IHS Victorian Hairdressing Competition 2013

"Since IHS stopped doing onstage competitions, it took away some excitements from the event", one of scrutinisers, Gary, told me when we had a chat.

It's a rather sad comment from the person who's been in the industry for a long time.
It definitely seems to be getting more and more lacklustre every year.

Still, there were some great hairstyles today from which I learned a lot.
As everyone knows, you're creatively dead the moment you stop learning.

This one was sensationally beautiful.

I was amazed by the fact that it was created by an apprentice. 

Although I'm not keen on the shaved nape section, the cut is brilliantly designed and executed, also, the colour work is top notch. 

Beautiful cool blonde and deep violet. Superb.
And, the model with perfect bone structure. The way she did catwalk was mesmerising. Elegant, mysterious and seductive. 

As it turned out, this was created by someone from Biba Academy in Fitzroy. I was kind of suspecting that.
I spoke to her and she introduced herself as "Hiro", and I said, "My name is Hiro, too". 
Well, her name is actually "Hiroko", and she came from Japan, being at Biba for only a year.
She said that she did a cut and a colour. 

It's really amazing to see someone doing such a splendid cut and colour work after a short period of time.
That's a testament to the highest quality of training at Biba. She is very fortunate to have been with the leading salon in Melbourne, surrounded by many great stylists, colourists and most of all, best educators. She obviously is very passionate.

"People who have been through an intense, rigorous training tend to do an intense, rigorous haircut.
On the other hand, people who have been through a lazy, half-baked training can only do a lazy, half-baked haircut."

This is another one by a senior stylist at Biba.
Again, brilliant design and awesome colour. It's just beautiful.

Here're some other good stuff by stylists in an open haircut competition.

I have to say, most hair designs were basically similar, as one can see from the photos above.
When Sassoon first showed it in a collection "Vanguard", that was truly revolutionary. I remember thinking, "Gee, this is crazy."
It's kind of a 'trend', that's been going on for a while. But, to be able to execute them is a very difficult thing to do.
Starting from finding models....
Well, that's a very important training process, too.

All photos are shot by me.