All Ireland Success

Level 3 trainees Emma Hamilton and Jamie-Lee Burns proved their talent at this year’s All Ireland Hairdressing Championships and there is no doubt why. Emma and Jamie-Lee work at Oscars Salon, Belfast and it was with the support of salon manager Elizabeth that both of them submitted an application for the Junior Avant Garde category of the championships this year. When catching up with us Elizabeth talked about the standard of their work in the salon, which encouraged her to get them involved in the prestigious competition.

 

Before the final, which took place on 31st March at the Hilton Hotel, Belfast, Emma and Jamie-Lee spent 12 weeks practicing on a model in the salon. The joint effort saw Emma focusing on creating elaborate upstyles and Jamie-Lee focusing on fine artwork, including the accessories, hair pieces and flowers. Jamie-Lee devised a Geisha theme for their model and set about creating hair pieces using a very complicated and detailed process. Jamie-Lee added food gelatin to hair pieces, allowed the hair to sit for a few minutes, then brushed most of the gelatin out with a tail comb. The hair was then left flat to dry, glazed, then flower segments were cut and glued together to make flower hair pieces. Jamie-Lee created a number of different hair pieces in different shapes to add structure to the hair (see image below).

 

After weeks of practice and preparation, including consideration of the model’s makeup and costume, Emma and Jamie-Lee got their model ready in Oscars salon before travelling to the Hilton Hotel to present their application to the judges. Upon arrival Emma and Jamie-Lee had only five minutes to make any final adjustments to their model before five judges scrutinised all applicants styles. Their amazing finished entry is pictured below.

 

After a long wait the winner was announced late in the evening with Emma and Jamie-Lee announced as 1st place winners of the Junior Avant Garde category out of 19 entries! This was an absolutely fantastic achievement from two very talented students at The Academy Hair & Beauty Training School! It is obvious from the image of their model that a lot of hard work and creativity went into their award application and no doubt salon managers Gerry and Elizabeth McKendry are as proud of them as their tutors are.

                            Pictured above (l-r): Gerry McKendry, manager at Oscars salon, Jamie-Lee
                            Burns, model, Emma Hamilton and Elizabeth McKendry, manager at

                           Oscars salon

Congratulations Emma and Jamie-Lee!