With over 25 years of experience, a plethora of industry titles and an award winning salon under her belt, 2017 British Hairdresser of the Year Sally Brooks is one of the UK’s most respected talents. We caught up with the Brooks & Brooks Co-Founder to hear more about her year in reign.

TJ: How has your life changed since winning British Hairdresser of the Year for 2017? What’s been happening in the world of Sally Brooks?

SB: My life always seems to be busy and winning British Hairdresser of the Year has been an honour – it is important that every job and event I have taken on has been to fly the flag, push the industry forward and promote hairdressing. I am half way through making a documentary on the industry to promote hairdressing as a go-to career choice for youngsters; this is to be my contribution as British Hairdresser of the Year. I hope it will be finished by the end of August and I hope the hairdressing community will get behind it globally to promote it to schools and parents to show how amazing this career can be – watch this space!

TJ: Congratulations on being nominated again in 2018. How are you feeling ahead of this year’s event?

SB: I strongly believe that winning any award is the icing on the cake but not the priority – so choosing how to shoot your collection should come from the heart and represent where you are as a hairdresser – and hopefully keep hairdressing at the top.

TJ: What inspired your winning collection? (Can you talk us through your inspiration and/or any specific techniques/materials used?)

SB: I wanted to shoot a collection that was individual images, be it full length or cropped, it was more about the image as a whole. I wanted to put an editorial edge on the collection that could sit in fashion magazines as easily as it sat in hair magazines and bring the industry and session worlds closer together.

TJ: What advice for you have for young talent looking to follow in your career footsteps?

SB: Remember the attention to detail – go and see other events and listen and watch other hairdressers. Social media is an amazing platform for inspiration but there is nothing like watching and seeing things live. Make sure your skills across the board are learnt well so that you can start breaking rules and working out who you are as a hairdresser.

TJ: What  can we  expect  to see  next  from Sally Brooks?

SB: I never plan my life in full so I never know what I am doing next – I just keep my head down and work closely with my team and try to do everything to the best of my ability! I take on a variety of jobs that are varied, from shooting a collection to commercial work, to a column of clients, to ‘noise’ with the amazing Richard Ashford and tribute show this year. I have just finished the closing show at the L’Oreal Colour Trophy – each job is completely different and I tackle each job with a fresh approach. That’s what is so amazing about the hairdressing industry – the diverse work that you do, each audience and each event has a different energy and Brooks and Brooks is definitely a company that is never afraid to try something new or approach things differently. That’s what keeps my mind ticking!

Visit: www.brooksandbrooks.co.uk