Efi Davies is an inspiration to many of us in hairdressing – both hairdresser and professionals involved in the industry. She scooped the title The Big One 2023 (having won The Experimental One with the highest point score from the judges). Last November she was named British Hairdresser of the Year 2025. But it’s not all about her.
Efi is a force of energy, positivity and talent all blended into one. As international artistic director at Toni&Guy she champions the best standards in creativity and uses her role to influence youngsters starting out in their career. Equally, at Tribu-te’s Hair Pieces show each November, she brings a posse of emerging artists to show off their vision and skills. We love her. So news of what she’s up to is worth sharing… read on:
Efi Davies and the next generation
In a recent conversation, Efi shared how she is urging the hairdressing industry to treat mentoring the next generation as a core responsibility. This is to ensure the future of the industry continues with high standards of craftsmanship. She believes the success in hairdressing is watching a student become better than you are!
Glancing back to Efi’s own start in hairdressing, she began as an assistant to Toni&Guy founder Toni Mascolo and his brother Anthony in the 1990s. It was quite the beginning and today Efi trains, supports and hands down skills and knowledge to younger hairdressers to take into their own careers.
What she says
Efi says: “We are so lucky to be doing what we are doing – making clients feel amazing about themselves, working in the salon, becoming an image creator, working on shows and shoots, expressing our creativity through avant garde work; the possibilities are endless. Hairdressing is an inherited craft.
“Every generation of stylists builds on standards set by those before them, from Vidal Sassoon to Trevor Sorbie to Toni and Anthony Mascolo, and I believe it is our generation’s responsibility to leave the industry stronger than they found it.
“Our passion and love for our craft unites us all. There are lots of pressures today, and young hairdressers can get lost on social media which distorts what success looks like. A high number of likes doesn’t mean you are a good hairdresser, and recognition can arrive and disappear overnight. This means grounded, professional mentoring is more important than ever. I understand wanting to guard our techniques, but gatekeeping weakens the industry rather than strengthening it for the future.
“If we want hairdressing to grow, we have to be willing to make the next generation better than ourselves. We don’t lose anything by doing that, we raise the craft as a whole.”
Tips for passing on skills and knowledge
Efi’s simple tips for passing on skills and knowledge to the next generation
1 Challenge and support them. Be a sounding board for them to try new ideas, remember how excited you were. Salons can be super busy but its’s important to create a safe space for creative individuals to express their creativity. As a young hairdresser; you want them to feel the same and more so encourage them to embrace and celebrate individuality to be their true selves.
2 Don’t gatekeep what you know. Share your knowledge rather than guarding it. Making the next generation better than you raises the whole industry.
3 Teach standards and value not just technique. While precision and skill matter, so do discipline, client care and professional pride.
4 Don’t simplify training to make it quicker. Set the benchmark where it should be and mentor students to meet it, even if it takes a bit longer.
5 Teach them what social media doesn’t. The fundamentals of precision, creativity, technical excellence and client communication will outlast filters and followers, it will ensure they have a long and rewarding career.
Find out more
www.toniandguy.com
@efidavies
Efi is globally celebrated for her groundbreaking avant-garde techniques and exceptional skill in braiding and beautiful hairstyles. Her international acclaim is reflected in the numerous prestigious awards she has earned. She is renowned for her unique artistry within hair. Her creative energy and individuality push the boundaries of session styling, positioning her as a major member of the multi-award-winning Toni&Guy International Artistic Team. Efi regularly travels worldwide promoting the brand’s philosophy and education and acting as an ambassador for its haircare range LABEL.M. Her theoretical take on hairdressing has no limits, and when she’s not in the Academy inspiring future hairdressers, she styles hair for a loyal client base at London’s Flagship Academy.
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Here online you may browse our Creative section to find inspiration from the greatest hair artists… read our Home page to discover the top events and what we like about them, then visit our Magazine section to read the latest edition (and archive editions) of Tribu-te publications. If you’d like to enjoy your very own edition of Tribu-te delivered direct to your home – vist the Shop to order a subscription to arrive bi-annually. And of course, once a year, you can visit Hair Pieces: The Big One – it’s an awesome presentation of the leading hairdressers on the best stage possible in central London each November! Contact us if you have any questions or would like to submit photography and ideas for any of our editions in Europe – we’re particulary keen to see your salons for our Design section both in print and online.