HOW I MADE IT

Three hairdressers show that a career in hairdressing is varied, fulfilling and ever-evolving

To tie in with the launch of Professional Beauty Group’s We Need You campaign – which is all about promoting hairdressing as a worthwhile, profitable career – we spoke to three people acing it in the industry right now. Alicia Wallace, a Salon Manager, Clare Holmes, an Education Director and Tracey Gallagher, a TV and film hair stylist. They tell us about their journeys into hairdressing, what they love about their jobs and what advice they have for the next generation.

WE NEED YOU!

Could you be one of the faces of our industry recruitment campaign? The Professional Beauty Group, which includes Hairdresser’s Journal International, is on the hunt for stars to be in our new video.The campaign will be used to promote careers in the beauty industry, from salon owners and freelance stylists, to educators and marketing stars, all showcasing the incredible roles in our industry. If you want to get involved, fill out the short form below to tell us what you love about your job and send us a short video explaining why you want to be part of this campaign. Head to: www.hji.co.uk/industry-recruitment-form

FACT FILE

Name: Alicia Wallace
Job title: Salon Manager at Q Cut

“I didn’t really enjoy school and didn’t feel challenged, so by the time I got to secondary school I was ready to get out of there and go into the world of work. At school we had a scheme called Extended Work Experience. So when I was in Year 9, and about 13 or 14 years old, I used to do two days a week at Q Cut Salon in Kew, London and then three days at school. It’s such a shame the scheme isn't available anymore as it gave me an opportunity to explore the working world. It was a two year scheme, and during that time I greeted customers, shampooed hair, swept the floor, made tea – it was an amazing experience and it was an introduction to how life could be for me outside of school. I loved socialising with people I wouldn’t normally meet.

At this point, I didn’t think hairdressing was a career I would explore but one day the owner of Q Cut, David Hayes, sat me down and told me I should consider being a hairdresser. So I started training with him – Isaw how hair could make people feel and learned a lot about customer service. Later in my teens I jumped around a few salon chains, but it was a very different experience to Q Cuts and I ended up leaving the industry for a bit to work in a nightclub. During this time I was still cutting friend’s and family’s hair – because I knew I needed creativity in my life. When I was looking for a new job, an advert for David’s salon came up. I felt a calling to go back. Although he did fill the job advertised, he ended up calling me a week later and I’ve been back ever since. Myself and Syd Hayes (David’s son) have since taken over management of the salon.

I’m 33 years old now and I have just bought a house. If I hadn’t gone back to hairdressing, I don’t think I would have been able to have the lifestyle I have now. My advice to anyone considering a career in hairdressing is have a mentor. I wouldn’t have my career if it wasn’t for David. He still works in the salon one day a week and it brings me joy when he comes in and he says ‘it’s thriving, I love what you’ve done’. That means everything to me. I was his assistant, I’ve grown up with him and I find myself saying things that he used to say to me! I’m really excited to see where myself and Syd can take Q Cut in the future.”

FACT FILE

Name: Clare Holmes
Job title: Head of Creative and Artistic Education UK & Ireland for Revlon Professional

“When I was at school I was a hair model for a local salon. I used to go with them to shows and I loved the creativity, the people and the transformations. But at school hairdressing wasn’t offered to me as a career option. Although my parents initially didn’t want me to be a hairdresser, I went to work in Voodou Salon in Liverpool. I’m a visual person, so I picked up colouring within six months. I was taught by a Colour Technician – she made me do the colour consultations and I had a little notepad where I’d jot everything down. Sometimes she’d pick a colour from the look book, then she’d ask me to work out the formulations. I loved that hands-on learning. At Voodou I worked my way up to a manager position.

But in 1999 I knew I wanted to explore the world, and I went to work on a cruise ship. I travelled the world to places like Alaska, Hawaii and the Caribbean for five years. I loved working with people from different walks of life and nationalities. For me, working on a cruise ship salon was more for experience than a new career path, so in 2003 I joined Revlon Professional as a freelance educator. A few years later I got approached by a different company to work globally for them. I loved the experience of a global role – Iwas doing stage shows, model castings and catwalks. I actually met my husband on an plane and after two years of being together, I decided to base myself in the UK. When I came back, Revlon Professional offered me a job. Fifteen years later here I am! I was an Education Manager first, then as my role progressed I went into more creative areas. I now work with global teams – we bring out two collections a year, I do photoshoots, create colouring techniques for the collections and test out product innovations.

My advice is to put yourself out there and don’t be too proud. Even now I will hold sections, I’ll sweep the floor and I’ll get stuck in. Also, don’t feel like owning a salon is the ultimate goal – Ihave so much respect for anyone that runs a salon, but from a young age I knew I didn’t want to have my own. I wanted to be part of a team and specialise in colour. For me, there’s no greater adventure than a colour correction or creating a new technique.”

FACT FILE

Name: Tracey Gallagher
Job title: Freelance Stylist + Hair and Make-up Artist

“I actually wanted to be an architect when I was at school. I used to love creating technical drawings in Design lessons. But I ended up doing work experience at a salon and I loved it – it felt like I’d found my people. When I left school I worked in a salon on Saturdays, then moved to Saks Hair and Beauty, in Stockton-on-Tees. I did a lot of colour work there with Andrew Barton. Andrew always used to say ‘you’re a designer’ – which I guess goes back to me loving Design at school. I’m one of those hairdressers who is a good allrounder. Sometimes if you’re not a specialist you can be overlooked, but I think not specialising has actually opened up more avenues for me.

After working in Stockton-on-Tees I moved to Saks Academy in London, then Andrew opened his own salon in Covent Garden and I was his Artistic Director. Some of us then went to work at Urban Retreat, which was then based in Harrods. We created an art team, travelled the world and I was thrilled to win the Men’s Image Award at L’Oréal Colour Trophy in 2016. I made the decision to go self-employed when I was at Harrods because I started doing hair for TV and films. It was difficult to get the time off – often I had to use holiday days. Being freelance gave me more flexibility. Since then I’ve worked on The Crown, the latest Cruella, The Witches, James Bond, Batman, Maleficent… too many to remember! When Urban Retreat moved to The White House, I followed. Now I can control my diary and balance my salon work with my TV and film work, it's great.

I’m 51 and hair is still my passion. When you do 14 hour days on muddy film sets, it makes you enjoy the salon days even more. But then after a run of days in the salon, I’m ready to go back out there and get in the mud!”