We know the hottest hair talents across the UK – and we’re happy to share them!
Every year, our sister brand Creative HEAD – the leading magazine for hairdressers, barbers and salons, don’t you know – brings together top name VIPs to judge the best hair talent in the land. With The It List, they’re looking for the hottest young guns aged 30 and under, while Most Wanted searches for the stars across a ton of different categories – colour! Community! Teamwork! Imagery!
Fancy the skinny on the names you should know? Read on and book in…
Millie Bloy, CODE Hair Consultants, Lowestoft
A go-getter and creative in every sense of the word, Millie was crowned The It List Rising Star this year, thanks to her impressive eye for detail. Known for creating excellent blondes, she’s built quite the loyal clientele since working at CODE. During lockdown, she also used her voice to calls on her MP to support the hair industry and is leading the way with mental health initiatives for the salon team. Certainly a star on ascent, she’s should certainly be on your radar if you’re need of a cut or colour in Norfolk.
Brooke Evans, BE Ironbridge, Telford
Brooke scooped The It List title of The Entrepreneur, thanks to her transformation of a derelict garage into an ultra-trendy salon that pays homage to her local area. The mechanic’s pit is now a wine cellar, the ceiling is papered with old magazines, the furniture upcycled and full of history. It is a space that celebrates the old while making room for the new, including eco-friendly practices such as a refill bar to fill up on shampoo and conditioner.
Giuseppe Stelitano, Trevor Sorbie, London
A game-changing colourist with a unique, creative eye, Giuseppe was crowned The It List’s Visionary AND It Guy in 2021. Based at Trevor Sorbie in Covent Garden, his work has wowed thousands on stage and in print, after joining the company’s Artistic Team early on in his career. Known for his skills at selecting the perfect colour to compliments a client’s personality and style, he’s a master a creating effortlessly cool looks which lead the way with the latest trends.
Harriet Stokes, Humankind Hair, London
An Instagram sensation with more than 60,000 followers, Harriet is widely known in the industry for her impressive colour skills and savvy social media approach. Crowned The It Girl this year, she continues to go from strength to strength after becoming a fully independent hairdresser after lockdown, working out of the ultra cool Hunter Collective in London’s Clerkenwell. At 26 years old, she is paving a career akin to someone twice her age as a BaByliss PRO ambassador and L’Oréal Professionnel Paris guest artist, making her seriously in demand. Harriet truly is a breath of fresh air, so be sure to follow her immediately.
Paddy McDougall, Rainbow Room International, Glasgow
A former joiner from a staunchly working-class background, Most Wanted Creative Talent winner Paddy admits he can find it a little surreal to be painting hair for Louis Vuitton in Seoul, or on-set in the Icelandic tundra for Saint Laurent. But his creative vision sets him apart. When he’s not on the road or working in his ambassador role for hair brand Indola, he’s dedicated to his salon clients at Rainbow Room International, as well as a few private clients in spots such as Monaco and Montenegro. A great Scot indeed!
Ashleigh Hodges, Hairdotcom Art Team, London
A former It List It Girl, Ashleigh’s ambition never wanes. Her creative eye has only sharpened, and it’s little wonder she scooped the Most Wanted Colour Expert award! She is the global colour ambassador for Italian favourite Davines, as well as co-director of the first collaborative brand-neutral artistic team with Hairdotcom. Colouring hair on set for a TV show is no easy feat, let alone in the middle of a pandemic. As head colourist for Little Mix The Search, Ashleigh was on hand to create hair colour that tells a story and elevates characters on stage. When not living it up on set, backstage or in the lab with Davines, she’s colouring clients at The Social in London.
Anne Veck, Anne Veck Oxford
This salon is a model of how to run a business that is commercially successful yet absolutely laser-focused on sustainability – hence why Anne and her husband Keith scooped the Most Wanted Sustainability Hero award. It has reduced CO2 emissions by 40 per cent, and is the only salon to be certified CO2 Neutral by Carbon Footprint. Keen to get as many salons doing their bit, Anne and Keith developed Salon Re:Source; a free toolkit to help others make small, medium, and large steps. No wonder it’s the first globally to be named a Sustainable Visionary salon – perfect for those looking for a dream green hair destination.
Lisa Farrall, WIG London, London
When she’s not styling celebrities for music videos and mega-bashes like The Baftas, Lisa uses her platform to educate salons to be texture-neutral, teaching hairdressers how to work with curly and textured hair so they can expand their menus and offer more. Obsessed with providing equal care for all of her clients, Lisa has been championing the needs for textured hair education since 2016 when she founded her own business, WIG London. Her dedication blew away the judges, who crowned her the first ever Most Wanted Texture Expert.
Karoliina Saunders, Karoliina Saunders Hair Design, Swindon
Back in the day, Karoliina was a successful hair model, so she’s got an eye for what makes a cracking on-trend look – that’s how she won the Most Wanted Hair Trend trophy. Yet she’s also dedicated to offering a sympathetic service to those with hair loss issues; her brilliant buzzcut was down to her acceptance of her previously confidence-sapping alopecia.
Stag Barber Co., Edinburgh
“Why can’t things be different?” is a question often asked at Stag. Challenging the norms IS the norm at this sunny-tiled salon, which scooped Best Salon Team at this year’s Most Wanted awards, a year after winning Best Local Salon. Providing a positive, rewarding experience is as crucial for staff as it is for clients, including a four-day working week, ‘skill share’ sessions and therapy paid for by the business. Even team trips go beyond – they’ve been clubbing in Berlin, spent a weekend surfing in Malaga and even rented a castle in Scotland with a private chef. “Being well-rounded individuals makes us better hairdressers,” says owner Murray. And they are FANTASTIC hairdressers to boot.
Cùrlach, Glasgow
As thoughtful as it is beautiful, Cùrlach (it means curly, or wrinkly in Gaelic) cares deeply for its local community and beyond owners — that’s why it was crowned Most Wanted Best Local Salon. Co-owners Emma and Rochelle signed up for the Green Salon Collective before they opened, and work with other salons to clean up local parks. Client donations to local charities are celebrated with free haircuts (one food bank received enough supplies for six months), while a regular monthly slot on local radio helps to shine a spotlight on local musicians.
Syd Hayes, Q Cut, London
You’ll have seen his work all over the pages of key magazines and Instagram, so it was no surprise that Syd swept not one, but TWO of the night’s biggest prizes, winning Most Wanted’s Best Session Stylist and Hair Icon. Ranking as one of the most exciting talents working in fashion, Syd’s looks are often inspired by the creativity of London’s youth culture. He’s collaborated with the likes of David Sims and Juergen Teller, Vogue and i-D, and he’s also keyed fashion shows for Miu Miu, Versus, Matty Bovan, Schiaparelli and Hogan – to name but a few! With all that going on, he keeps himself grounded at the Q Cut family salon in Kew, London, where he still works – best get in quick!
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