Life through a lens: gary hooker and michael young

Gary Hooker and Michael Young are one of the most successful double acts in hairdressing, with a string of awards under their belts - including four nominations for HJ's British Hairdresser of the Year. 

Over the past 17 years, they have honed their business and creative skills, and now have a reputation for their showmanship, beautiful hair and teaching methods. As ambassadors for Matrix and Hairaisers, they travel the world taking part in shoots, seminars and session work. 

As personal and business partners, Gary and Michael's lives are interlinked, with hairdressing being their number one priority. Here, they share the images behind one of the most successful double-acts in hairdressing.

Shot by Malcolm Willison, this was part of our first collection for Hairaisers as artistic directors. We refined the brand image overnight and changed the way hairdressers view hair extensions. As part of a big advertising campaign, it was seen everywhere - we still love this image eight years on.

Taken from The Garden collection this is a shot that we still get asked about. Working with Hairaisers, we wanted to create a virtual garden concept using strong elements to create a contemporary vision. As well as featuring on many front covers worldwide it was also a cover on The Grove magazine, which designer Donna Karan saw as the model was wearing one of her dresses. She loved it which was an unexpected acknowledgement but a lovely surprise.

Winning HJ's 2006 British Hairdressing Awards Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year Award is one of our most treasured memories. It was the first time we had entered the awards as a couple. Having both individually achieved Hall Of Fame status, it seemed like a natural progression. Winning that night was emotional on many levels and something we will never forget. This shot is one of many stunning images from the winning collection.

This shot was part of the winning collection for HJ's 2006 North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year. It stands out as another memorable collection as we had a double win that year and it elevated Michael into the Hall of Fame. We just love the feel of this shot; the girl is stunning.

Taken from our 1980's-inspired colour collection Electric Taboo, this is one of those shots that just draws you in every time you see it; it has such an intensity. It was the first time we had worked with photographer Ram Shergill and we loved the results. It was the start of a fruitful relationship.

This collection is definitely one to remember. It was our first nomination for HJ's British Hairdresser of the Year. We created a collection to express our creativity and passion for hair that would represent British hairdressing at it's best. We love the mood of this shot as it epitomises the collection perfectly.

For our 2010 British Hairdresser of the Year entry, we worked with photographer Alan Gelati. Our concept was to create a studio shoot with a location feel to give an almost goddess persona to the models. We worked with strong contemporary shapes to add power and beauty to the images.