Sometimes you just can’t get the Byron team to go home at night. But it wasn’t gossiping in the staffroom that kept them on recently, it was one of their regular Masterclasses held for the whole team, this time on dressing hair.
Ongoing education is central to Byron’s team development, with regular monthly session for everyone, not just the assistants, often led by Ronnie, who is an educator for L’Oréal as well as a successful salon owner. But not always. Sometimes Lisa, who holds a L’Oréal colour degree, will take the seminar, or any of the other highly qualified and motivated senior stylists will step up.
‘Education is a priority for all of us,’ says Ronnie. ‘In hairdressing you can never stop learning; there are always new techniques or colours to learn about. We also feel it is important to work out, as team, our take on the looks coming off the catwalks.’
For September’s workshop it was Ronnie in the hot seat. Just as London Fashion Week kicked off south of the border, Ronnie was demonstrating ways to create soft, unstructured layers and dress them into soft, fluffy curls. He also played with ballerina buns created with the session stylist’s favourite, the ponytail.
His aim was to inspire the team and make them go outside their comfort zone by getting them to use new styling tools or approaching a haircut using a fresh technique. It worked, with some pretty amazing shapes emerging from the flurry of activity.
Men’s fashion hair was also covered, with classic short barbered back and sides, and asymmetric length through the top creating a 1930s shape or a moody 1970s/1980s electronica look.
The main emphasis was commercial looks, heavily influenced by fashion and reflecting current trends that can be used in the salon.
‘By playing about with fashion-inspired looks, we keep our styling and finishing sharp and our skills honed. But the real challenge is to use what we have learned and mould it into something that suits each of our individual clients,’ adds Ronnie.
If you want to look fabulous for a special function, give the Byron reception team a call.
