At the North Western Regional Final their live hairdressing skills were put under the spotlight by a panel of top hairdresser judges including Errol Douglas, Sean Dawson, Rob Eaton, David Lambert and Dylan Bradshaw. “The North West is always a strong region. There was very creative colour work and some clothes styling that was spot on trend for Autumn/Winter 07,” commented Errol Douglas, judge at the North Western Regional Final.

BARBARA DALEY – Liverpool Lisa Rhead and Deborah Fox from Barbara Daley in Liverpool are through to the Grand Final of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy 2007. Lisa and Deborah explain the thinking behind their striking image: “We wanted to capture an iconic seventies mood. Styles such as the Purdey and the page-boy were brought bang up-to-date by introducing vibrant shades of red, loads of movement and a revamped shape that can suit everyone.” “We’re very excited to be going through to the Grand Final,” said Lisa. “As a salon we are really focussed on competitive hairdressing and this will be our sixth time in the Grand Final. It’s an amazing feeling.”

DANIEL GRAY HAIRDRESSING - Kendal Verity Sachien and Amy Almond from Daniel Gray Hairdressing in Kendal are through to the Grand Final of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy 2007. Verity and Amy explained the thinking behind their striking image: “Having studied the catwalks, we felt that the boy-meets-girl look was going to be really big. We gave the classic bob a twist and took it to the next level to create a highly individual, page-boy style that is reminiscent of sixties icon Twiggy.” “The girls have worked so hard to get this far,” explains salon boss Nicola Ford. “They searched the UK for the perfect model and perfect clothes and ultimately, came up with the

goods on the night. We always enter the L’Oréal Colour Trophy as a salon and we are delighted that Verity and Amy will be representing us at the Grand Final.”

SAKS - Altrincham Nicola Rowland and Denise Brown from Saks in Altrincham are through to the Grand Final of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy 2007. Nicola and Denise explain the thinking behind their striking image: “Our look was inspired by the couture catwalks of Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior. We wanted to encapsulate romance and classic beauty so it was essential to present beautifully healthy, seamless hair colour and high shine finishing.” “We are ecstatic,” exclaimed the girls. “It’s brilliant to see that all our hard work paid off. It’s so important to us to be involved in competitive hairdressing as it brings an enormous amount of energy onto the salon floor which ultimately, is great for our clients..”

ALTERNATE – Buxton Anna Haywood from Alternate in Buxton is through to the Grand Final of the Men’s Image Award of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy 2007. Anna explains the thinking behind their striking image: “We wanted to create really matt colour for the hair and blended blue-black with flashes of peach and gold. Inspiration came from the chic, suited looks that prevailed in the sixties and the overall look is mummy’s boy with a mischievous twist.” “I never expected to win,” said a stunned Anna. “The salon has only been open since November 2006 so to think we’ve done so well with all these amazing salon’s competing is just unbelievable. It’s a massive boost for my own confidence and for the business.”

ICON HAIR – Nottingham Kirk Hobster, at the age of just twenty is an ambitious young hairdresser from Icon Hair in Nottingham and is through to the Grand Final of the Young Colourist Award of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy. “Kirk was inspired by the trend progressions within key Italian Fashion Houses over the coming year, particularly Dolce & Gabanna’s futuristic creations,” explains salon owner and mentor Steve Sharpe. “With these ideas in mind he created an original but wearable geometric cut coupled with fresh, bright colour. His entry is extraordinary because its futuristic

influence is apparent, but the look is still accessible to salon customers. He perfectly reinterpreted a catwalk trend for high-street customers, which shows great vision and maturity in his trade.”

“He was beyond ecstatic,” recalls Steve of the moment Kirk’s win was announced. “He went absolutely bananas, no one could have been more appreciative of the win. Kirk will now focus on preparing for the final round of the competition – it’s an exciting time for him and the salon is behind him 100%”