Hair hear: Accolades for Auckland identities

Paul Serville was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Hair Expo Awards last week. Photo / Supplied

Mana Dave was named New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year and Paul Serville inducted into the Hall of Fame at Hair Expo in Sydney last week.

Serville is the first New Zealand-based stylist to win this accolade in the event's 25-year history.

His Servilles Academy of Hairdressing was also named the Educational Organisation of the Year and with 1800 graduates already, there are bound to be more New Zealand winners in the making.

Dave, from Blaze salon in Newmarket, has been a finalist six years in a row and also won the title in 2008.

Viva caught up with both men just a few days after the 2010 Schwarzkopf Hair Expo Awards - Dave back at the basins and Serville planning the shift in a month or so into a bigger training facility and head office in central Auckland.

The awards are an Australasian affair across most categories and, therefore, the local industry's biggest competitive stage, but separate awards are made for the New Zealand and Australian Hairdresser of the Year.

L'Oreal and Wella also run big New Zealand-based competitions, with Dave being the current Wella Trend Vision winner and one of Serville's former students, Caleb Alex, holding the L'Oreal title.

Serville, who has won his fair share of hairdresser titles over the years, was especially chuffed with the educational award as training the next generation has been a strong career focus. Being made a Hall of Famer was a bonus "surprise," he said.

"It's really nice to be recognised by the Australians."

That said, his ambitions are now further afield, exploring business opportunities in Asia, both for training and salon management and development systems. He travels internationally for L'Oreal conducting hairdressing seminars and is particularly excited about the growth potential in China, which he will again visit this year.

"They're so brand-oriented."

Hair-wise, Serville, who was again a Hair Expo judge (but not for the New Zealand award), said he's looking ahead to beautifully done hair for summer, in freer, more casual styles.

He was also excited by new styling tools he had seen, such as a set of heavy Velcro rods that worked like heated rollers and could, like the introduction of irons, change styling techniques.

Dave, whose dramatic, winning looks relied on both clever cutting and innovative colour, also predicted a softening of styles for summer.

"A lot of the looks had some wave and texture to them."

In varying form, there was some shortness in the shapes seen at the Expo, but he advises for femininity that "if you're going to go short, keep some length in there".

Colours were more muted and understated. He particularly likes bronzes and pastellised hues.

Dave's winning portfolio beat those of Sara Allsop of Dharma, Mt Eden; Iain Smith, Me, Ponsonby; and Michael Beel, Buoy Hairdressing, Wellington.

* See more winning styles here.