Last year, Scotland’s largest salon group, Rainbow Room International, gave a group of young stylists the opportunity of a lifetime with an educational trip to Japan — a country renowned for its precision cutting, innovation and craftsmanship in hairdressing.
Led by Laura Leigh Kerr, director of the award-winning Howard Street Academy, the exchange programme offered emerging talent the chance to train alongside Japanese educators, experience a completely different approach to hair and client care, and broaden their creative horizons.
Now, one year on, Ava from Rainbow Room International Ayr and Lexi from Rainbow Room International Great Western Road reflect on how the experience transformed their confidence, creativity and approach to hairdressing.
Ava
“A year on, what really stands out to me the most is the attention to detail throughout the services and how calm Japanese salons were. That level of care was something I found really inspiring and wanted to bring back to the salon in Scotland, and made me really slow down, become more present and pay attention to every little detail, focusing on the quality in everything I do. Upon reflection, I have brought a much calmer approach to my interactions with clients. By slowing things down and taking more time during consultations, this creates a relaxing experience for clients to really enjoy.
From a technical point of view, I’ve practised softer cutting techniques, such as working with the hair’s natural movement and working neatly to achieve a clean finish. With this approach, I’ve seen huge improvements in my work, and the trip also inspired me to create more natural-looking styles. I was particularly impressed by how many styles can be done with minimal product and simple techniques.
For me, the biggest lesson I have learned is the importance of patience and precision in my journey as a stylist. It’s made me more open to continuous learning and developing as many new skills as I can to use back at the salon.
Experiencing Japan itself was just incredible; the atmosphere and commitment to their craft and service were so inspiring”
Lexie
“I can still remember how excited I felt going to such a big city like Tokyo, and with the additional bonus of going with new friends and colleagues to do what we all love the most – hairdressing, really just made it extra special. Being in Japan really opened my eyes to different cultures, which was so interesting, and I came back with a fresh perspective full of inspiration.
The Shiatsu head massage training was incredible and something I incorporated back into the salon in Scotland; it was so much calmer and treated like an extended ritual, never rushed.
The styles really inspired me creatively, such as ‘kawaii”, which is a vibrant, colourful style that is very popular in Japan, and gave me lots of inspiration for more creative work in the salon, the types of styles that are very popular during festival season. I really enjoyed creating styles such as bubble braids, braided buns and getting the chance to get really creative with some really intricate styles.
For me, the biggest lesson was how much detail and pride stylists take in their work, which I found really inspiring and just makes me so proud to be part of this industry. It really opened my eyes to hairdressing being more than just a service, and I have grown so much professionally and learned that the little details truly make all the difference”
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