Scottish Hairdresser of the Year

On 28th November 2005, a glittering, yet slightly nervous, team of stylists from Charlie Taylor Hair Health & Beauty made their way into the Grosvenor House Hotel in London's Park Lane.

The room was awash with the glitterati of UK Hairdressing: Trevor Sorbie, Charles Worthington, Mark Hill, Beverly Cobella. Wall to wall celebrity hairdressers, all eager to find out who the winners were.

Hosted by iconic TV presenter Jonathan Ross, the evening kicked off with an exquisite five course meal and live entertainment from The Sugarbabes.

Then followed a nail biting awards ceremony which had all the finalists, and their teams, on the very edge of their seats!

As the finalists for Scottish Hairdresser of the Year were read out, the table held their breath. Would it be Charlie? She'd won twice before but has also been nominated a record 10 times. Would this be her lucky year?

It was!! The room was awash with excitement. Television crews, photographers and journalists were clamouring for photographs and comments. The weeks that followed were a merry-go-round of TV, radio and press interviews.

In amongst the furore we managed to catch up with Charlie to ask her about her British Hairdressing Awards experience.

What was the inspiration behind your winning collection?

Right from the start I wanted to set out to create a set of images and looks that would really stand out. I wanted to create stark images that would make people sit up and take notice, ensuring at the same time that the hair styling was highly accessible.

How did you prepare for your photographic shoot?

I spent a considerable amount of time with both the clothes stylist and the photographer, making sure we hade just the right shape of clothing to show off the hairstyles at their best, creating the best background to the shoot so that we created just the right image.

How did you feel when your name was called out?

Absolutely ecstatic, as well as a little relieved! This is the third time I have won Scottish Hairdresser of the Year and the competition levels are always very high. You just never know!

What was it like when you went back to the salon with your Award?

Just fantastic. There was a great sense of pride across all the three salons and the first few days went by in a complete blur of TV cameras, press photographers and radio journalists!

What have your client's reactions been to you winning an Award?

They are absolutely thrilled for us. We have an extremely loyal customer base and many clients have been with us for years, charting the success of the company every step of the way. We've had emails and phone calls to congratulate us, as well as hundreds of well wishes from customers in the salon.

Who is/are your hair hero's and why?

Undoubtedly Trevor Sorbie. I worked with Trevor for three years when I lived in London and he is a staunch supporter. He was first to congratulate me on the night and I really respect him as a hairdresser.