On November 28, 2024, VTC Honorary Fellow and AHMA Founder Linda Yip visited Youth College (Tuen Mun) to inquire about the students’ performance in the recently concluded The Cup of GBA(HONG KONG)Hair & Image Design Competition 2024
During this visit, Ms. Linda Yip engaged in in-depth discussions with the students, sharing her valuable experiences and insights from the industry. She encouraged them to continually refine their skills and bravely face challenges. She emphasized that young people should try more and participate in competitions to grow and improve through practice. This interaction not only boosted the students’ confidence but also allowed them to feel the genuine support and encouragement from industry veterans.
In addition, the award-winning students shared their competition experiences, discussing the challenges and gains they encountered during the process. These insights highlighted the importance of effort and perseverance. We look forward to the exciting competition in 2025!
The ” THE CUP of GBA (HONG KONG) HAIR & IMAGE DESIGN COMPETiTiON 2024″ held on November 13-14, 2024, was initiated by VTC Honorary Fellow Linda Yip. It was organized by the AHMA Hair council, with guidance from the Hairdressing Education Professional Committee of the China Beauty and Hairdressing Association. The event was co-hosted by the Hong Kong Design Institute, the Youth College, the Hong Kong Youth Cultural and Arts Development Association, Guangdong Lingnan Modern Technicians College, and the Greater Bay Area Beauty Industry Cultural Exchange Association, with strong support from numerous renowned organizations.
The event featured professional students from various institutions in the Greater Bay Area studying hairdressing and image design. Competitions took place in the stylish multifunctional auditorium of the Hong Kong Design Institute, providing a vibrant setting for the participants to showcase their skills.
The competition featured three categories: the Women’s Hairstyle Cutting, Dyeing, and Styling Group (using mannequin heads), the Men’s Hairstyle Design Group (also using mannequin heads), and the Women’s Overall Image Design Group (which included both mannequin heads and body models). Approximately 100 contestants competed passionately, creating a lively atmosphere. Participants showcased their skills and creativity in pursuit of various awards, and the audience was greatly engaged, with the tension in the air palpable at times.
At the event, sponsor and VTC Honorary Fellow Linda Yip delivered an opening speech, expressing gratitude to the supporting organizations and guests. She highlighted the main theme of the competition: “Passing on the Torch.” Ms. Yip praised the dedication of the faculty from the Hong Kong Design Institute and the Youth College, as well as industry mentors, for their significant support in training and preparing the student contestants for the competition. She expressed hope that this valuable spirit of mentorship could be inherited in the hairdressing industry, contributing to a sustainable culture of beauty and hairdressing under the motto “Roots and Renewal.”
The competition also received guidance and support from the Hairdressing Education Professional Committee of the China Beauty and Hairdressing Association. Various beauty industry associations from the Greater Bay Area showed great interest in the event. Notably, Ms. Gao Ying, President of the Shenzhen Hairdressing and Beauty Association, and Mr. Zhang Yong, Vice President of the Guangzhou Beauty, Hairdressing, and Makeup Association, attended to lend their support and deliver important speeches. They encouraged the contestants to showcase their true abilities and expressed hope that participants from different regions would build friendships throughout the competition.
Master Hairstyle Show and Award Ceremony
On November 14, “THE CUP of GBA (HONG KONG) HAIR & IMAGE DESIGN COMPETITION 2024” hosted a grand Master Hairstyle Show and Award Ceremony.
VTC Honorary Fellow and AHMA founder Linda Yip emphasized the spirit of “Passing on the Torch” in the hairdressing industry through the competition. As the initiator of the event, she delivered an opening speech expressing gratitude to all supporting organizations and guests. Ms. Yip pointed out that the main theme of the event is “Passing on the Torch.” She highly praised and thanked the faculty from the Hong Kong Design Institute and the Youth College, as well as industry mentors, for their significant support in diligently assisting student contestants with pre-competition training and preparation. She hopes that this precious spirit can be inherited in the hairdressing industry under the motto “Roots and Renewal,” becoming part of a sustainable culture in the beauty sector.
The competition focuses on promoting communication and collaboration within the beauty industry. Ms. Yip encourages everyone to work together to advance the development of the beauty sector in the Greater Bay Area and hopes to achieve a sense of unity among the beauty industry across the region, bringing people closer together and inspiring young individuals to engage in this promising field.
Legislative Council member (Wholesale and Retail Sector) Mr. Siu Ka-fai expressed gratitude for the hard work of the contestants and the judges, noting that winners had emerged from the competition held yesterday. He emphasized that the integration and development of the Greater Bay Area requires the joint efforts of the 9+2 cities to promote the flow of people, goods, and industries, highlighting the necessity for the industry to collaborate closely.
Mr. Siu stressed that advancing new productivity and innovation is a crucial task at present, necessitating cooperation and creativity from all sectors to enhance industry performance. He mentioned that innovation is also needed in hairstyling, encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds to participate, as the significance of the competition is profound. In conclusion, he urged industry stakeholders to seize opportunities and strive to excel in their work.
To extend the BARBER culture, AHMA invited the EAGES BARBERSHOP team to present an exciting BARBER performance. Additionally, the mentoring team from AAMA COSMETOLOGY ACADEMY, including Michael Mesiti from Australia, An Yang from Beijing, and Hong Kong representative Zen Yip (葉柏祺), collaborated with students from the Image Design Department of the Hong Kong Design Institute to create a stage performance that received enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The award ceremony for “THE CUP of GBA (HONG KONG) HAIR & IMAGE DESIGN COMPETITION 2024” was unveiled in the presence of numerous distinguished guests. A total of 32 heavyweight professional judges from the Greater Bay Area, Taiwan, and the UK evaluated the entries fairly and impartially, selecting the winners for various awards one by one.
Women’s Hairstyling, Cutting, Coloring, and Styling Group (Training Head)
Champion: Tse Cheuk Wing (謝卓穎) from the Youth College (Kwai Fong)
Runner-up: Yam Cheuk Chi (任卓知) from the Youth College (Tuen Mun)
Third Place: Lee Ka Hung (李家鴻) from the Youth College (Yau Tze Man)
Men’s Hairstyling Design Group (Training Head)
Champion: Li Minghui from Guangdong Provincial Hairdressing and Beauty Training School
Runner-up: Liu Tsz Ching Abbie (廖芷晴) from the Youth College (Tuen Mun)
Third Place: Yeung King Hei (楊璥熙) from the Hong Kong Design Institute
Ying Brand Best Haircut Technique Award: Fong Shun Yin (方舜彥) from the Youth College (Yau Tze Man)
Women’s Overall Image Design Group (Teaching Head and Body Mold)
Champion: Chong Yan Sin (莊欣倩) from the Youth College (Yau Tze Man)
Runner-up: Hon Wing Ki (韓泳琪) from the Youth College (Tin Shui Wai)
Third Place: Lee Wing Yin (李詠妍) from the Hong Kong Design Institute
Fourth Place: Yeung Sin Ping (楊倩平) from the Hong Kong Design Institute
Fifth Place: Or Wan Cheng (柯尹程) from the Youth College (Yau Tze Man)
The award ceremony concluded amidst enthusiastic applause. It is hoped, as Linda Yip has always said, that “this event can become a sustainable and regular competition in Hong Kong,” continuously encouraging newcomers in the beauty industry and seasoned professionals to pass on the spirit of the hairdressing industry under the ethos of “passing the torch.”
In THE CUP of GBA (HONG KONG) HAIR & IMAGE DESIGN COMPETITION 2024, we feel honored to receive strong support from various organizations! This support not only makes the competition more exciting but also injects powerful momentum into the development of the industry and the cultivation of outstanding talent.
Here, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the following supporting organizations (in no particular order):
Organizer:
AHMA Hair council
Guiding Unit:
China Hairdressing and Beauty Association Hairdressing Education Professional Committee
Co-organizers:
Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI)
Youth College
Hong Kong Youth Cultural and Arts Development Association
Guangdong Lingnan Modern Technician College
Greater Bay Area Beauty Industry Cultural Exchange Association
Supporting Organizations:
QF Qualification Framework
LBG Beauty Group
Main Sponsors:
COSMOPROF Asia Pacific Beauty Expo
Linda Yip Charity Foundation
AAMA Cosmetology Academy
Supporting Associations:
Hong Kong Commercial Professional Assessment Centre
Hong Kong Cosmetics Industry Association
International St. Jay Beauty Association
Hong Kong Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Chamber
President of the Hong Kong Hair Association
Hair and Makeup Overall Image Designers Association
Hong Kong Image Designers Alliance
International Professional Cosmetology Association
Special Supporting Associations:
Shenzhen Hairdressing, Beauty, and Makeup Industry Association
Guangzhou Beauty, Hairdressing, and Makeup Industry Association
Sponsors:
PS GROUP
JRL Hairdressing Tools
framesi
BOF Media Platform
L’Oréal Hong Kong
TSUBAME Scissors
Kérastase Paris
Sim SENSITIVE Hair Products
Supporting Member Units:
EAGLES BARBERSHOP
Redhill Hair Salon
Supporting Media:
ESTETICA Magazine
Cloud Aesthetics Online Platform
On October 13, 2024, London time, the 42nd Extraordinary Hairstyle Show was successfully held at the iconic Roundhouse in London. The event attracted nearly 2,000 hairstylists from around the world, who purchased tickets to attend. Fourteen artist teams from eight countries showcased their latest creative works under the theme of “Evolution.”
According to tradition, each AHS artist is awarded a prize to recognize their incredible contributions to this annual charity event at their own expense. This year, Anthony Mascolo, the chair of the Extraordinary Hairstyle Show, received the Legend Award in recognition of his outstanding work as the chair over the years.
The hairstyle show officially kicked off with the International Vision Awards, marking the 20th anniversary of the award this year. Thirty-eight finalists took to the stage across three categories: Cut & Colour, Men’s Hairstyling, and Avant Garde.
The winners and runners-up are as follows:
Cut & Colour:
Champion: Matteo Susini, Italy
Joint Runners-up: Petra Blatnik Macek, Slovenia, and Josh & Sophie-Rose Goldsworthy, UK
Men’s Hairstyling:
Champion: Josh Lamonaca, China
Runner-up: Luigi Guardascione, Italy
Avant Garde:
Champion: Tan Wei Jun, Malaysia
Runner-up: Yu Zhuwen, China
This year marked the first participation of contestants from mainland China, with Yu Zhuwen entering the Avant Garde category and An Yang from AAMA Academy qualifying in the Cut & Colour category for the live finals in London. Congratulations to Yu Zhuwen for securing the runner-up position in the Avant Garde category, making them the first hairstylist from mainland China to achieve this honor.
Additionally, during the show, the global honorary sponsor of the Extraordinary Hairstyle Show, legendary figure Trevor Sorbie, delivered an inspiring speech: “I believe this show is important… it allows your creative thinking to flow freely. The show and the entire hairdressing industry are greatly missed this year.”
That evening, the Extraordinary Hairstyle Show paid tribute to Vidal Sassoon, who had been the global honorary sponsor of the event for many years. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Vidal Sassoon, the international creative director, Mark Hayes, remarked: “Vidal was always so generous and gracious. When he passed away, we lost a visionary and creative genius… It’s rare to encounter someone as profoundly influential as Vidal.”
The Extraordinary Hairstyle Show has always been anything but ordinary, and this year was no exception. In addition to providing one of the best creative platforms in the world, it is essential to remember that the primary purpose of the show is to raise funds to combat leukemia. Tony Rizzo and Anthony Mascolo announced that this year, the show raised an impressive £116,000 for the charity foundation, Leukemia Care (registered charity: 1147189), and the Blood Cancer UK. These funds will be used in future efforts to combat the disease.
Since 2016, Linda beauty Group has been a continuous sponsor of this hairdressing charity event for six consecutive years, making it the first and only organization from China to support this initiative. There is hope for more friends from the Chinese hairdressing community to join this meaningful charity event in the future. The KENZHOU team from China has also showcased their works with strong Chinese elements on this stage multiple times.
From October 12 to 14, 2024, Salon International 2024 returns to ExCeL London for three days of hairdressing education, inspiration, and an exhibition featuring 100 leading professional brands. The event attracted over 5,000 visitors from around the world, solidifying its status as a must-attend event for salon professionals, freelancers, and students. Salon International continues to provide an unparalleled platform for education, communication, and inspiration, and this year’s event did not disappoint. Attendees took advantage of special offers and experienced cutting-edge products firsthand.
In addition to retail promotions, the event’s live stage drew significant attention, showcasing iconic hairdressing figures demonstrating creativity and technical skills. Teams from SACO, MAHOGANY, RUSH, SASSOON, and TONI&GUY shared the latest trends and techniques, creating some incredible styles on stage that left attendees with unforgettable experiences!
This year’s International Salon Exhibition also included a beauty exhibition section, notably featuring a special exhibition area—The China Hair Exhibition Area—highlighting impressive Chinese hair brands. This marked the first time that Chinese hair brands organized such a large participation in an international salon exhibition, opening an international channel for “Made in China.” International brands also took this opportunity to promote new products, attracting many hairdressers to purchase on-site and driving brand sales.
The organizer of this competition, the AHMA Hair Council, is a non-profit charity organization as well as a professional hairdressing association. Its aim is to promote the professionalization of practitioners in the hairdressing industry, gathering and creating various platforms for industry information and communication to explore the orderly development of the hairdressing sector. We hope that this competition will encourage young designers to showcase their talents, enhance the professional standards of the industry, and promote communication and development within the beauty sector of the Greater Bay Area.
