London Fashion Week SS24 was full of creativity, beautiful clothes and, of course, incredible hair. After a super busy week, we caught Lea Shaw and Emma Hunt, who worked backstage on the Unite Hair team, leading their first-ever shows! Lea and Emma have attended the Runway Ready course multiple times, joined the Unite team backstage each season at LFW, and have grown tremendously as stylists. We discussed what it’s like to lead a hair team at Fashion Week…and how Runway Ready led to such an incredible opportunity
Interview with Lea Shaw and Emma Hunt
How did you feel when you were given the opportunity to lead your first show at LFW?
Emma: It was great knowing someone wants to put you in that position and trusts you enough to lead a team. My first show had 15 models, and the second had 30 models. Being trusted to run a team and get all of the hair looks out felt overwhelming but good at the same time.
Lea: Initially, it was surreal, but when the realisation of what would happen hit, it was great knowing people think I’m capable of lead hair and trust me. As hairdressers, we sometimes have imposter syndrome, we never think we’re as good as we are. Knowing that someone believes in you is lovely.
We witnessed you giving a detailed brief to your team, how important is this?
Lea: When I think back to my first ever LFW show with Unite, I remember being petrified that I would get it all wrong. I stood there listening to Narad Kutowaroo, lead hair of the show, thinking, ‘I’m not sure if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew here’. But Narad was so clear and reassuring with his direction and made a point of being with us every step of the way. My stress level dropped completely. It was essential that my team felt the same way.
Emma: I 100% agree with Lea. It’s important to give clear instructions and not to over-complicate. Narad keeps his briefs very basic and straight to the point, which is how I led my team.
How did your shows go?
Lea: Very well. Initially, I didn’t know any of the team members, so I was unsure about their skill level. But honestly, they were such a great team. They took direction well, and if I showed them something, they replicated it immediately. A couple of them had difficult models, as 2 came from another with hair slathered in gel, which was the opposite of what we wanted to achieve. However, the team went straight in and got on with it. The show was amazing. I learnt a lot, there are things that I would do differently next time and there were things that I would do the same and take with me to my next show.
Emma: I led 2 shows. The first show was tight for space, the environment was hectic and there were only 3 in the team, but we pulled together and created 15 stunning looks. My second show was well-organised and ran smoothly. There are some things I would do differently next time but many things I would do the same. I’m used to being hands-on so taking that step back and realising you’re there to guide and support the team rather than personally do hair feels quite different.
What did it feel like to lead the hair styling?
Lea: As a salon owner, I’m used to leading and helping people, which helped in that situation. It came to me naturally. It was great to lead such a talented group and nice to stand back and watch it all come together.
Emma: It felt really good. I was very proud of myself and thankful to everyone on the team because they all worked hard.
How did it feel when you saw the final looks on the runway?
Emma: It’s a great feeling when you see that final image, and everything looks perfect.
Lea: When I saw those models walking out looking amazing, I was taken aback. Knowing that the team has been working really hard for you and the whole show coming together, it was definitely a highlight of my career.
You’ve both worked incredibly hard to get to where you are, talk us through your journey…
Lea & Emma: 2 years ago, we had a dream to work on LFW passing hair pins to someone and now we’re leading shows, it’s crazy! It feels like we have fast-tracked to success. However, we are constantly putting ourselves out there and always practicing the techniques taught to us in Runway Ready. We’ve both assisted in a lot of shoots/shows. To be able to progress in this industry you have to be willing to say yes to opportunities and grab everything you can and run with it.
What was your favourite look from the shows and how did you create it?
Lea: My favourite look was on one of the models that came in with a huge amount of Gel on her hair from a previous show. Team member Stephanie Bishop, absolutely smashed this look. She used a lot of U:DRY Plus+ to dry out the previous product. Then she added TEXTURIZA Spray & a small amount of Liquid Volume on the top of the hair to add a matte finish.
Emma: The best look was from my second show. It was simple yet effective. I had this model’s hair in a bun but the designer wanted it changed last-minute. We used SMOOTH&SHINE for the transition of styles. This has been one of my key products this season. We also used Le:Play & Max Control Hairspray.
What’s next for you guys?
Emma and Leah: We’re off to Paris Fashion Week, another opportunity presented to us from going on the Unite Runway Ready course. PFW is huge! We’re so excited…
Runway Ready…is it for you?
If leading a hair team at Fashion Week is something you are interested in, there is no better way than to start on a session styling course like Runway Ready. Like Emma and Leah, Runway Ready teaches stylists all the tips and tricks for session styling backstage at fashion shows. If you want a chance to join the Unite Hair Fashion Week team, you can sign up for the next Runway Ready course here
