Last week we attended the first hairdressing masterclass hosted by Anna Cofone; The Art of Session Hairstyling. And what a special experience! Anna is a renowned session stylist, with masses of experience working on shows, shoots and ad campaigns.
A demo referencing the iconic Dua Lipa hair look
She’s created iconic looks for musicians and understands the transformation that can become a signature style for someone with a big media presence. So naturally we were thrilled to be on the guest list to watch Anna tutoring a small group of hairdressers, each keen to build on their skill set with session work in mind.
It was a bonus to know that Anna was putting all profits from the masterclass to supporting her Hair & Care CIC project to empower blind and visually impaired women and girls.
An intimate setting
Just 15 places on the class ensured there would be plenty of scope for one-to-one support for Anna’s mentees. The participants included salon owners, aspiring session hairstylist and salon hairdressers, joining Anna for a 2-day immersive experience in early November. By coffee break on the second morning, each one was sharing with us their enthusiasm for what they were learning.
Participants worked on their own creative mood boards
From our time watching, we certainly could see how terrific the energy was! Whatever each person’s previous experience, Anna was clearly sharing some serious knowhow and advice. The content included practical techniques for creating particular looks, and understanding of the etiquette of working for designers and celebrities, and advice on coping with the challenges of the session world.
Sessions included advice on etiquette for different environments
Plenty of anecdotes and real-life examples gave the masterclass a really authentic grounding. Anna’s career has been striking in its breadth and she herself has worked with seem of the most famous names you can imagine.
As well as watch and learn, you can be sure there was time for the participants to put into practice what they’d heard and seen.
Hair & Care CIC
Each person joining the masterclass was gifted products, hair tools and items you’d need to create the most versatile kitbag. Bravo to the sponsors who supported Anna, in the knowledge that she needed to retain as much of the funds as possible to support her project; Hair & Care.
The mission of Hair & Care is to empower blind and visually impaired women and girls in their journey of self-care through hair care. Learning how to do this helps to reduce isolation, build confidence and increase self-esteem within the blind and partially sighted community. Hair & Care relies on a network of volunteers to host workshops and the hope is that this will become as widespread as possible. It’s something Anna feels passionate about and is dedicated to training volunteers.
Tribute Magazine is proud to be part of the support, helping with promoting and media awareness. The venue and running of the day was made possible courtesy of JJ Media Group; N5 Catering; Denman Brushes; Authentic Beauty Concept; and Emma Matell.
Opportunity knocks
A demo of a look from the Chet Lo SS24 show
The two-day experience certainly provided a behind-the-scenes look at music videos, fashion shoots and shows and advertising campaigns. Importantly, it also offers the opportunity for participants to be selected to join Anna’s AW24 Fashion Week backstage team based on their skills and potential demonstrated during the masterclass. Watch this space for news of how this unrolls in the New Year!
As one hairdresser attending says: This masterclass has encouraged me to follow my gut instinct and not be afraid to be creative. I left these 2 days feeling moreinspired and wanting to continue to develop my session hairdressing knowledge and skills.”
If you’re interested in joining the next masterclass, why not drop the Anna Cofone Studio a message and ask to be kept informed.
Email: Studio@annacofone.com
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