IMAGE Award at The Wella Trend Vision

There are a whole lot of worse ways to spend a back-to-school Monday than in the Wella studios in Dublin, getting impressed, enthralled and inspired by Ireland’s leading hair stylists. My mission was to choose the winner of the 2015 IMAGE Award at Trend Vision – Wella’s annual hair colour Oscars.

Our winner will be our go-to expert in IMAGE and on image.ie. They’ll be the one we ask for advice, tips, trends and rescue remedies. They’ll also judge our beauty awards and lead the charge in hair features for the next year. No small task, so we needed someone with fierce vision, an editorial eye, international perspective and a great way of interpreting all that’s out there.

I saw about 40 hair stylists at work, putting finishing touches to models they’d worked with for months to ensure healthy hair, coloured, cut and crimped into fashion-forward masterpieces. Aided by a sidebar posse of make-up artists, nail technicians, fashion designers and stylists, Ireland’s elite hair professionals were going all out.

Over the day, the stylists presented their vision, and later that evening at The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, the models took to an immense runway. Everyone brought their A-game, but for me, one stood out by a mile. Ciaran Cannon from Zeba not only has outstanding hairdressing talent, but he’s articulate, patient (thank goodness) with a confidence that I instantly took to and trusted.
He’s The One.

Look out for Ciaran’s contributions over the next few months and join us on a journey to healthier, happier, hipper hair.

Pictures by?Kieran Harnett.