New venue, new era of the UK’s longest colour competition

Gee-Kent Ho is celebrating a L’Oréal Colour Trophy win, scooping both the North Eastern region and overall prize at the 2024 grand final at London’s Old Billingsgate.

It was a big night also for Brooks & Brooks, with the salon’s Marlon Hawkins winning the London region and second place. Trevor Sorbie celebrated huge success too, as its Covent Garden salon winning third place, and its Brighton salon winning the Southern region. Its artistic director, Giuseppe Stelitano, also presented one of the event’s two hair shows, introduced by Trevor Sorbie MBE himself, who described the young talent as “a visionary”.

L’Oréal Colour Trophy – second place: Brooks & Brooks, London

L’Oréal Colour Trophy – third place: Trevor Sorbie, Covent Garden

It was also a major night for L’Oréal Colour Trophy itself, celebrating its 68th contest by switching it up a notch with a tech and innovation powered final at a new venue in London’s Old Billingsgate. Around 1,000 attendees enjoyed installations from fashion designer Jack Irving – as seen at On|Off – with hair by Jack Merrick-Thirlway and the Neville’s team during the pre-show reception.

Fashion design by Jack Irvin

The show itself – hosted by Clara Amfo, with help from DJ Lisa Snowdon, Vogue’s Twiggy Jalloh and make-up influencer Hannah Martin – played out on a circular stage with a jaw-dropping video wall. This proved an impressive backdrop particularly during the art team shows, immersing the audience further in the hair artistry presented on stage.

Host Clara Amfo, with Lisa Snowdon, Twiggy Jalloh and Hannah Martin

The first show – MetaBall from Giuseppe Stelitano and the Trevor Sorbie Creative Team – was a breath-taking affair, fitting for a salon brand that’s celebrating its 45th birthday. An amplified display of texture and wig artistry – cherry cola lengths, high pompadours and neon yellow shags – the presentation kicked up into high gear when dancers decked in feathered headpieces, neon green mullets and more took to the stage in a celebration of New York’s ballroom scene, soundtracked of course to a remix of Madonna’s Vogue.

MetaBall from Giuseppe Stelitano and the Trevor Sorbie Creative Team

Robert Eaton and the Russell Eaton Art Team later shared Luminaire, with all models dressed in white bodysuits as the perfect canvas to spotlight the sumptuous hair creations, and for light displays to play across their faces and bodies. This was a fusion of thigh skimming textured lengths kissed with indigo, two-toned precision bobs in lavender and aubergine, and fuchsia and candy pink. With a voluminous cube of textured sunshine yellow and blonde juxtaposed with bleached-out close crops, it was a masterful display of creativity.

And once all the winners had been revealed? It was on to a barn-storming set delivered by TikTok DJ twins ALTÉGO, a properly fitting high-energy climax to the night.

Luminaire from Robert Eaton and the Russell Eaton Art Team

And the winners are…

L’Oréal Colour Trophy – first place: Gee-Kent Ho, Newcastle upon Tyne

Second place: Brooks & Brooks, London

Third place: Trevor Sorbie, Covent Garden

North Eastern: Gee-Kent Ho, Newcastle upon Tyne

North Western: Saks Hair, Newark

Scotland: Jason Hall Hairdressing, Edinburgh

Western: Zoe Hodgkiss – Hair Artistry, Holsworthy

Eastern: Strictly Xtended, Bishops Stortford

Northern Ireland: Peter Mark, Lisburn

Southern: Trevor Sorbie, Brighton

London: Brooks & Brooks, London

STAR Award: Peter Mark, Belfast

Colour Specialist Award: Amelia Hall, Frances Marshall, Sunderland

Afro Award: Headmasters, Soho

Moving Image Award: Lauren McNeela, Stripe Colour Studio

Future Talent Award: Alex Doherty, Brandon Marchant, Elsie MacDonald, Francesca Bay, Isla McKelvie