Uncovering talent from all corners of the Australian and New Zealand hairdressing industry and catapulting them onto the global stage, The L’Oréal Professionnel Style & Colour Trophy celebrated the top eight finalists for their somewhat futuristic, almost alien-like expressions of freedom and frivolity that underscored the 2024 Utopia theme.

The national winners from a combined Australian and New Zealand locale were announced at an illustrious gathering of some of the industry’s most creative at Melbourne’s CIEL The Venue on Monday night, August 19. With over 300 guests, live entertainment and food and drinks until 1am, L’Oréal Professionnel threw a party fit for prize winners and industry veterans, judges and media partners who annually gather to celebrate the unique competition.

The finalists recreated their entries live across the weekend to decide our ultimate winners. Congratulations to Ben Semple of Circles of Hair, who took home the top prize as this year’s national Style & Colour Trophy gold medallist. Ben has been part of the leading Circles of Hair group since starting his apprenticeship in early 2013 and has only continued to thrive ever since, with an eye for trends and transformations and a visionary talent that has won him both clients and acclaim. Ben was part of the Foundation Guillaume team that took part in the Intercoiffure World Congress 2017 event in Japan, was named as a Grand Finalist for the L’Oréal Professionnel Style & Colour Trophy Rising Star title in 2018 and was an overall Grand Finalist in both 2019 and 2020.

“This was my fifth time entering and I can’t believe that I won, I’m so excited,” Ben enthused. “I would say my specialty would be Avant Garde and vibrant colours and my inspiration for the Utopia look was based on a tree that I found mixed with vibrant, cool colours and a real futuristic vibe.”

A myriad of other prizes were awarded on the night. Second place was given to Natasha Monastra of Koko Blaq Coiffeur, also in WA, while third place went to Lauren Polidori of Ensemble Salon in Adelaide. The other five finalists were listed as Rena Dimopoulos of Boris The Cuttery, SA/TAS, Lisa Robertson of Parlour Glenelg, SA/TAS, Rose Cain of Head Studio, WA/NT, Martin Van Blerk of Buoy Salon & Spa, NZ and Fiona Fazzalari of Hair Machine, SA/TAS. The national judges consisted of Rebecca Brent of Willis York, Danni Solier and Jamie Furlan of LNDN, Jo Cotroneo of Zink the Element of Hair, Brad Lepper of Blunt Edition and marie claire Beauty Editor Sally Hunwick.

Kim Touch from The Black Studio in New Zealand won the Newcomer Award, while the Editorial Colour & Styling title went to Maci Di Domenico also from Koko Blaq Coiffeur and the Ready to Wear Transformation Photographic winner was named as Rose Cain. Chanel Beck from Koko Blaq Coiffeur won the Social Media Transformation title.

In state-wide People’s Choice awards, Angela Yelland of Sandy the Salon won across NSW/ACT, Amy Connolly of Indiah Hair Styling won for New Zealand, Kaitlyn Harvey of I Heart Hair won in QLD, Rena Dimopoulos won for SA/TAS, Calla Gifkins from Elegance Hair won in VIC and Natasha Monastra won for WA/NT.

To set the theme for the night and uncover the real ‘why’ behind each finalist’s image, a tribute to the theme highlighted a new era of colour intricacy and design, showcasing how Utopia merges hair design with the future of tech. The event celebrated each finalist’s mentor and the process behind their creation as well as 50 years of iconic Perth partner Maurice Meade, while also sharing encouraging words from Style & Colour Trophy mentors Damien Rinaldo and Adriana Marmino.

After more than six and a half decades of this iconic global competition, the L’Oréal Professionnel Style & Colour Trophy is revelling in its 68th iteration of uncovering inspirational talent, while championing professional excellence and hair artistry. L’Oréal Professionnel Style & Colour Trophy continues to grow, amassing 100,000 global entries from around 40 countries in its 2023 competition and accumulating 11 million views on social networks last year, as it connects in direct relationships with over one million hairdressers globally.

The competition honours the legacy of L’Oréal Professionnel, in the groundbreaking hair colour first created by founder Eugène Schuller in 1909 and the competition’s beginnings in 1954. Virtual and AI components keep the brand current. The company collaborated with hairdresser Charlie Le Mindu and Evan Rochette, a CGI artist, to craft four hair collections, pioneering in this innovative space.

Ben’s winning look will be entered into the Style & Colour Trophy Global Semi-Final in a pinnacle opportunity and achievement for all hairdressers, where global judges will review his entry amongst all other winners from participating countries across the world, before selecting their top six finalists to compete for the international title in November 2024. Australia’s past national winners, including Wendy Gunn, Massimo Tirimacco and Claudia Cataldo, have taken home the top global award, while last year’s ANZ winner, Rebecca Brent of Willis York Salon in New Zealand, won bronze in the international field. Good luck to Ben on the next phase of the global competition!

Through Style & Color Trophy, L’Oréal Professionnel reaffirms its position as a leading brand that elevates the professional industry and unlocks their creativity. Congratulations to the winners and finalists in this esteemed creative institution.

For more information visit www.lorealprofessionnel.com.au

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