Hairdresser a cut above

Wānaka's Jaimee Whiston has made a remarkable impression in the world of hairdressing, landing a spot in the finals for New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year.

Mrs Whiston said she entered a photographic collection in the awards last year and was told this month she was a finalist.

“It’s fantastic, especially considering that many stylists work with massive budgets while ours were much more limited.

“I flew to Auckland with a pile of mannequin heads, each complete with meticulously crafted wigs.

‘‘The time pressure was intense; we only had one day to shoot, which meant creating on the fly.

‘‘Not having met the models beforehand added to the challenge, as we didn’t know how they would look in real life or what styles would suit them best, I thrive under that kind of pressure,’’ she said.

After moving to Wanaka from Dunedin six years ago, Mrs Whiston previously co-owned Ukiyo Hair with close friend Mikaela Gallagher, who is also among the finalists, competing in the artistic team of the year award.

‘‘Being nominated . . .during this transitional phase means the world to me.

‘‘It proves that believing in yourself, even when taking an unconventional route, can lead to new opportunities,’’ she said.

Mrs Whiston said the support from social media and her clients and the community had been overwhelming.

‘‘Many of the other finalists are friends from the industry, and we all support each other, celebrating our achievements together,’’ she said.

Alongside her nine fellow finalists, Whiston will travel to Australia in April for the announcement of the winner.

‘‘It’s a whole different ballgame compared to our commercial work.

‘‘This platform allows me to showcase artistic flair in an avant-garde manner,’’ she said.

Despite her experience with national and international hairdressing awards, Mrs Whiston said her favourite aspect of the profession was the connection with clients.

‘‘Many of them become like friends and family to me,” she said.