Alternative hair show 2011 raises the roof at royal albert hall

The Alternative Hair Show made a triumphant return to the Royal Albert Hall for its 29th spectacular show, raising £190,000 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research in one night.

18 creative teams from Japan, England, Australia, Ireland, Russia, Italy, France and Hungary took to the stage in turn to present their individual interpretations of the evening's theme; Illusion.

Dedicated this year to the late, great honorary president of Alternative Hair, Joshua Galvin, the evening saw the indroduction of a new annual initiative, the Joshua Galvin award for hairdressers who go the extra mile for charity.

The inaugural winner of the award was Dmitry Vinokurov from Russia, for his extraordinary efforts in bringing the Alternative Hair Show to his homeland earlier this year.

Then it was show time. "Get ready to see incredible hair, incredible shows and incredible costumes presented by the best artists in the world," said Alternative Hair Founder, Tony Rizzo, who also gave profuse thanks to the show's many manufacturer and media sponsors.

In addition to the inspirational shows, the evening also the presentation of the AIPP (Association Internationale Presse Professionnelle Coiffure) Awards for the first time. More than 400 entries were received this year, representing 21 countries.

Presented by AIPP president Roberto Pissimiglia, the 2011/2012 winners were:

é Salon, Australia

Angelo Seminara, UK

Antonio Bellver and Roberto Robie, Mexico

Anne Veck, UK

X-Presion, Spain

Following more spectacular presentations, it was time to announce the winners of the International Visionary Award. Devised to showcase creative talent in young hairdressers, 15 finalists each presented models with spectacular avant garde hair ranging from Mohicans and sleek geometric styles to asymmetric towering updos.

The winners were:

Marco Lamberti, Italy

Bruno Giamettei, UK

Sonia Danaher, Ireland

As well as celebrating exceptional creative talent, the evening also saw a cheque for £190,600 presented to Leukemia and Lymphoma Research adding to the incredible £8 million already raised by Tony Rizzo over the last 28 years.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Research Chief Executive, Cathy Gilman, closed the evening saying: "Children's treatment can last between two and five years, so your help is unbelievably appreciated - all the teams, hairdressers, sponsors, Tony, Anthony - everyone and every single penny is massively appreciated by us all."

Impossibly glossy, precise geometric haircuts on models sheathed in ink black swathes of net, bands of fabric and lace masks.

Pirouetting demure white swans with huge white clouds of hair de-robed on stage to transform into black leather-clad vixens with swinging black bobs and stacks of attitude.

Taking a circus theme, models in primary colour wigs and undressed crinolines were entertained by a hoop acrobat cart-wheeling around the stage.

Full of Phantom of the Opera theatricality, extraordinary avant-garde girls wore exaggerated costumes and metallic face painted masks to complement their gold and black wigs. 

A gentle interpretation where My Fair Lady met Pygmalion saw elegant models spurning their lesser-shod sister until she morphed into a captivating beauty - all topped off with Regency-inspired updos.

An intriguing parade of ethereal beauties whose ethereal white skirts vied for attention with the shiny soft air bubbles which trailed in their wake. Cloud-like hair contrasted against high-gloss crops in pure shades.

Dressed head to foot in black PVC, this array of sexy sirens marched to the tune of pulsating music with intricately folded updos combining texture with sleek panels.

An energising presentation where white plastic ballet-skirted models moved to the groove of Didgeridoo inspired club tunes. Hair was bright, shiny and head-hugging.

Exquisite models in synched-in trench coats shrugged off their coats and released their one pin up-do to reveal long, glossy, tumbling Jerry Hall-esque sexy manes.

Fire hot and glowing scarlet, models were head to toe in red with their hair in loose dreads, dressed high in ponytails or crocheted into shapes and balls.

Models were swathed in in soft ash grey-green chiffon to match their soft ash blonde hair infused with caramel tones and finished with textured dressing.

Presenting the ambiguity of sexuality, models were shown as half man, half woman with an overwhelming mood of old-school Hollywood glamour.

Amazonian beauties showed the current zeitgeist with their jungle fevered tribal dancing whipping up into a hot fervour of style with textured updos, half-shaved heads and show-stopping curls.

Exploring the wonders of overt sexuality, cropped haired models oozed this season's dominatrix trend in their black PVC bondage-inspired garb, topped off with sharp cuts and oil-slick shades.

Exaggerated futuristic costumes and avant garde tribal hair colluded with metallic fabrics and obscure makeup to conjure up an illusion of an incomprehensible future.

Presenting iconic looks redolent of the 60s but with a very modern twist, deep black cowl neck garmen ts served to emphasise the stylishly dressed, vibrantly coloured hair.

An entertaining piece of storytelling, where models transformed from gliding marionettes to sumptuous sirens of the highest order. Hair pieces in pink and glossy pink created exaggerated shapes including hearts and classic rounded bobs.

A wonderfully colourful, Picasso-inspired vignette where models in dip-dyed monochromatic dresses wore brightly coloured hair in fruity shades of cherry, orange, lemon and blackberry.