Who makes up team Ollie Cunningham? Tell us about your elite team. You will be greeted by our amazingly friendly and helpful front of house Jodie and she will then recommend one of my elite team. The team is made up of my Assistant Holli who gives the best blow dries and other highly experienced hair creatives whom have all worked at the top of their game for many years. They currently still work with celebrities, editorial and TV whilst also in the salon on the days they are not travelling the world. We also offer make up and bridal specialists. Allow me to introduce you to a handful of my team.. Chloe Cassidy – Stylist/Colourist/Makeup Chloe has just joined our team and has over twenty years experience in the Hair and Makeup industry. Chloe has worked all over the world on TV and photoshoots, working with celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Matt Le Blanc, Adam Sandler and Jodie Kidd. Chloe works on a Wednesday and Friday in the salon offering all hair services. Louise Brown - Stylist Louise has been hairdressing now for nearly 22 years and still loves it just at much. Giving back to her clients and creating wearable current looks is something she absolutely adores. For Louise, it’s all about her clients. She’s been very fortunate to have been trained by some of the industry’s most influential stylists and has gratefully enjoyed partaking in London Fashion Weeks and styling for editorial work and published books. Louise’s work has been featured in Vogue, she was crowned ‘Fringe Queen’ by The Guardian’s Sally Hughes and enjoyed being Head of Education for Trevor Sorbie for many years. For Louise, being in the salon with the team is the highlight of her week and looking after her clientele. It’s like catching up with friends every 6 weeks, what’s not to love.
Elita Hoxha - Stylist/Colourist Elita has been doing hair for over 10 years now. Previously based in Brighton, she is still enjoying every minute of it. She loves following all the hair fashion trends and giving her clients the best advice and hair styles to suit them. Elita has always found huge satisfaction by creating beautiful hair.
Morgan Rhodes Morgan has been in the hair and make up industry for over 15 years. Her portfolio of work consists of fashion show, movies, music video and celebrity clients. Morgan is known throughout the industry for her exquisite up do’s, styling and cool on-trend hair cuts. She is also a bridal specialist, travelling up and down the country to transform her brides on their special day.
Nails By Lola – Nail Technician and Artist Lola has worked on many photo shoots and although is still young, is very experienced. She is a fully qualified nail technician and nail artist offering luxury treatments, ranging from manicures and pedicures to gels and acrylics. Perfect for everyday wear and special events! Poppy Payne - Stylist and Colourist Poppy has over 10 years experience, starting off her career at one of the top London salons. She specialises in both cut and colouring services as well as specialising in bridal hair and makeup. She has an effortless style that reflects in her seamless work. Poppy works in the salon 2 days a week, whilst the rest of her time is spent styling music videos and photo shoots.
Richard Humpreys - Colourist and Stylist Richard started his career more than 30 years ago in London at Sanrizz. Since then he has gained a world of experience in the hairdressing world. He has previously been at numerous London salons and later moved to Brighton to work for the best Sussex salons. His work is soft nd feminine. He is very good at guiding you in the right direction to fit in with your lifestyle.
Which products are you a big fan of at the moment? I absolutely love using REDKEN shades EQ, which is a type of colour glaze. It creates super natural, translucent tones which I have never seen before in any colour product. It’s mainly used for adding tones after the colour service. It is used heavily in the states on every A-lister imaginable. It can also be used to refresh tired looking brunettes or adding soft subtle hues to blondes. Styling-wise, as we are heading into summer we are using a lot of salt sprays to create that beachy undone look, perfect for the festival season. I love KERASTACE AURA BOTANICA EAU DE VAGUES which is their new vegan 99% natural texture spray, so no nasties and still creating beautiful hair. What’s been the most memorable moment of your career to date? Wow that’s a hard question. There’s been so many times that I’ve had to pinch myself and think ‘has that just happened?’ One such moment was seeing my work on the front of VOGUE - that was pretty memorable.
What inspires you as a hairstylist? I gain a lot of inspiration from Instagram now. I follow lots of different hairdressers and colourists who showcase their work. I think the best way to learn is from each other, so to be able to access every trend around the world via one app just blows my mind. I also take a lot of inspiration from the seasons and I like to change my client’s looks according to the weather. When it’s dull outside it’s great to have a pop of colour around your face to brighten up your day!
You are known for a having a loyal celebrity clientele. Can you name any names and what is it like to work with the A listers? Leona Lewis, Louisa Johnson, Lottie Moss and Penelope Cruz to name a few. Everyone I work and have worked with have been amazing. It can be challenging of course – it’s pressurised and you have deadlines. Everything must be perfect, boundaries have to be pushed and your aim is to keep the hair in the best possible condition whilst achieving the goal required. Naturally this can be extremely stressful, however that stress is teamed with a total buzz. If you could style anyone you haven’t worked with yet, who would it be? Adele! I think she would be a great laugh and l’m sure we would get on. I love to create golden copper blondes; those natural warm hues are delightful and so satisfying.
Are there any tips that you can offer our readers who want to go in to hairdressing? Today with social media, beauty bloggers and the world of Instagram and Facebook, it provides the perfect platform to expose your work. Start a page showing before and after pictures. Get good training, work alongside the most experienced, watch, learn, absorb as much information as possible. Have a passion and run with it. What does the future hold for you and the salon? I hope to have more creative individuals sharing our beautiful space, and possibly expanding the model to create more shared creative hubs where like-minded individuals can work in the space. This way they are working for themselves so they have total control of their own lives, but doing what they love. www.olivercunningham.com
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