2012 UK Student of the Year: the Winners


photo: Mona at Artomedes Photograpy

See some of the great pictures 
of this year's event:
Sixteen finalists arrived in London over the Salon International weekend to contend the Hairdressing Council UK Student of the Year Awards finals held in association with L'Oréal Professionnel and VTCT. A practical competition was held at L'Oréal Studios in Hammersmith where interviews also took place. The finalists were then taken by coach to Salon International where Andrew Barton and Lisa Shepherd announced the winners in front of a huge crowd on the HJ stage.

Many congratulations to all those who were chosen for the final and especially to the two winners,
Charlene Duthie (level 3) from Edinburgh Telford College and Carlajane Steele (level 2) from Preston College.

    Said Carlajane:
" I am so thrilled to be the Hairdressing Council Level 2 Student of the Year 2012. I was excited about the competition, and having the opportunity to work at the L'Oréal International Academy was great. The experience of the whole day was unbelievable and one of the most exciting days of my life. My friend and Model Jemma Murray and Tutor Helen Lees were a great support and encouraged me and all the people involved were fantastic.
    Meeting the hairdressing icons Andrew Barton, Lisa Shepherd and Patrick Cameron was amazing and receiving good comments on my finished style was a real boost to my confidence, as well as having people stop us throughout the day at Salon International to take photos. It filled me with an immense amount of pride to know that my hard work these past months was being admired by many people as well as the person wearing my creation. I wish to further develop my hairdressing skills and make the most of the opportunities that will arise due to winning this competition before I enter into the Level 3 competition next year ".

    Charlene was equally delighted:
" When my name was called out as UK Level 3 Student Hairdresser of the Year I couldn't believe it and I never knew how to react - I was preparing myself for losing! It took about an hour to start to get it in my head that I actually had won. For two days before the competition I couldn't eat or sleep due to excitement and anxiety; and when the competition started my nerves just took over and I started to shake - and at that moment I thought that's it I'm never going to win - but I kept going till we got told to put our tools down for judging to commence.
    All the staff at the L'Oréal Academy were really supportive and tried their best to keep us all calm. I would like to thank everyone and am excited to go back home and tell all my family and friends and all my sponsors that I've won. I really look forward to the year ahead - I'm so excited! "

This prestigious competition continues to grow year on year and has the support of the industry. The winners will receive fantastic prizes including an amazing L'Oréal Photo Shoot course with and from Charles and Karen Dodds , a day shadowing Andrew Barton in his Covent Garden salon, course vouchers from Wella and an iPad2 from the Hairdressing Council. Huge thanks also go to VTCT who have arranged for the winners to work with the Habia Skills Academy.

All the finalists had to get through regional heats and were given a bag of 'goodies' - thanks to SBH, Affinage, Fudge, KeraStraight, Tribu-te, Flip-in Hair and Denman.

For details on the 2013 UK Student of the Year Awards please contact the Hairdressing Council - jo@haircouncil.org.uk.