Earlier this year, our hair and makeup students got the opportunity to work backstage at the Angel Energy runway show at VAMFF through Agency T.M. The looks they helped create were stunning, so we couldn’t wait to talk to some of the students about their experience doing the models’ hair and makeup. We caught up with hair alum Vicky and hair student Deannise to ask them about their experiences! Read all about it below.

Vicky, SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing alum

VAMFF was my first industry experience through Agency T.M. I was initially drawn to The Masters because the campus is in an amazing location and their SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing could teach me everything I wanted to learn.

At VAMFF, I helped to style hair and it was an amazing experience! I’ve never worked backstage at a runway show before. The hair students worked alongside the makeup team. I got to see how fashion shows are run—it was an awesome learning experience for me.

We had a limited amount of time to do the models’ hair because we also had to collaborate with the makeup team and the show was on a strict schedule. So there was definitely pressure—but it made me feel energetic and alive, not stressed! It was a brilliant time. 

All the models had different hair types and textures, so there was no one way to style them all. Working under strict time constraints, we had to be quick on our feet when determining hairstyles. Luckily we got a lot of help from our instructor! 

Working at VAMFF was amazing; getting experiences like this one can teach you so much about working as a professional hairdresser. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m moving back home to South Korea to pursue a career in hairdressing. This experience has been so helpful and I’ll be able to carry the skills I learned with me into full-time work.

Deannise, SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing student

Earlier this year, I worked as one of the hairstylists for VAMFF. I’m used to being part of the makeup team instead of the hair team, as I studied makeup before beginning my [SHB30416] Certificate III in Hairdressing. I really enjoyed working as a hairstylist instead of a makeup artist! It was refreshing to be able to style hair and complete the vision for the show from that aspect.

 

It was amazing being able to see what goes on behind the scenes of a fashion show and how a runway show comes together. I loved meeting new people from the industry and learning from them. 

 

At first I found it a little bit tricky. As a makeup artist, it’s fairly easy to work out one uniform look for all the models. But as a hairstylist, it’s essential to think on the spot and figure out how you can work with the model’s hair and still meet the required look for the show. All of the models have a variety of different hair lengths and types, so it was a great learning experience and I’m so glad to have been a part of it.

I felt prepared to work backstage at a fashion show, but some things still surprised me. I knew what to expect working in a professional environment, as I have worked at other industry events through The Masters before. But because this was my first time working as a hairstylist, I did feel a little inexperienced—however, we received a lot of help from our educator and I was able to learn and improve on the spot, which was great.

The best time to get involved in industry opportunities is while you are a student—you are still learning and everyone working alongside you will understand that! Getting these experiences as a student will give you such a leg up in the industry when you launch your career. I’d love to partake in as many more industry opportunities and photoshoots as I can before graduation, once the Covid-19 crisis is over.

 

I urge any students who are considering pursuing their passion in a creative industry to consider The Masters—they provide so many industry opportunities! I’d also advise everyone to take part in any event or work opportunity that you can, as it will give you great learning opportunities to prepare you for the industry.