An Interview with RAW Sydney Hairstylist of the Year: Jake Williams
For part 6 of our exclusive Sydney RAWards category finalists features, we interviewed the extremely talented Hairstylist of the Year Jake Williams.
Jake currently works for Stevie English Hair, a Sydney-based hair salon that is celebrated for its use of products that are low chemical, eco-friendly and ammonia, paraben and sulphate free. The salon also prides itself on only stocking products which do not harm animals, with most of the products even being PETA aligned - Impressive!
We hope you enjoy Jake's inspiring and insightful Q&A below:
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Q: Please tell us, what have you loved the most about your RAW Sydney experience?A: I was fortunate enough to showcase at RAW Sydney multiple times last year. Every showcase was so different, but what I loved most was the collaboration between myself, a make-up artist and a fashion designer. It's great to have your own ideas, but when working as a team, your idea has the potential to grow into something far more exciting. It also keeps your ideas realistic and true to the theme of the runway show. I also love that the RAW Showcase introduced me to artists that I can collaborate with in the future.
Q: What was your initial reaction when you heard the news that you would go on to represent Sydney in your category?A: I was pumped! I really love what RAW stands for in the community and the opportunities it gives artists to gain some confidence and exposure and I'm glad that I was chosen to represent Sydney.
Q: When did you first discover your love of hair styling?A: I can honestly admit I wasn't a born hairdresser. I hear a lot of people in the industry that have always known that they wanted to be a hairdresser, but it wasn't like that for me. I started experimenting with hair styles and colours in grade 7 (12 years old) and it did get a little crazy at times. My parents didn't seem to mind because I had a farm job and I was able to pay for it myself, though I wish they did stop me some of those times now.
Q: What inspires your creativity the most?A: I can't pin point what inspires my creativity the most because it is forever changing. I did travel overseas a couple of times in the last 12 months, and I collected a lot of ideas along the way which then resulted in creating my first men's hair collection. At the moment I feel most inspired after I am involved in hair workshops and education because there are so many questions and ideas flowing between people.
Q: What do you hope to achieve with your hair stylist career in the near future – are there any exciting, upcoming plans that you would like to share with us?A: I have so much planned for 2015 starting with Sydney Fashion Week in April. I am already working on new hair collections, and hopefully I will fit in some time for a little bit more travel overseas. Watch this space!
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We want to thank Jake for taking the time to answer our questions and we wish him the very best of success in 2015! You can check out the salon Jake works for here and you can also find Jake on Facebook and Instagram (@jakeoba). Enjoy!