We are thrilled to introduce the winner for the 2023 Face of The Master, Amia Mankelow.  Despite being in her first year of hairdressing at The Masters, Amia has already accomplished a remarkable feat. The Face of the Masters, our prestigious competition, is open to students from all disciplines. It is a canvas for individuals to showcase their artistic vision, capturing the trends of 2024 in Fashion, Hair, Beauty, and Makeup. 

The winner of the Face of the Masters Award doesn't just receive a title - they also receive a $1,000 prize, recognizing their exceptional artistry. 

We recently sat down with Amia to explore her captivating journey, and now it's your turn to be enthralled.

“The entire night I was just so proud of myself for entering this competition and I put in so much hard work and thought into my photo shoot and the feeling of hearing my name get called up was so surreal”

When did you realise you wanted to work in the beauty industry?

I’ve always been interested in the beauty industry since I was young and was always curious about careers in the hair industry specifically. Therefore, when I graduated high school I decided to sign up for an apprenticeship at Rokk Ebony and haven’t looked back since.

What was your Inspiration for your winning look?

The idea for the feathers were inspired by my Maori culture, more specifically when we do performing arts ( Kapa Haka) we use a hair piece called a Heru which is made from feathers. The slick spiky bun was inspired by the 2023 “clean girl aesthetic” and I worked from that just making it more personalised.

Do you have any advice for someone thinking of entering the competition next year?

For anything thinking of entering the competition next year, Just do it! Enter the competition and have fun! Regardless of what the outcome is. Be creative when finding a look and make it personalised to you.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years I hope to be running a full book at my salon and to have a couple more awards. I've always been told that the harder you work for something, the greater you will feel when you achieve it.

“I was beyond excited and honoured to have won such an award this early into my career”