Toni & Guy

When it comes to creating exceptional hair colour and the hottest catwalk looks for men, a team of hairdressers from Toni & Guy in Guildford have proved they are among the best in the UK having made it through to the Grand Final of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy 2007.

Sara Elhaj and Abby Cooper beat off stiff competition from thirty-nine salons across the Southern to clinch their place in the Grand Final in London on Monday 21st May. They are now one step closer to winning the prestigious L’Oréal Men’s Image Award and a once-in-a-lifetime prize that could see them jetting over to New York to produce a photo spread for fashion bible Vogue.

At the Southern Regional Final their live hairdressing skills were put under the spotlight by a panel of top hairdressers judges including Alan Edwards, Sally Brooks and Carolyn Newman. “I judged this region last year and there is a noticeable improvement in the attention to detail of the looks,” commented Sally Brooks. “Competitors are encapsulating the concept of ‘total look’ and the colour work is particularly beautiful.”

Sara and Abby explain the thinking behind their striking image: “We had been to watch a colleague compete in the Men’s Image Award last year, and found the potential for creativity really inspiring. Smart trends are huge at the moment, so we decided to use long hair but keep the styling clean-cut, barbered and fashion-forward.”

The whole room was on tenterhooks waiting to hear who had made it through to the Grand Final and upon hearing their name announced the Toni & Guy team leapt off their chairs in delight.

“I think our initial reaction was shock!” says Sara of the salon’s winning moment, “But once it had sunk in we were over the moon. Having only ever watched before, the feeling of competing and being selected for the final stage is absolutely unbelievable. We are thrilled.”

More Regional Finalists
Photo Credits: L'Oréal Professionnel