This is what it's like to win denman stage star at salon international

Denman’s 2017 competition winner looks back over his jam-packed year and shares his tips for how you could transform your career with the Denman Stage Star competition. Name: Sam Carpenter Age: 32 Salon: Vintage Hair Salon Instagram: @samcarpenterofficial What is the Denman Stage Star competition? The Denman Stage Star Competition allows you to showcase your technical ability and stage presence while competing against other highly skilled hairdressers in front of a panel of some of the most well-respected industry names. Why did you enter? Denman brushes have always been part of my career and to get the opportunity to represent such an iconic British brand was too good to pass by. Not to mention the epic trip to New York for the International Beauty Show. Can you talk us through the competition process? The competition process was really cool. I submitted a social media-style video explaining why I wanted to be the Denman Stage Star. My video got me to the final, which was on the HJ stage at Salon International. The six finalists battled it out in front of a packed crowd. All of the finalists produced some incredible looks, the judges voted, and I won! How did you prepare for the competition? I came up with a killer look that would give me the opportunity to complete 90% of it on stage, while also using some of the key Denman brushes. I found a great model and I practiced the look over and over until I could complete it within the time and explain in detail what I was doing with each tool. https://www.instagram.com/p/BmAsNmEHqQu/?taken-by=samcarpenterofficial What made you stand out? The competition was tough and the looks the other finalists produced were very strong. I feel I stood out because of my ability to translate what I was doing and to explain it in an interesting and fun way. It’s about capturing the audience and the judges not only with what you’re doing, but also what you’re saying. What has winning Denman Stage Star meant for your career? Winning Denman Stage Star has sky rocketed my career and given me opportunities that some hairdressers dream about! What’s been your biggest achievement since winning the competition? My biggest achievement since winning must be working alongside Denman’s global creative director Paul Stafford on stage at the International Beauty Show in New York. Who are your biggest hair idols? I have three – Angelo Seminara for being a true visionary, Johnny Othona for being a technical guru and Paul Stafford for being the best mentor, source of inspiration and friend any Stage Star could need. Where would you like to be in five years’ time? In five years’ time I would love to be a British Hairdressing Awards finalist and eventually win one. I have my eyes set on being a Fellowship FAME team member in the next few years too. For now, I’m just interested in producing great images, working on cool projects and associating myself with a great brand. What advice would you give to someone who might wish to enter this year? Just enter – you won’t regret it. The whole competition is a great experience and will elevate your work. If you want to win, practise your look and work on your presenting skills. Entries open for this year’s Denman Stage Star competition are now open. Go to denmanbrush.com for further details.