The Coterie Glasgow – Pure Dead Brilliant!

The Coterie Glasgow at The Corinthian Club

Creative HEAD deputy editor, Deborah, speaking to Pamela McCallum and Connor Reilly 

Spirits were high last night, as The Coterie made its final stop of 2021, arriving in Glasgow for an evening of insight and inspiration courtesy of Creative HEAD in partnership with BaByliss PRO. A trio of local speakers in the form of leading Scottish agency Model Team, reigning Most Wanted Best Local Salon, Cùrlach and award-winning session star Paddy McDougall of Rainbow Room International, took to the stage at The Corinthian Club to close the final event in the Creative HEAD calendar in true style to a sold-out crowd.

First up, Pamela McCallum and Connor Reilly brought style and substance to The Coterie hot seat, to share the inner workings of Scotland’s premier fashion model agency, Model Team. From nurturing young talent – both in career and camaraderie – to fulfilling briefs from the world’s biggest brands – we’re talking Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Prada, Off-White… – and the changing shape of the model market, the duo delivered an exclusive insight into putting Scottish talent at the top of the wish lists of labels, and exactly what is fuelling the trends of the future.

With a growing desire for authenticity and individualism, it seems the days of the stereotypical model are long gone, with the new du jour very much personality over pretty, as Pamela put it: “A lot of clients request models who have that something else”, with Connor adding that the agency is constantly “talent-focused” with an eye always on the next gen of superstar faces. Model Team’s new emerging acting division is the perfect response to this shift in ideology, seeking those who may have previously been deemed unconventional for modelling paving the way to the emersion of a new sector, seeing fashion crossed with entertainment. While both spoke of an exciting pool of 14-15-year-olds that are going to be huge in the years to come, they also identified a movement of interesting individuals such as Lucia Fairfull, Felix Cheong-MacLeod, Anna Acquroff, LouLou Aiken and sixty-year-old Gillean MacLeod – all currently racking up the bookings and challenging the notion that London is the frontrunner when it comes to the faces of fashion.

From L to R: Pamela McCallum, Connor Reilly, Emma Diamond and Rochelle Jolley

It was then onto another dynamic pairing, Emma Diamond and Rochelle Jolley, the brains behind relatively new Glasgow salon, Cùrlach. Both bolstered by established careers in hairdressing, the launch of their joint enterprise wasn’t a prolonged process, but an ongoing Instagram conversation that unveiled a shared feeling that they both hadn’t found that one place they could feel completely comfortable working, then a realisation that they had a joint vision in what they thought that should be.

While both Emma and Rochelle have had a foot in the session world, racking up some impressive credits, they were quick to dispel some myths about what’s often seen as the ‘glamourous’ side of hairdressing. “In session I’ve worked for some incredible people but on the flip side, it’s also where I’ve never been spoken to so grossly in my life,” said Rochelle, with Emma agreeing it’s a truth that should be discussed more openly. But through Cùrlach, they’ve found an outlet for creativity, artistry, and collaboration, bringing on local, independent tradespeople, who “each brought something to the project.” What’s more, their brand principles, which include a focus on sustainability, inclusivity, textured hair – the salon name is gaelic for curly – and a no-judgement policy, has established them as a go-to, forward-thinking destination in Glasgow, as Emma so deftly put it: “Everyone has influence over their own space and community. You need to educate yourself and be a positive influence.”

Rochelle Jolley and Emma Diamond speaking, with Paddy McDougall on screen below

Bringing the evening to a close was multi-award-winning Paddy McDougall – he most recently scooped Creative HEAD’s coveted Most Wanted Creative Talent title – arguably one of the most exciting modern talents of hairdressing, with a diary that’s full of shoot and shows for everyone from Saint Laurent to Givenchy. Called away last-minute to an unmissable job in Florence, he appeared via a pre-recorded video message exclusive for The Coterie audience. Disillusioned with a career in carpentry, Paddy made the jump to hairdressing, looking for a creative outlet where he could train at his own pace but he’s the first to admit it didn’t initially catch his fire, that it was in fact the people that kept him in it. But as time went on and he started getting into it (“I found myself at home on Friday nights blow-drying my mum’s hair”) the passion grew and so did his ambition to “be better”. Duffy, Nick Irwin, the Rainbow Room International team – Paddy shared how he’s been lucky: “I managed to meet the right people, at the right time,”, earning him the most amazing opportunities and guidance throughout his career.

Paying tribute to fashion and its influence, Paddy stated: “it has such an impact on our perception of beauty, what’s on cool and what’s not… so more than anything this shapes what people are asking for when they are sat in the chair”. He also acknowledged that maintaining a presence in the salon keeps him grounded and aware of what clients want. Completely candid, Paddy also spoke about a restlessness in his nature and that despite his successes, it’s not been plain sailing. “It’s not like I’m on the elevator to success, it’s up and down and some things don’t work out…people need to be honest about that,” he said, going on to explain that his work is akin to riding a wave: “you build that momentum, and you want it to keep building”. But above all, Paddy’s advice is this: “always do you and do what you need to do to get where you want to be, and be happy whilst doing it.”

There was a strain that ran through all three sessions yesterday evening, a slant towards individualism, that there is no longer an acceptance of one-size to fit all and that we are at the start of an exciting new movement to come. Its was something to think on as the Glasgow audience raised a final Coterie drink of 2021, grabbed a generous goody bag courtesy of event sponsor BaByliss PRO and headed off into the night.

Until next year…