A day in the life of: Hairstylist Sara Allsop

27 August 2014
By Fashion Quarterly

Fashion Quarterly talks to Sara Allsop about what her busiest NZFW day looks like.

sara-allsop
Sara Allsop.

Sara Allsop is an award-winning hairdresser who travels around the world working on international Fashion Weeks and is the New Zealand ambassador for ghd. She talks to Fashion Quarterly about what her busiest New Zealand Fashion Week day looks like.

6am: Up and off for a quick walk with my husband, Jock.

7 am: Prepare the kids’ school lunches and get them sorted to catch buses to their schools.

8am: Head to the Ellerslie salon to restock up the hair kits after yesterday’s show. Pick up extra product and pins etc for today’s shows, and grab a coffee and water before heading into the venue.

9am: Show call time for Pardon my French and Lucy McIntosh, where I set up the back stage area with the team, and do a hair demonstration on the first models, showing step by step with the products. Then I ensure both the designers and fashion stylists are happy with the looks and they are given sign off to go ahead and prep all models.

10am: My role is to ensure backstage hair stylists are creating the looks as demonstrated and for me to run my hands through them to finish. Quality assurance is so important at this stage for a smooth running backstage prep.

11am: Media interviews for inspiration for the hair looks.

11.30am: We head backstage for models to change into first looks. Key people on my team will come with me to maintain hair backstage.

12pm: Show time! Mad rush and maintenance of each hair look just as models enter the runway. As soon as the show ends, we all pack down and head to our next show.

1pm: Head to Andrea Moore show, where backstage models arrive and I again demonstrate the look and reiterate key elements of the shape and texture. Andrea signs off the looks and then we are full steam ahead for prep.

2pm: Andrea has six extra models called the AM girls, who all have separate hair looks for the runway. I need to prep each of these models individually and rely on my first assistant Chinney to take care of the core group of models whilst I concentrate on the AM girls.

3pm: Media swarms in back stage for photo opportunities and video footage of the back stage prep. Interview after interview on the hair concept and direction.

4pm: We head backstage to get models into their first looks and make final touches to the hair.

4.30pm: Show goes on! Making sure the hair is maintained through out the show and for each change of outfit.

5.30pm: Pack down.

6pm: Take my team for a wine and a few nibbles close by because we haven’t had a chance to eat since we started this morning at 9am.

7.30pm: Head home to see the kids and see how their day has gone, they are always keen to hear about what I have been up to.

8.30pm: Answer the day’s emails, and keep in contact with my agents in New York and London as the following week I am heading to Europe for fashion month and they will be sending me my schedules and shows.

10pm: Clean out my kit and brushes and get ready for day three!

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