Working alongside British Hairdressing Hall of Famer Paul Stafford at IBS New York Nicole showed just why she was chosen as the first ever winner of the Denman Stage Star Competition.
Jetting off to New York to work as a platform artist for three days would a be a lot for many young hairdressers to cope with but not Nicole Dodd. The winning finalist of the 2015 Stage Star competition, Nicole had the chance to show American audiences what had so impressed the panel of top hairdressers and hair journalists at Salon International, London last October. And she didn’t disappoint.
With a mixture of cutting, blow-dry and dressing skills, Nicole kept audiences enthused at the prestigious IBS New York show in March. Utilising a wide array of Denman brushes and tools, Nicole captivated visitors with her innovative yet practical classic looks and contemporary hairstyles.
Nicole more than held her own working on a stage with seasoned professional stage artist Paul Stafford and his team. Paul, a favourite with the New York audience was impressed with Nicole and her work. “Being a good hairdresser is one thing,” he said, “but being able to work in front of an audience, explain what you are doing – and do it with confidence, that is not at all easy. Nicole was great; she’s a real talent.”
It wasn’t just New York’s hair professionals that were keen to catch a glimpse of this new rising star. Over the course of the three day show Nicole was called upon many times for interviews and to do the hair of some influential hair and fashion journalists – all of which she took in her stride.
Karen Batley Denman’s USA Marketing Executive was also impressed with Nicole and her work. “Denman are always keen to promote the next generation and to give as much support to up and coming talent as we can and this is why we developed Stage Star.” She adds, “We couldn’t have found anyone better to represent our brand and show just what Denman tools can create. Nicole was fantastic!”
While the IBS New York trip was a highlight of Nicole’s year as Stage Star winner it doesn’t end there. Over the coming months she will be working on collection photoshoots with top British hairdressers and creating some new ‘How to’ film clips for leading Denman products. Her year will end with a live presentation on the main stage at Salon International this October.
There are future plans to make Stage Star an international event with national heats in London, the USA and Asia. The winners of each heat will have the chance to work with Denman at one of their international shows.
About: Denman International Limited is part of the Denroy Group of Companies which was established in 1972. The Group is a private, family-owned business with headquarters in Bangor, Northern Ireland. It currently employs 160 people. Denman International Limited is a marketing and sales organisation which also operates offices in London and Amsterdam and has a wholly-owned subsidiary company, Denman Inc., based in Boston, USA.