avant Garde, with all entries delivering a direct donation to the Alternative Hair Charitable Foundation Fighting Leukaemia. Click here to enter – the deadline is 21 July.

 

“We Came Through The Gates As A Pretty Disruptive Force”

“We Came Through The Gates As A Pretty Disruptive Force”

“We Came Through The Gates As A Pretty Disruptive Force”

box o’ bollox… bride of gluttony… normal persons daily shampoo… If that’s how you name your care and styling products, chances are you’re going to raise eyebrows. Australian brand evo is celebrating 20 years of challenging the industry status quo, having established itself as a globally iconic professional brand now found in over 35 countries and true to its mission of “saving ordinary humans from themselves”.

by CATHERINE | CONVERSATIONS

Back in 2005, amidst an industry awash with unrealistic beauty stands and overinflated promises, Garth Gauvin, son of Aussie hairdressing royalty, saw the need for change. He envisioned a brand that could deliver salon-quality performance without pretending to be the solution to life’s problems. evo was designed to get people thinking for themselves with honest, personality-filled products that respect people and the planet.

That rebellious little upstart has now grown into a full concept offering. Today, evo offers everything from care and style products to professional treatments, tools and colour, giving salons and their clients everything they need, from basin to beyond.

In 2012, evo set its sights on global expansion, with Brad Gauvin, Garth’s brother, moving to North America to build the brand and the team on the ground. Since 2020, Brad has been leading the brand as managing director, championing its founding pillars of integrity, simplicity, innovation and personality from Adelaide, South Australia, proving that a haircare brand can indeed help to hold the beauty industry to a higher standard and inspire change for the better.

Creative HEAD caught up with Brad in an early morning/late night Zoom call to chat all things evo, that 20-year milestone and the qualities that have seen the brand go such an impressive distance.

Brad Gauvin

Twenty years is a long time in hairdressing. What is it about evo that’s helped it go the distance– clever marketing or product performance?

I mean, it’s got to be both. Hairdressers need something that aligns with their values, so in that sense evo was ground-breaking in terms of bringing tongue-in-cheek humour at a time when so many products back then were being uber-serious – and still are. That cut-through was really powerful, both with hairdressers and consumers. But products don’t stick if they don’t perform, and evo’s success has been rooted in having high-performance products that are simple to understand and use. But brands, like humans, need to keep evolving and when I look back over the 20 years, you know, we started as kids, literally, but also the brand was a bit juvenile in being disruptive, then it sort of became an adolescent and that maturity has evolved with new products that have been innovative and added different dimensions. Bringing in education has also been key to evo’s growth and development, as that’s something our community can be part of and connect with. So, the 20 years have gone pretty quickly, but there’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the process and a lot of belly laughter, as well.

Your mum and dad ran salons in the 60s and 70s before launching a distribution business that’s been going 50 years. Hairdressing is in your DNA. How important has ‘family’ been to evo’s success?

It’s been a huge strength. That’s the whole platform – it’s created the passion and the connection. Everything we do is about doing salon business and protecting salon business. As distributors, it was our mission to bring innovative, creative brands to Australian salons – Redken, Sebastian, TIGI, for example – and there were lots of learnings that came from that journey that we were able to build into the evo brand. evo was founded by my brother Garth after he’d become a bit disillusioned with what was happening in the industry, with all brands looking the same, using deceptive marketing, greenwashing and other mistruths. He had the idea of, How about doing something crazy and just being honest? evo was something that really spoke to hairdressers and consumers with honesty, made them think and allowed them to make informed decisions.

In the UK, the hairdressing landscape has changed dramatically, with a big swing to self-employment, salon owners renting out their chairs, rather than employing teams. Do movements like these impact on evo’s business strategy?

We’re adapting to the fact there are fewer salons, there are more independents, and it means everything from our offerings to our communications needs to be different. We’re lucky in that we’ve been used to that from our dealings in North America. Freelancers have different business needs and our challenge is to find the right way to speak to, service and support them. It’s something we’re really conscious of, because we want to do business with both customer types.

Three key moments in the evo journey, according to Brad Gauvin

• The Vanity campaign we did when we came out as the brand that everybody knows today – that’s a big one

Vanity Campaign

• Building in our community in the UK in 2008/2009 with an exclusive partnership with Aston&Fincher was a pivotal moment, as was launching into North America in 2010.

• Launching our hue-verse professional colour range in 2021. That’s enabled us really to partner with salons. Retail is one thing, but that backroom connection is the anchor and it’s been an important move for growing the business.

evo’s pro colour range has been a game-changer

Pro brands selling their products in Boots… What’s your take on that?

We were born pro-only and now we describe ourselves as salon-first. With digitisation, we’ve really been forced into this omni-channel play. What’s critical for us is every time someone walks into a salon, they can’t just go online and buy that evo product at a discounted price. Our way of dealing with it is through controlled distribution, including in places like Amazon, so that it removes all the unauthorised resellers, keeps the market clean and ensures pricing is consistent with salons.

And do your salon customers understand that approach? This is a big trust issue, after all.

We’re very open and transparent in our communications, so I think it’s understood. The last thing salons need now, when retail is already in decline, is to suck more out of their business, so our focus is on supporting and protecting that business. Other brands do things differently and some make interesting choices, yes.

Brexit, COVID, Trump tariffs. When it comes to your global distribution, there must have been some challenging moments?

With Brexit, we all just had to get on and deal with that regulatory and logistical stuff pretty quickly, but that’s business – things crop up and you just work through them and adapt. The uncertainty that the US is bringing about now is unfortunate, because it slows business down at all levels. Hopefully, common sense will prevail. No doubt there will be some work to do around pricing, but we’ve beentrying to hold off as much as possible because nobody wants price rises.

The destination evo campaign celebrates the brand’s 20th anniversary

You’ve got two Brits representing your brand, Tom Smith and Ky Wilson. Why did you choose them for evo and how are they helping to shape the brand?

Tom has been with us for a while, he’s the Colour Creative Director for the brand. As a master colour technician, he’s been involved since day one in the creation of our professional colour range, hue-verse, working internally with our team to deliver the innovation our customers want. He’s an excellent educator and communicator too, so he’s been instrumental in sharing his knowledge with our distributors and into salons across Europe and the US. Ky is a walking, talking evo person who was made for the brand, there was such a natural connection. He’s a showman and outstanding artist who has the power to share evo with existing and potential new customers. We want to work more with both of them, together with our outstanding creative team.

Finally, you’re celebrating your 20th anniversary with a new campaign, destination evo. What can we expect to see, hear, feel?

So, destination evo is a metaphorical place where people can come together, be themselves and where good hair feels like home – that’s one of our key taglines. People love the inclusivity in evo, and that’s been brought to life in a campaign where all stylists will see characters they identify with, and that will be rolled out across our marketing channels over the next 12 months, along with salon merchandising, so it lives and breathes and sells it too. In terms of the UK, look out for some events around October time, with workshops and education where people can come and see our creative work in action – it’s going to be a real celebration.