The L’Oréal Professionnel 2023 Style & Colour Trophy national semi-finals for the all-new Australia and New Zealand hub took place this month, and eight talented hairdressers were chosen amongst a host of skilled entrants as finalists. Amidst four fashion hair shows, the announcement of category winners and inspiring speeches, eight hairdressers took to the stage to be awarded with a pass to the next round.

Now, those eight finalists are preparing for the final event this weekend, where they will be flown to Melbourne to create a whole new look and compete for the national title. The winner has the chance to compete internationally in this historic global platform, which three Australian hairdressers – Wendy Gunn, Massimo Tirimacco and Claudia Cataldo – have won in the past three iterations, so the stakes are high.

We spoke to these finalists – Kate Clark of Ink for Hair in Queensland, Chanel Beck from Koko Blacq Hair, WA, Fiona Fazzalari of Hair Machine Glenelg, SA, Amy Gaudie of Urban Chic in Queensland, Alicia Perruzza of Circles of Hair in WA, Rebecca Brent of Willis York in New Zealand,  Rose Cain of Head Studio, WA and Terrina Brown of Zedz Hair, WA – to gain their thoughts ahead of the final part of the national competition.

Read on to see what this moment means to them and their preparation through the week, and join us in wishing good luck to the finalists!

Kate Clark

“Being a finalist signifies that all the hard work, creativity and commitment has paid off and inspires me to continue striving for excellence in my profession. It motivates me to continue pushing boundaries and experimenting with new techniques, and it encourages me to stay updated with latest styles and trends. It provides great exposure and opens doors to new opportunities, collaborations and connections with other experts in the field.

I have invested a significant amount of time practicing different hair techniques, textures and colours to remain innovative this week. I have also further contemplated the theme ‘Metamorphosis’ and what that means to me and analysing my second model’s hair and look and what will be complementary to her within that framework. As Style & Colour Trophy is about an entire concept similar to that of a guest in the salon, it is important that whatever you do has to work with the face shape and tones of the person wearing it.”

Chanel Beck

“Being a finalist has ignited my creative flame that was burning a bit dull for a while. Since I was a little girl and for as long as I can remember I was always apart of competitions, having a mum and aunty who were award winners. I used to go and zip up dresses on the model and pass bobby pins! I always dreamed of being in their shoes one day. My mum and aunty are now my business partners we have a successful business and having their support through this has been amazing.

I have really tried my hardest to not over think my look. I’ve got a million ideas running through my head and once I like something I tend to sketch it on a piece of paper to see if I like the shape before I try it on a mannequin. I stay away from Pinterest for inspiration. I feel like puts a false sense of inspiration in your head of someone else’s work. Instead, I look for new techniques that I could use to complement my total look.”

Fiona Fazzalari

“Being a finalist to me is the definition of excellence in our industry. I feel humble to be up here with the others at this level. Being a creative, this week has naturally led to countless ideas and colorful dreams. I then recorded ideas, followed by practicing on a mannequin. I then take photos and sleep on it. Sometimes walking away and coming back to it helps in decision making.”

Amy Gaudie

“It’s incredibly humbling to stand alongside the top eight of Australia and New Zealand. Being my first time entering, I wanted to have fun and push the boundaries with colour to create something fresh, which had a twist on the normal Style & Colour Trophy entries. I’m so proud to have even come this far with the chance to represent Australia in Paris.

This week has been all about prep! My plan for this week is try and keep a clear head. For me it’s one step at a time and focusing on enjoying the Style & Colour Trophy journey.”

Alicia Perruzza

“Being a finalist means so much! It’s an opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone and grow as both a stylist and an individual. For this week, I started prepping by creating some mood boards until I condensed them down to a final direction. It involved lots of playing with mannequins as well as spending time with friends and family to ease the nerves!”

Rebecca Brent

“Being one of the most prestigious competitions globally, being a finalist means I am feeling all the feels! L’Oréal Professionnel has been my family for over 20 years so this is the icing on the cake for me. I’m so excited to be alongside such talented stylists and cannot wait to see what creations they come up with. I am honoured to be representing New Zealand in the grand finale but am also remembering to just enjoy the journey and have fun.

We have had eleven days to find a new model and create a new concept! After initial mood boarding and securing a model, I have been repping nonstop. I am living and breathing my image that I will bring to life on Saturday in Melbourne.”

Rose Cain

“L’Oréal Professionnel Style & Colour Trophy means so much to me. It’s something I have entered for well over 20 years and to me it’s a platform to that pushes the boundaries of creative skill, talent and attention to detail that defines the way we do hair. A picture paints a thousand words.

This week has been all about lots of workshopping and mental preparation and reviewing of the ‘Metamorphosis’, futuristic and Avant Garde brief, while also staying busy colouring and creating my hair pieces.

Terrina Brown

“I feel that when you have been in the industry for a while, it is great to get recognition for your creative work, it is always a humble feeling. As a salon owner, the immediate shift in the team energy and the support between client and team feels fantastic. For my young apprentices, it supports my mentoring and shows them that they can reach their goals by continue learning, growing and never giving up. That excites me and means a lot. Having a competition like this, you perfect so many skillsets and still learn about yourself. I am very lucky and excited for this opportunity.

For the finals, I have made sure I understand and follow the brief, I have chosen a model who will have a complete transformation and is easy to work with and I prepared many colour swatches for my models’ complexion and for my inspiration. I continually remind myself to stay true to my work style and create excellent work. I have cut and coloured a number of mannequin heads to perfect my style and colour whilst checking my timing. Then there has been lots of dreaming – and lack of sleep! – visualisation, meditation and great conversations with team members and a close industry friend.”

For more information visit www.lorealprofessionnel.com.au