Getting a BHA team together is an important first step when entering the British Hairdressing Awards, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional. From make-up artists to photographers to stylists – having a strong BHA team working with you can help you bring your vision to life. We asked the top hairdressers to share the importance to creating a great BHA team who share your vision, so you can get ready to enter the British Hairdressing Awards 2024, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional...
Advice for Putting Together Your BHA Team
Cos Sakkas, British Hairdressing of the Year and TONI&GUY Global Creative Director: “If you’re planning a photo shoot for the British Hairdressing Awards, the first rule is to shoot for yourself. Don’t shoot for the Awards as you will never win; you want a collection that showcases your skills but also your passion, love for the craft and your vision. You want to showcase your skills but make sure you stay focused; it’s easy to get carried away with whacky ideas or styles that aren’t part of your usual portfolio. If you’re a long hair stylist, stick to what you are good at and do it to the best of your ability. Shoot in colour and in black and white so you have a choice at the end of the day. Black and white will add a completely different dimension to your finished looks, will boost texture and depth and give images a more fashion-led, editorial finish. Work with your photographer on choosing your final images as they have an amazing eye. Go away and come back to your selection a day later with fresh eyes. Choosing the final images can be a huge task so take your time."
Errol Douglas MBE , Errol Douglas, London: “Teamwork makes the dreamwork – never a truer word said! From the minute I decide upon my next shoot – the first job is to create a cohesive mood board that it is fully understood by your team. Unlike others – I do like to ring the changes of my team – it ensures that I continuously push the boundaries of communication in all creative arenas and it excites me to explore new talent.
“It’s equally important for me to have, what I consider to be a ‘no brand-brand’ and continuously unfold a level of surprise. From a production point of view – those who work with me enjoy permanent status – as they understand the levels I need to reach.”
Adam Reed, Adam Reed, London: “When I first heard that I had been nominated for British Hairdresser of the Year I cried all day! I then started really thinking about what I wanted my contribution to look like. I looked at the British Hairdresser of the Year archive and studied what I considered to be the ‘form’ of my fellow contenders.
“It’s so interesting how they manage to literally capture their ‘brand’ in a collection of photographs, so much so that looking back over the years I could begin to get a narrative on who created what. For me, this was also important and because I have been so involved with the session fraternity over the years and the consumer-beauty side – I didn’t actually feel that I had been able to create one!
“I have got to say I absolutely loved the creation – I went in completely unblinkered and considered myself to be on a shoot for i-D, as that is where I probably feel at my most relaxed. To capture the collection and to be in on my journey – photography and make-up was equally important as my perspective and clothing – as a real fashionista this really caused me so much excitement that I knew it was something that I wanted to control.”
Danilo Giangreco, Danilo Hair Boutique, London: “Since my first professional photographic shoot in 2017 I would like to think I have grown – year-on-year. Sadly I didn’t find the team I wanted to grow with initially, and in my second and third attempts although I felt satisfied and confident, still felt that I could generally do better – even though the results did get me through to Britisih Hairdressing Awards London category. I knew however that if I wanted to stay in that category, I still needed to up my game and in doing so, I sourced a completely new team in 2021, having always admired their work and studied their form. For me it is important to work with people that stretch you creatively and have a very strong input and understanding of what you want to achieve.”
Mark Leeson, Mark Leeson Salons: “The evolution of Mark Leeson is very much mirrored by our archive of photographic material – it’s timeless and genuinely unclassically classic. To reach this level of confidence in the creation of a shoot, whether it is for your British Hairdressing Awards or for a global campaign, you just have to have the right team with you. Over the years we have worked with numerous different artists but now we know exactly who works well with us and produces the best result for the collection we are going to create."
Sally Brooks, 2020 British Hairdresser of the Year: “Take your time, work with a team of people you respect and admire and go for it! Creating an award entry is great to have something to focus on, but don’t let the focus stifle your creativity. Follow the rules but step outside your comfort zone and think outside the box. Budget and time don’t have to be a contraint, these can actually allow you to come up with something you might not have originally thought about.”
Martin Crean, MODE Hair: “Keep it beautiful, keep it fresh and original and do what you're good at. If you’re skilled at long hair then showcase that skill, that’s your niche and expertise so go with it. Leave the avant garde and fantasy hair to someone else. You don’t want to use post production on the hair so make sure the hair is perfect in front of the camera. Judges can see when something has been manipulated and you want to enter a collection you are proud of."
Want more BHA inspiration? Click here for some top tips on entering from last year's winners and check out the BHA 2023 winners for inspiration.