The HCF Trophy, a first in the world of hairdressing, stands out for its freedom of creativity and is open to all hairdressers, regardless of age and whether or not they are members of HCF. In short, it’s the perfect opportunity for the prestigious club Haute Coiffure Française to discover new talent.
FLASHBACK
On the podium at the Carrousel du Louvre, on February 15, the names of the winners of the HCF Trophy were finally revealed. This major international Trophy was characterised by emotion, passion and creativity.
For the first time, hairdressers from 17 countries were able to pit their talents one against the other as they wished. The event, an initiative staged by Haute Coiffure Française, was an outstanding success.
The brief was simple: carry out a complete makeover – cut, colouring and styling - to demonstrate a before/after transformation. Following a painstaking preliminary selection (a few weeks previously), on the big day the panel, composed of media and hairdressing professionals including Jean-Luc Minetti, Art Director at Alexandre de Paris, assessed the 10 shortlisted finalists. Only 7 countries remained in the contest, and were given just two hours to recreate the look corresponding to the selected photo on their model.
IN HONOUR OF CREATIVITY
It goes without saying that when the time came for the results to be announced the suspense was gripping. This finally gave way to shrieks of joy and thunderous applause. With a halo of wispy hair, porcelain complexion and an evanescent look, the Polish creation had that little extra that made a winning difference.
It was Agata Kociolek who had the vision of this creature: "I imagined a spring morning. The temperature is mild and the flowers are beginning to open. A young girl gently awakens to the sound of light melancholic music which grows in intensity." A poetic world, perfectly represented in complete harmony.
Since then, Agata Kociolek has helped out with photo shoots and with filming the new autumn/winter 2009-2010 collection, as well as joining the creation team on stage at the Carrousel du Louvre last September. A star is born!
HCF Trophy 2009 Finalists
. Mr Pino Costanzo
5000 Hair Style Makeup, Aarau (Switzerland)
. Mr Richard De
Richard De, Lille (France)
. Mr Pascal Del Natale
XYZ, Charleroi (Belgium)
. Mr Stamatis Karaiskos
Sadhuhair, Athens (Greece)
. Ms Agata Kociolek
Roman, Krakow (Poland)
. Mr Remco Van Oosterom
House of hair, Waaire (Netherlands)
. Ms Hellene Rechetnikova
Fan atelier, Samara (Russia)
. Ms Séverine Rinaudo
Maison de Beauté Laurent Decreton Metz (France)
. Mr Alberto Rodriguez Jimenez
Studio Christophe Gaillet, Anglet (France)
. Ms Liudmila Soltanovskaya
Ildar Studio, Vladivostok (Russia)
The 3 winners:
She also takes the L’Oréal Professionnel color award
Agata Kociolek
Winner of the first ever HCF Trophy!
Hairdressing is my one true passion!
“I live in Krakow – a very beautiful city, and a cradle of culture and art. Here, every building on every street corner has a unique character. I love this city as much as I love hairdressing. I’ve been working in the profession for 10 years now and am convinced that it is the highest form of art in which I can perform. In 2008, I won the L’Oréal Professionnel Color Trophy in Poland. The next step was taking part in the HCF Trophy! On arriving in Paris, I realised how high the level of the Trophy was when I saw how good the other finalists were. At the same time, I was very pleased to be able to present my work and have it assessed by world-class stylists. It’s also a great opportunity to admire the know-how of the Haute Coiffure Française team, who are a wonderful source of inspiration to my profession. This also helped me to strive for perfection in my work.
Winning the HCF Trophy was an incredible moment for me, and gave me the chance to work with major professionals in the industry. In observing them work, I learned
