Q&A with Shayla Mcdougall of KN Colab (Editorial Stylist of the Year – Hot Shot – New Talent) | The Industry Awards 2019

How does it feel to have won the Editorial Stylist of the Year – Hotshot – New Talent Stylist award

It’s such an amazing feeling, to be completely honest it still doesn’t feel real! I think the greatest feeling for me is knowing that I do have a creative side and that I am able to express it through my job and my passion.

What would you say to someone considering entering The Industry Awards for the first time?

Firstly I would say don’t be afraid of what you find as inspiration. It’s so easy to doubt yourself because of all the amazing art of hair that is out there, but go with your gut and give it your best shot! Create mood boards or collections of creative hair – whatever helps you the most. And secondly, I would say don’t be afraid to talk to those who you look up to for inspiration in the hairdressing world. Whether it’s seniors from your own salon or someone that you look up to on social media. This was a big thing that helped me go ahead and create my idea, and luckily for me, I had amazing senior stylists that I could draw inspiration from.

What’s your favourite thing about hairdressing?

To be completely honest there are a lot of things that I love about hairdressing, from talking to people every day, working with a team who are like family and being able to create beautiful work while making someone feel great about themselves. But most of all, my favourite thing would be that hairdressing allows you to express your creative mind through your job.

What was the inspiration behind your entry?

As I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to find my inspiration through the stylists at my salon. With both salon owners, Kerrie Jordan and Nellie Rogers, being award-winning stylists, many times I was lucky enough to have their work as inspiration. Pinterest was another way I found inspiration, by creating boards of things that caught my eye.