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Textured bobs, layered cuts, choppy pixies and curtain bangs are so in, according to national award-winning Hawke’s Bay salon Mèche.
Stacey McEwen, owner of the boutique hair salon and training academy in Taradale, won Trainer of the Year at the November 16 Hito awards in Wellington.
Hito is partof Te Pūkenga/New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.
Division director Kay Nelson said they celebrate the best all-round hairdressing, barbering or beauty therapy apprentices, trainers and assessors across the country who are currently working with Hito.
Judges said McEwen had a dedication to excellence, fostering talent and making a lasting impact on the future of the industry.
Meanwhile, Melanie Leach, her emerging hair stylist, won Apprentice of the Year.
Leach and McEwen said it took a top training environment, skills for the latest trends and a desire to provide an experience clients can enjoy to be the best.
Leach, who is in the final stages of her three-year apprenticeship, said she became a hairdresser after a lifelong passion for cutting hair that started as a child.
“I loved having my hair cut all the time, I would get a hair cut every six weeks even though I was like 8 years old, and I have always loved making people feel good about themselves.”
Melanie Leach (left) and Stacey McEwen both won awards at the HITO hairdressing awards.
She entered the competition with a four-minute video where she had to showcase features of her day-to-day life in the workplace, how she ensured each client had a great experience, show a skill that she found difficult and learned to overcome, and highlight her passion, inspiration and motivation with the job.
Leach outlined her desire to master the craft of hairdressing and continue to grow in the role.
“I can take one technique and twist it a million different ways, per client.
“A lot of people find inspiration online, and half of that is fake, but you can always work with it to try to get to something that is on a real person’s hair.
“I feel like now everything is a lot more complex and everyone wants a lot more blended and natural-looking hair that is coloured.”
McEwen was proud to receive the awards and said it was a two-way street between a trainer and apprentice.
“Apprenticeship is hard, it looks glamorous from the outside, but it’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and to be recognised as apprentice of the year is a big thing.”
McEwen said she provided a hands-on environment for her apprentices to learn and earn at the same time alongside her experienced team.
“Things continually change, and we want to be at the forefront of that fashion - whatever is happening, we are all over it.”
Anna Henricksen of Cathryne’s State of Grace, Napier, was named as National Assessor of the Year.
In the beauty therapy section of the awards, a Wairoa salon took out two awards.
Northern Apprentice of the Year Beauty Therapy winner went to Timara Eriha of Beauty Antix in Wairoa.
National Trainer of the Year Beauty Therapy winner was Amber Forrest of Beauty Antix, Wairoa.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
