The Next Generation Asks
HJ's Newcomer of the Year Chloe Houston puts her questions to British Hairdresser of the Year Efi Davies on creativity, confidence and inspiring the future of hairdressing
EFI DAVIES
Chloe: Winning British Hairdresser of the Year is such a huge achievement – congratulations. Was there a specific moment in your career that changed everything for you?
Efi: Seeing my avant-garde collection on stage in 2005 was a real turning point and remains one of my proudest moments. Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to have opportunities that have pushed me out of my comfort zone and given me the freedom to be creative with an entire look. I’ve worked with an incredible team, and Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck has been instrumental in elevating my career. She gave me the freedom and platform to express my creativity, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
Chloe: You also won Newcomer of the Year back in 2005. Looking back, what helped you stand out early on? What advice would you give stylists starting to make their mark?
Efi: Assist whenever you can – you’ll learn so much from watching other hairdressers work, because everyone approaches hair differently. Whatever you’re doing, enjoy every moment of it.
Chloe: Did you ever struggle with self-doubt early in your career, and how did you push through it?
Efi: I’m my own worst critic! I think most hairdressers are – every time I finish a collection, part of me thinks I could have done it better. There’s nothing wrong with that; I’m always trying to raise my own bar. I feel genuinely lucky to do what I do. As hairdressers, we can make a client feel amazing about themselves, become image-makers, work on catwalks or lean fully into avant-garde experimentation. I love pushing the edges of traditional hairdressing and trying something genuinely new.
Chloe: What qualities do you notice immediately in up-and-coming talent?
Efi: You can teach skill, but you can’t teach attitude. I love it when a young hairdresser questions my technique or how I’ve built a shape, and I love it even more when a student becomes a better hairdresser than me. You need confidence without arrogance, fearlessness alongside real passion. Your generation is facing challenges mine never did, and from where I sit, you’re balancing it all impressively well.
Chloe: How do you stay creatively inspired while balancing motherhood, a full-time career and an industry that never stops evolving?
Efi: Inspiration is everywhere – in my surroundings, colleagues, travels, architecture, nature and fashion. What keeps me excited is continuous learning and sharing knowledge across the industry, whether through education, demos or social platforms. That exchange of ideas is what pushes all of us forward.
Life is a balancing act and priorities change throughout your career. I’m incredibly proud of my daughter, while also feeling a responsibility to support the next generation of hairdressers by passing on my skills and knowledge. I want my assistants to be better than me. When their work makes mine look old-fashioned, that’s when I know I’ve done my job.
Chloe: You played a real part in my confidence going into my first British Hairdressing Awards shoot after I attended your avant-garde course. What does it mean to you knowing you’re shaping the next generation?
Efi: We owe it to the people coming up behind us to make sure they’re better than we were – in skills, creative thinking and business sense. We owe them honesty about the struggles we faced and the mistakes we made, so they can learn from them and go further.
CHLOE HOUSTON
There’s no single path to success. Your mistakes, wins and setbacks all shape the hairdresser you become. The worst thing a young stylist can do is try to copy someone else’s journey instead of building their own. Keep asking questions, keep looking outside the industry for inspiration and keep being curious. The moment you stop being curious is the moment your work starts to stall.
Efi: You are a super talented hairdresser, and winning Newcomer of the Year is incredible. Where do you hope the industry takes you next?
Chloe: Winning an award with my first collection was something I never imagined. I almost felt like an imposter, but the support I’ve received from other hairdressers has been even more special than winning the award itself. It has made me want to keep learning, growing and pushing myself creatively.
I’m inspired by people like you Efi, who have paved the way for the next generation and shown us what’s possible. Looking ahead, I hope to continue developing as a creative hairdresser, while also educating and inspiring younger stylists with their own dreams. If I can encourage someone else the way I’ve been encouraged, that would be one of my greatest achievements.