Every year we hold our in-house hairdressing competition, ‘Set The Trend…’ Stylists are invited to showcase their creative skills under the watchful eye of the industry experts.  It is one of the highlights of our year and we all have a fantastic time taking part whether judging or creating the looks.

More used to battling it out with the great and the good of the hairdressing world from competitor salons, the creative team arm themselves with their scissors and brushes and battle it out amongst themselves.

Stuart, said: “Nurturing the stylists’ creativity is an  essential component of a successful salon. We do this every year and the whole team, from apprentices to up to director level,  really look forward to it.  It is a chance for the team to really flex their creative muscles and show off their skills.  It’s fantastic for morale, it’s incredibly inspiring and as judges we never cease to be blown away by the results.”

Each contender had complete authority over the finished product. They selected the model, directed a make-up artist and sourced the outfit.

Stuart said:  “Giving the staff total responsibility gives them a glimpse of what session styling is all about.  It’s not just the hair, it’s the completed look and every aspect is equally important.  We try to show all of the staff the different avenues available in the world of hairdressing and that includes the world of high fashion, session styling, and avant garde shows.  I always take team members with me to work at London and Paris Fashion Week.”

When finished all of the models and stylists staged a catwalk show at Monty’s Brasserie in Cheltenham in front of a panel of judges, including a representative from L’Oreal and invited friends and family.  After much deliberation, Gary Wiltshire was crowned as the winner with Kath Croydon as runner up.

Gary, 24, was runner up in The Advanced Apprentice Award at the National Apprentice Awards 2011 and a finalist in the L’Oreal Colour Trophy 2011, one of the largest hairdressing competitions in the world.

He has been with Stuart since starting his training only 4 years ago and his rise through the ranks could be described as meteoric.  He called his winning style  ‘Vintage Outlook’ and took inspiration from the classic 1950’s looks of Oxford and Cambridge and the Autumn/Winter 2012 collections of Ralph Lauren and Hackett.

Gary said: “I’m so chuffed to have won!  I love this competition, we all look forward to it.  This year I thought I had no chance because everyone’s creations were just amazing.  I enjoy every aspect and find it incredibly inspiring. Days like these are why I decided to join this profession.”

Kath Croydon was awarded second place with her fiery red creation.  She joined the salon only a month ago but is already making waves.  Her inspiration came from the iconic British film, This Is England, a punk look brought up to date with contemporary touches.

Both Gary and Cath won £150 worth of hairdressing related goodies and Gary also received £250 worth of Matrix Training vouchers, a global training provider for the hairdressing world.