Mark leeson's career in pictures
Not many hairdressers can say they are skilled in all sectors of the industry - but Mark Leeson can. He has carved a career out of his technical ability, which he honed on the competition circuit. The disciplines he learnt have been invaluable for his work around the world as a creator of beautiful, feminine hair.
He is a stalwart of vintage techniques, regularly using finger waves, pin curls and Marcel waves to create modern styles. Over the past 25 years, he has worked tirelessly and won an endless list of awards, including HJ's Eastern Hairdresser of the Year, Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year and a nomination for British Hairdresser of the Year in 2011.
Mark's love of all things beautiful have transcended into the work he creates - here he talks about some of the images that have had an impact on his career.
 Penthouse Pet |  Looking Gorgeous |  Strike a Light |
Penthouse Pet
"I created this look in 2004 and it is part of a collection called Penthouse. The key influence was from Italian Vogue, with elements of 1950's movie-star glamour. Hair was rich, glossy and bursting with vitality. I'm really proud of this image because it was one of my first collections that pushed my creativity. This is also the collection that first won me HJ's Eastern Hairdresser of the Year. "
Looking Gorgeous
"This image is from my 2006 Gorgeous collection and is consumer-focused. The hair is simply beautiful; this is the look that every woman seems to want to achieve. In the salon, this is definitely the most requested colour - it's incredibly multi-tonal and sexy. This image undoubtedly directed a lot of clients to the salon."
Strike a Light
"I created this look in 2007 as part of my Gem collection. I entered it as the Fellowship Consumer Image of the Year Award, which it won. The Gem collection was based around luminous radiancy with intricate detail. I worked with aubergine and violet tones and fused them with a short, sharp asymmetric crop. It's feminine, powerful and incredibly striking."
 Sunday Girl |  New Romantics |
Sunday Girl
"This was from my 2009 Colour collection that I shot for HJ's British Hairdressing Awards. The key influences here were 1980's icons like Debbie Harry, Toyah and Hazel O'Connor. I grew up listening to this music and their images really influenced me. I love this image because it pushed boundaries and made a statement with the yellow, but was still representative of my signature look which is beautiful, feminine hair. Internationally, this image was a big hit - it's had huge amounts of press coverage all over the world."
New Romantics
"This image won the Fellowship Consumer Image of the Year in 2010. Once again, the 1980s were a big influence in this look, particularly the New Romantics. I experimented with block colouring and it works with the haircut to create an overall stunning image. The undercut was block coloured, with intricate placements of subtle contrasts placed throughout the longer sections. The coffee, cream and caramel shades are so soft they just fuse together, but still make a statement."
 Cool Creativity |  Shades of Grey |
Cool Creativity
"I have always loved this image from our 2010 Cool Hunter collection. It was our artistic team collection and there was a bold, theatrical theme. It was about indulging in our own creativity rather than appealing to the consu mer. The colour work here was really intricate and took a lot of patience, but the result looks beautiful and not avant garde in the slightest. I love images that are unique, but still look feminine, sexy and timeless."
Shades of Grey
"I absolutely loved this shoot. It has a completely different feel to it and really signifies a new direction. It's unusual for me to shoot in black and white, but I just felt this collection worked well without colour. It took a long time to create this hair, and it was a massive team effort, so I am immensely proud of this."
 Colour Schemer |  Blonde on Blonde |
Colour Schemer
"This image was part of the campaign that relaunched Goldwell's Colorance. It's a bit edgier than the collections I have produced in the past, and really demonstrates the depth of tone that you can achieve with colour. It's a high-fashion look and I hope it reflects my versatility as a hairdresser and colourist."
Blonde on Blonde
"This image was a big hit with consumer hair magazines and I was told that when Hair magazine used it as a cover in 2011, it was actually its biggest selling issue to date. It also reached the final of Your Hair Image of the Year 2011. It's technically quite hard to get a clean blonde like this, and the key to getting this shade spot on was the toning. It's totally different to other images I have created in the past, and a lot of women tell me they would love to be able to carry this look off."