FAME Team are the upcoming stars of the hairdressing industry. Each year, four talented stylists and colourists win the opportunity to travel all over the world doing what they love most. They hone their skills and expand their experiences in colouring and cutting, representing The Fellowship for British Hairdressing.
To win one of the coveted places on FAME, stylists compete across three rounds of interviews, stage presentations and challenges before being crowned in December at the Fellowship luncheon.
The Fellowship for British Hairdressing is an independent, non-political organisation run by members, for members. The Fellowship focuses on promoting artistic and creative quality within the industry and providing support for future hairdressing talent keen to make their mark.
Lora
Despite years of competition success, Simon Webster Hair has never had the honour of a member of the FAME Team coming from their iconic Brighton salon. But all that may be about to change because Lora has reached the FAME team live final.
Lora is one of SWH Team’s Brand Ambassadors. Since she joined SWH, Lora’s been reaching professional milestones and smashing right through them. She was a member of L’Oreal ID Artists, represented SWH at Pro Hair Live and for the Hair And Barber Council. She’s had her work published in Hairdressers’ Journal, Creative Head and The Fellowship magazine. Her work’s been widely celebrated online and her image from our New England Collection made the cover of Good Salon Guide. She is a L’Oreal Colour Specialist, KMS Style Ambassador and Goldwell Master Colourist.
FAME Semi-Finals : The Audition
FAME Team applicants from across the UK are reduced to a final sixteen candidates. They demonstrate skill, insight and creativity in their hairdressing. And as well as being exceptional stylists and colourists, they need great stage presence, confidence and technical knowledge.
The first challenge for the successful applicants is to recreate one of the looks from their application at the Fellowship academy. The complete look incorporates clothing and make-up as well as hair colour, cut and style. Eminent judges interview and observe the candidates throughout the day, assessing every aspect of their work. A second look is also created and the two models presented onstage, with music, choreography and styling all judged. An audience of judges, their peers and industry professionals watch the final show and the candidates’ presentations. And after much deliberation, the names of the eight grand finalists are announced.
Lora’s dream team was models Zara and Megan, her models from New England. Our go-to MUA, Xoe Kinsley of The Brighton Studio, worked with Lora on make-up ideas. The wardrobe was styled by Greg Bailey using Beyond Retro with Lora’s direction. And it proved a winning combination because Lora stormed the show and was taken through to the live finals at Salon International.
The Looks
Lora’s talent for taking street styles and giving them a high-fashion finish has influenced the styles she’s created over the last year at SWH. The subcultures and fashion tribes of Brighton’s residents has been the basis of many of her looks. The anti-fashion fashion ethos of the arts, music and fashion students is a big part of her styling.
Look one took inspiration from Japanese punk-fusion and incorporated tying, braiding and a strong undercut. Handmade hair pom-poms placed like Manga-esque bunches topped the look. Vibrant green and ebony hair wefts were seamlessly interwoven through the model’s own hair.
The second technical, trend-based look was inspired by 70’s urban-transient styling, celebrating beautiful-ugly. Lora coloured the hair using Goldwell colour to create a colour melt of dusky purple and lilac tones that accentuated the texture of the shaggy mullet cut. She used KMS products for hold and finish.
FAME Live Final : Onstage Styling
Lora spent two busy days styling on the KMS and Goldwell Stage as part of SWH Art Team. But her third and final day at Salon International was perhaps the most important yet in her hairdressing career.
The Fellowship stage is one of the busiest and biggest at Salon International, with the FAME Team live final drawing large audiences. Once again, the final consists of two models. The first look was a 20-min hair-up created live onstage and the second, prepared backstage for a 2-min runway and presentation.
It was an early start for Lora with her first demo alongside her fellow seven competitors, at 10am on the Fellowship stage. Tess modelled the look and has long, thick hair with a natural wave. Lora sewed into the hair with a needle and thread to create bulbous shapes, pulled loose to build a tousled and undone finish.
She completed the look with a chav-tastic tracksuit by Brighton bespoke tailor Gresham Blake, over-sized gold earrings and make-up once again by Xoe Kingsley.
FAME Live Final : Runway Takeover
After lunch, Lora presented her second look in the final runway show of the day. She made a wig from scratch using 100% human hair weft. The hair was densely packed and cut into a long-layered bob before being coloured. Lora dyed the hair with Goldwell Elumen in two bespoke mixes of tobacco yellow and gold with deeper tones at the roots. She used BaByliss styling tools and KMS product to create extreme volume and kitsch movement to the hair. Megan modelled the wig with the same feisty attitude she gave in the semi-final, as she walked out onto the stage to The Fly by The Cramps. Again, Greg Bailey and Beyond Retro styled the wardrobe with a tobacco-brown leather coat, checked suit and electric blue stole; the epitome of beautiful-ugly.
The Luncheon : FAME Team Revealed
And that was a wrap! The judges remained tight-lipped about their winners, so Lora still awaits the news of whether she is one of the lucky FAME Team for 2019. But her second look, with the oversized gold wig, was credited on social media as one of the Fellowship’s favourite looks of Salon International. And so the SWH team wait with bated breath…
The Fellowship luncheon is a glamorous event in December where members gather to network and celebrate the year. And it’s also when the winners of FAME will be revealed to the hairdressing world. The Simon Webster Hair team will be there, as usual, however this time they will be cheering on one of their own for the first time ever in the FAME Team unveiling.
“We’ve got everything crossed. And we’re super proud of Lora’s determination and the creativity and skill she’s shown,” Sophie Webster, Partner-Manager at Simon Webster Hair explains.
“Lora’s taken on so many opportunities since joining us. And with that comes hours of work, dedication and artistic challenges. She has worked full-time at the salon throughout all her competitions, shoots and stage-work. Lora has won already, whatever the outcome of the luncheon. Because she has excelled herself and grown on every level professionally and personally. And we know she is going to make a big mark in this industry – just watch this space!”
Good luck Lora!
Find Simon Webster Hair at 16 Gardner Street, Brighton.
Website: https://www.simonwebsterhair.com
Phone: 01273605577
Opening Times: Mon-Thurs 10am-8pm. Fri & Sat 10am-6pm
