COS SAKKAS INTERVIEWS: Andrew Collinge

A new series sees British Hairdresser of the Year, Cos Sakkas, chatting with past British Hairdresser of the Year alumni

Cos Sakkas sat down with Andrew Collinge, two-times British Hairdresser of the Year, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional, to find out about his legacy, passion and his thoughts on the future of the industry. The first TV hairdresser on This Morning, and now, with three salons, a training college and a graduate salon in Liverpool, Andrew has had a wide and varied career that all started with an apprenticeship…

Cos: When HJ asked me which past British Hairdressing Awards winners I’d like to interview, your name immediately came to mind. What awards memory stands out for you?

Andrew Collinge: I remember the very first British Hairdressing Awards when Anthony [Mascolo] and Trevor [Sorbie] won. Trevor set the benchmark for all of us. Now, you’re doing the same, your work is raising the bar which is so encouraging for everyone else in the industry to collectively push their standards.

Cos: That’s very kind of you. Apart from being British Hairdresser of the Year, we have something else in common. We both work for a company with strong family values. How did it all start?

Andrew: The salon was founded over 80 years ago by my grandfather, who opened a barbershop in Liverpool. My grandmother, a businesswoman, helped transform it into a unisex salon. It was my father who truly revolutionised the business. After apprenticing in a small salon and working on a luxury cruise liner, he opened Peter Collinge in the late 1940s and made his mark in competitive hairdressing, competing alongside legends like Sylvio Camillo, Xavier Wenger, and a young Vidal Sassoon.

Cos: What a legacy! Wasn’t your Dad also one of the first people involved with the Fellowship?

Andrew: Yes, the Fellowship was founded in 1947 and he was invited to join in 1949. When I started hairdressing in 1974, he was the President and I became President in 1996.

Cos: It was an incredible time in hairdressing, who did you look up to?

Andrew: Back then it was a big deal to get the back cover of HJ – the front cover was always an advert – and I remember seeing an image by Michael Rasser at MichaelJohn, shot by Barry Lategan – who was shooting models such as Twiggy in British and Italian Vogue. It was soft focus and beautiful; and even though I was doing an apprenticeship with my father, I knew I had to go and do my own thing. You can’t be the boss’s son and just be given a column of clients; it doesn’t work that way. So I headed to London and got an apprenticeship with MichaelJohn for two years – so four years as an apprentice in total. I learned a lot, and I assisted Michael when he was on photoshoots doing Elizabeth Taylor’s hair, film stars and the Royal family.

Cos: It must have been really inspiring, the beginning of so many great careers.

Andrew: Michael was my first inspiration and second was Robert Lobetta who also worked at the salon. He was creating amazing woven hairstyles. I was living in a hostel, so I would hang around the salon and assist Robert whenever I could. There was Robert, Trevor, Anthony, Rita and Irvine Rusk.

Cos: How did it feel to be a young hairdresser working with these great people?

Andrew: Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time. If you’re there and assisting, people see you. Robert saw that and put his trust in me. We had a big event coming up in Berlin and Robert couldn’t make it and said you’re going to have to go and do it!

Cos: Do you believe being thrown in at the deep end is sometimes the best way to learn?

Andrew. Absolutely! Wella picked up on the long hair I was doing and before I knew it, I got booked for tours to Australia and Italy. Then

I met my wife Liz and we felt the pull of going back to the family business.

Cos: You and Liz [who is a make-up artist] were a dynamic partnership on shows such as This Morning. You were the first original TV hairdresser, how did that come about?

Andrew: This Morning was filmed in Liverpool but the production team were from London. They didn’t know anyone in the area so they called HJ who recommended me. Liz and I did a screen test and got the job!

Cos: You were known for beautiful hair transformations on the show. Is there one that stands out?

Andrew: Our first model went from long brown hair to a short blonde bob and Richard and Judy loved it. They got about 500 letters the next day wanting makeovers. There was no social media back in those days, so our exposure was four million people a day. We did the show for about 10 years.

Cos: You’ve had an amazing career that began with an apprenticeship, just like mine. How crucial are apprenticeships for the future of our industry?

Andrew: We’re still seeing a lot of young people applying for apprenticeships. To have premium prices you have to have great services, and apprentices are essential to the client experience. Plus, 90% of our staff started as apprentices within our company.

Cos: We have 140 apprentices across our TONI&GUY network and they are a really important part of our business. How are they a part of yours?

Andrew: We have our Graduate Salon which is our academy where our third year apprentices work with their own column of clients and great mentors. It’s like a finishing school and runs as a selfcontained salon.

Cos: I believe we need to look at how we inspire and motivate the next generation, have you seen a change in attitude to apprenticeships and learning?

Andrew: I always say to our apprentices, never let anyone say to you, “You’re just a hairdresser”. You’re not, you can be whatever you want to be. We’re worrying about the demise of the industry but we’re also one of the few trades that can’t be taken over by robots. It’s really important that apprenticeships do survive. Young people are like sponges, they just want to absorb knowledge. So it’s up to us to make sure we inspire them.

Cos: As British Hairdresser of the Year I want to use my voice in support of apprenticeships - what do you think your legacy will be?

Andrew: I think the legacy will be the name. The longevity, the training and the opportunities that the Collinge brand has given to the future generation in the North West.