Live & Kicking!

The Fellowship for British Hairdressing stage is always at the heart of Salon International, and this year was no exception with three full of days of shows, presentations, interviews and audition taking place on stage.

As one of the biggest events in the Fellowship calendar, it was the perfect platform to showcase the talent within the members, with a diverse lineup of names taking to the stage over the weekend.

In a first for the Fellowship, the Live Lounge came to Salon International, allowing members and friends of the Fellowship to be interviewed live on stage. An array of guests took their place in the hot seat over the weekend, for informal chats about all aspects of the industry and insights into how the Fellowship has supported them over the course of their careers. Fellowship President Karine Jackson proved the perfect interviewer, with added support from other members of the council including Ken Picton, David Drew, Andrew Smith, Edward Hemmings, Simon Tuckwell, Mark Creed and Simon Shaw, who each took their turns at presenting both the Live Lounge and stage over the course of the weekend.

On stage, the weekend provided a packed schedule of entertainment with something for everyone – from barbering demonstrations and Afro presentations to hair cut, colour and styling techniques from a truly star-studded lineup of names. The eclectic lineup included such diverse names as Manifesto, Alan D, Burban, Rush, Brandon Messinger, Simon Tuckwell, Anne Veck, Sarai Hair and Beauty, Gary Baker, Lewis Moore, Natalie Newton, Johnny Scissors, Chris Foster, Wayne Shorter-Campbell, Jamie Stevens, Barber Barber, Academy Salons, Jordanna Cobella, Roman Sys, David Rae, TH1, Zoe Williams, Debbie G, Robert Masciave, Isaac Verral, Marle Lamont, Natasha Rose, Patrick Cameron, Jamie Benny, Marc Antoni, Karoliina Saunders, Guy Kremer, Sassoon, Rush, Tracey Devine Smith, Jonathan Andrew, Matt Gavin, Junior Green and HOB Salons.

Fellowship sponsors also took advantage of the chance to shine on stage, with shows from the Wella Generation NOW team, Unite, Paul Mitchell Artistic Team, Rick Roberts for Matrix, Simon Webster and James Earnshaw for Cloud Nine, Mazella & Palmer for Goldwell, Trevor Sorbie Art Team for L’Oreal Professionnel, Sam Burnett for KMS, Hooker and Young for Schwarzkopf Professional, Rory McPhee and AJ Blackadder for Redken and Tony Wood for Goldwell.

International artists were also on hand to showcase the global community fostered by the Fellowship, with the Australian F.A.M.E. Team and the Chinese Art Team taking to the stage over the weekend.

However in true Fellowship style, it was the support for the next generation of hairdressing talent that truly pulled the crowds and sparked the imagination. The Fellowship’s own ClubStar Art Team, Project X, Step Up and Shine scholarship and Colour Project were all on over the weekend, while the F.A.M.E. Team presented their collections over the course of the three days, as well as enjoying an interview in the Live Lounge. Auditions for the 2019 team also happened over the weekend, with the final nail-biting stages of the process taking place live on stage. The eight finalists were tasked with demonstrating a live hair-up look, before returning to the stage to showcase a pre-prepared look – while judges looked on and made their tricky decisions. The winners will be announced at the Fellowship Luncheon, which takes place on Monday 3rd December.