Windsor hair stylist 'third time lucky' in reaching prestigious national finals

A Windsor hairstylist has reached the national finals of a prestigious hairdressing award, showcasing the creativity of stylists worldwide.

Kerry Allchin from SJForbes salon, in Peascod Street, has scooped a place in the National Goldwell Colour Creative Awards 2025, run by Kao Salon Division UK.

She is among six finalists gunning for the title ‘Creative Colourist of the Year’, where stylists are challenged to create their vision through a photo.

After finding a model and working with makeup artists, stylists, and professional photographers earlier this year, Kerry uploaded her entry to the competition platform and awaited the results.

Finding out the news on Instagram while at work, Kerry said she ‘cried’ and ‘was so shocked’.

“I couldn’t believe it because I’ve been in this competition three times before – I never thought or expected to finalise even though I put everything into it this time,” she said.

“I just didn’t think – because I always feel such big-name hairdressers enter this competition.

“It’s based on the image – it’s not just the hair – it’s based on how the whole image looks, so everything has got to be absolutely perfect.

“I was really proud of myself, and all my friends and family, and my work colleagues were so happy for me.

“I just didn’t think I would have ever placed because there’s such a big competition and this is my third time, so I feel third time lucky.”

Participants of the technical awards first compete at the national level, and ‘Gold’ finalists will move on to a live competition at Goldwell’s global event “ColorSphere” in Milan this September.

Global Gold Winners will be recognised and awarded an international gold trophy, global editorial coverage, a cash prize of €2,500, and global social media exposure.

The 27-year-old has been in the industry for more than a decade, having worked in a salon in Slough on Saturdays when she was 14.

After completing an apprenticeship at Rush Maidenhead at 17, she has now worked at SJ Forbes in Windsor for eight years.

“My mum was a hairdresser too, so I think I just wanted to follow in her footsteps,” said Kerry.

“But I've always been creative, so I always knew that hairdressing would have been perfect for me, and I couldn’t work in the office.”

On Monday, July 7, finalists attended the Global Creative Awards 2025 National Finalists Meet and Greet Day at Doggetts Rooftop Terrace in London, followed by a celebratory barbecue lunch.

The finalists filmed a ‘Love Island’ style video to be aired at the national finals on July 27, and Kerry ‘can't wait to see it’.

“The meet and greet was so lovely – afterwards it was time for all of us to mingle, get to know each other and just celebrate. It was really nice,” she added.

This isn’t Kerry’s first foray in national hairdressing finals as she won the National Goldwell Blonde My Way Competition last year and won a trip to Madrid.

The social media competition involved ‘transforming a client into a blonde’, and she was selected from a shortlist of five finalists from around the UK.

This time round, the competition is ‘bigger’ and she recognises previous winners in the shortlist, which makes her feel ‘really good’ to be ‘up with them’.

“It’s just such a good opportunity,” she added.