Shay dempsey uncovered

Shay Dempsey has been in the industry for more than 20 years and is one of the most recognised hairdressers in Ireland.

Tell us about yourself...Shay Dempsey: I started my career more than 20 years ago under the guidance of my cousin Norma Jacob, a London-based hairdresser who gave me my first scissors while cutting my family’s hair in my kitchen in Dublin. After training, I returned to Ireland to open my first salon in Dublin’s city centre. It was a small salon, with just six styling units. But it was very cool for its time, with televisions and murals on the wall. I have won various awards and 10 years ago opened my new salon, Zoo Hair Salon. How many salons do you have now? Shay Dempsey: I have three salons in Dublin:

• my flagship salon is beside Dublin’s glamorous shopping street, Grafton Street
• one at Citywest Hotel, one of Ireland’s premier conference and golf hotels
• one in Naas, County Kildare, one of Dublin’s satellite towns.

How would you describe your business?Shay Dempsey: Zoo Hair Salon is very much a boutique-style salon, offering five-star hairdressing with five-star service. We push constantly for high-quality hairdressing in all aspects of cutting, colouring and training. I hope I speak for my staff when I say it is a hard-working environment, but also good fun. We take pride in our work and always support each other.Why do you think you have been so successful?Shay Dempsey: A lot of the success of Zoo is down to hard work and a philosophy that you can never stop learning. Training with teams such as Sassoon Academy and Sebastian Professional has been very important. It was this philosophy that encouraged me to produce a training DVD – Couture by Shay Dempsey. I am continuously reading – fashion magazines, books on art and architecture – everything that inspires hairdressing. I am dedicated and passionate about hair, which is vital for success in the industry.What is your unique selling point (USP) and why does it work for you?Shay Dempsey:Our USP is our bespoke approach to clients. Every client has an in-depth consultation with their stylist and colourist to ensure they receive a service that is right for them. We dedicate a lot of time to our clients, tailoring the service. This works because clients trust their stylist and colourist and are confident that they will get something they want and that suits them. What do you think about British hairdressing?Shay Dempsey: I have always looked up to British hairdressing as I feel it’s always been slightly ahead of Ireland in all aspects. London has always had an edge that can’t be replicated anywhere and it is definitely more advanced in terms of fashion – it’s one of the world’s fashion capitals. This has meant that hairdressing has moved quicker to stay in fashion.What is the difference between Irish and British hairdressing? Shay Dempsey: As the population of Britain is 12 times that of Ireland, there is more scope to work within British hairdressing simply because there are more people. There is a huge amount of ethnic diversity in the UK, much more so than in Ireland, and this means that there is more opportunity for hair and fashion to develop, therefore leading the way in terms of hairdressing. I’m very proud to have some great friends in the UK and also my work with Sebastian Professional. Who do you admire in hairdressing?Shay Dempsey: Robert Lobetta, international creative director of Sebastian Professional. Robert is a visionary and someone that I look up to. I’m so proud to be working with Sebastian Professional as its official design specialist, which hopefully will see me work more closely with Robert and his team.