Episode 3 Do or Dye - Hair Academy

Hairdressing is a glamorous industry.

Unless you're bleeding from every orifice,

you can't be off sick.

But it's also a competitive one,

with more than 10,000 hairdressers in Scotland,

where the top stylists can earn over £70,000 a year.

Award-winning hairdressers, Rainbow Room International

run Scotland's biggest training academy.

I have sent them home for having bad fake tan or

when their make up is not done properly.

I went for more of a natural kind of look.

Where they play just as hard as they work.

It's like a big, dysfunctional family.

Mm, that's exactly what it's like.

For one year, we follow students through their

basic hairdressing qualification Level 2.

I can do that, you know what I mean,

and I pure just get nervous on the day.

And others in their second year Level 3 advanced qualification.

My ambition is to be is to be one of the best.

You've got to be on it,

see if you're not on it one day, like honestly,

-you're screwed, you're literally screwed.

-Yeah.

But do they have what it takes to make it through the hair academy?

You're probably a better hairdresser than...

-Everybody.

-Aye.

HE LAUGHS

Coming up...

Are we ready to rock the house? CROWD: Yeah!

While the students compete for Assistant of the Year...

We'll see if I get through or not.

..for one student it could be game over.

It's not something that I'm going to let get in my way,

I'll fight against it.

It's six months since new students started at

the Rainbow Room Academy.

What are you doing now?

As they progress to Level 3

they move beyond the basics of hairdressing.

Got it.

In the classroom,

teacher Ava is taking a class through some theory work.

Right, I'll try and draw this. I do apologise. I'm not very good.

LOUD YAWN

It's basically just the layers of the skin.

LAUGHTER

Do you know what that looks like? Like dolphin.

It looks terrible.

Always keen to try and be artistic,

Angel volunteers to draw the hair diagram.

Shut the front door. Right, coolio.

See, it's more difficult.

Right. Have a line.

Angel's getting bonus points for drawing it.

That bit's all coloured in.

Six months down the line and they're doing amazing,

they're doing really, really good.

You can see a massive growth in their confidence,

their competency levels are exceptional as well.

LAUGHTER

Is this your actual hair, is this what it's supposed to look like?

-Yeah.

-The hair?

-That's the hair coming out of the skin.

Aww, coming out of the skin, I thought

-this was actually the hair.

-No.

-Aw, this makes sense now, right.

You know, they really, really concentrate

and I don't think for a minute that not one of them

won't complete at this stage,

they will all complete their Level 2.

Right, you guys, that are basically it. I'm not going to lie.

That's dynamite, man, see from a distance that looks good.

Once they start cutting hair they get a bit gallus

and you can see their image changing, they're becoming more confident

in their image, their chat, it's major growth in their character.

Kathryn certainly has changed her appearance quite dramatically.

I like kind of Marilyn Monroe and kind of vintage.

You see a wee sparkle in her eye every time she comes in

and she is a little bit more confident.

I've kind of grown into a person.

I can think for myself now, which is a really good thing to be able to do.

Well, I don't actually think my haircut is that cool.

I think Connor, like, his colour is better, definitely.

Yeah, your haircut used to be cool.

The way it's changed is kind of like, still going with the hair colours

and stuff but I went for more of darker, natural kind of look.

I wouldn't wear as much tan and stuff as what I did.

He's a wee soul, isn't he?

I think he does it every night, tan on top of tan

and I've actually become quite used to it now.

I think if I was to see him pale I'd be more shocked.

I had it off for like three weeks.

I think I just felt a wee bit lost without it.

There's no boundaries with it, they do transform themselves

quite a lot and you have to keep an eye on it

and make sure they don't go too over the top.

Level 2 students Binky

and Austin have both got models in at the academy.

For Binky, it's her Uncle Gerry who has popped in for a quick

haircut before he starts work.

What time do you start work at?

-12.30.

-12.30, that's fine.

Having previously struggled to find models, Austin's friend

has agreed to sit for him as he attempts a French pleat.

So how many levels do you have to do in total?

Um, I don't really know.

That doesn't look right.

Assessing them both is teacher Tara.

So this area here that you have done here is quite spot on

but you've not come down far enough here.

-I didn't know if I was to do that.

-Yip, see it there.

Aye, but see when I was doing that, like curling round the fingers...

-I know.

-It's pure...

-It's pure...

-Aye.

Austin's French pleat isn't quite going as planned.

-I find it easier doing it a wee bit loose.

-Yeah.

-How are you getting on?

-I'm trying to loosen it,

like, every time you kind of move it, it kind of just tangles.

You need to actually make sure that you've got tension on it.

If you pop your head back ever so slightly. Perfect.

And Binky's haircut is taking longer than expected.

Gerry, gonnae not, like.

What you're looking for is that.

So if you come round here, see that shape, you've got it nice

and tight and it actually follows the head shape, OK.

Take it out and start again.

So is this a lunch break then?

No, I was meant to start at 12.30.

You've not even started yet?

You were meant to start at 12.30?

-Binky.

-I'm taking a hit on the chin for Binky here.

Binky is doing really well.

Progression-wise, it's quite a difficult one for Binky

because she started at a really high standard but she's kept consistent.

Austin's finally getting to grips with the French pleat.

Right, aye.

With a little help from his client.

I think you've to take it from this side,

you took it from that side the last time.

See, that's the only problem, my memory is just terrible.

But it's not looking too bad.

I know, it's looking good.

-Getting there.

-Yeah.

It was a French plait, I think, but it was quite confusing to do

cos I've never actually done them before.

I was trying to explain to him that your fingers should almost be

hurting with the amount of tension

that you're holding each section with

and by the end, it was quite a success and he really enjoyed it.

I eventually got the hang of it

so I was quite pleased how well I actually done.

It's almost 1.00 and Binky's uncle Gerry,

despite already being half an hour late for work,

has one final request.

SHE GROANS

Are you going to do them?

Can you do them cos I'm scared I'll shave them off?

That's mental.

Do you like it? How is it feeling for you?

-Aye, it's nice and tidy. Thank you.

-That's great. No problem.

Right, free to go?

Yep.

-Binky.

-What is it?

-Star.

All right, I though I was getting into trouble there.

One goal shared by the staff and the students,

is to win an award at the company's prize-giving ceremony, Congress.

Owners Alan and Linda set up the annual event 28 years ago,

in order to recognise and reward the hard work and achievements

of their staff.

I really kind of got this idea of continual improvement

so we started an annual Congress and anybody could get an award

if they just improved.

It sounds was quite simple but it's difficult to keep that momentum

and just keep it getting a bit better and a bit better every year.

I would describe Congress as the best night of our year.

It's something that we spend months looking forward to

and months talking about afterwards.

It's a celebration of the hard work that went before

and a positive start to the oncoming year.

Congress, to me, is a chance to get all my team together.

You get to see all your friends just relaxed a wee bit so...

The party does tend to go on. I think last year

we got asked to move because they were serving breakfast.

As well as self-improvement, there are lots of competitive awards

with the main ones being Assistants of the Year and Salon of the Year.

We're all in a competitive industry and everybody wants to win.

I want to win something at Congress. Salon Team of the Year,

or a photographic competition, or the individual awards.

When it comes down to it, you've got to be in it to win it.

CHEERING

There's also a chance for the young students to win an award.

Each trainee has to submit a portfolio of their work,

which demonstrates why they should be the Assistant of the Year.

I'm not 16.

SHE GASPS

SHE LAUGHS

How can I not even know what age I am?!

Do you think it's just cos I was 16 when I made this?

The salon directors then choose one student at Level 2

and one at Level 3 from each salon who will get to attend Congress

where they will compete for the title Assistant of the Year.

I wanted to stick to colours and I like how,

it just reminded me of a children's storybook.

I wanted it to be quite nice and magical, if you want.

I wanted it to be different and maybe stand out more,

other than having it just in a book - kind of boring, you know.

As you can, see it's not the most presentable looking thing just now

but it's just a first draft.

This is the front cover, it's meant to look like

it's a magazine called Binky.

All these pictures are trying to show my personality.

For Royal Exchange Square owner David,

choosing a winner between his assistants' portfolios is

further complicated, as Jack, whose salon name is Syd, is his son.

I'm very conscious of trying not to treat Jack

differently from the other assistants.

Because my dad owns the salon there's a slight pressure increase

on me not to make him look stupid.

If I'm stepping over a mark with Jack then somebody will tell me.

The biggest issue I've got is just objectivity, you know.

I've looked through his, I've looked through Kathryn's portfolio -

they're both very different.

Kathryn's has got a bit more structure,

you can see a bit more variation in her work.

Whereas Jack's is all to do with creativity,

there's not as much description.

-We could get someone else to look at it.

-Yeah.

So we'll leave it to somebody else to decide.

To be honest, I think it's anyone's game really cos

I know I've done my best and that's all I could do so...

Academy boss, Leigh, has come to Great Western Road

to get her hair done by stylist Sarah Jane.

-How you doing, honey?

-Hi.

Good to see you again, how you doing?

Aw, I'm so nervous.

Tonight, Leigh is hosting an event in memory of her mum Babs,

who has recently passed away.

So my mum was a crazy line dancer and we thought, well,

if we're going to have a party for my mum's birthday then it has to

be a country and western themed line dancing party.

So that's what we're having. I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm dead excited. I've got butterflies in my tummy.

Helping to run the night is MC and line dancing instructor, Liz.

I've known Babs for over 20 years and miss her terrible,

miss her terrible.

Hopefully I'm going to teach the non-dancers some dances.

Later on, I'll put on the party tracks

and everybody can let their hair down, so to speak.

It is for fun and it is to raise money for an amazing cause

but it was for my mum's 60th birthday and

it kind of reminds you how much she meant to so many people.

And that's what's going to be...

..very apparent tonight.

Hi.

The girls have done so well, so well. And their mum will be up there,

she'll be dancing up there tonight, I can assure you, son.

She'll be up there dancing tonight.

COUNTRY DANCE MUSIC

The thing is, I'm not dressed up, this is how I dress for work.

HE LAUGHS

And I'm not kidding.

I'm just pulling out outfits, it's not a costume, it's an outfit.

But great turn out obviously for Leigh, it's fantastic.

Yellow 219 for the fibre four...

# Working nine to five

# What a way to make a living

# Barely gettin' by, it's all takin' and no givin'... #

LEIGH: Tonight has been amazing.

It's actually totally blown all my expectations out of the water,

we've raised a phenomenal amount of money.

That was the aim of the game, wasn't it, raise money for a good cause

and have fun in the process.

And I think that's pretty much mission accomplished.

With a place at Congress still up for grabs, some of the students

have put a lot of effort into their portfolios

for Assistant of the Year.

I decided to go for the jungle theme

because it's a bit crazy and it's colourful.

Nah, I would, I would like to win.

I think it would boost my confidence a bit more.

I wanted to make it like proper like, shabam!

And like shabam, out there, so that's how I got it all sparkly.

I like sparkles. I got a disco ball, I got that for a bit of fun

but, no, I really hope I get in.

I've highlighted it with like bright glitter,

my personality's quite big and out there and bold

so people can see straightaway this is what I'm trying to bring on.

I did struggle with it but I had...

I got my mum and dad to help me with it as well.

So I found it a bit easier towards the end

but I could have done with a bit more information in it.

Level 2 assistant Mark is based in the Bearsden salon.

As well as hoping to succeed at Congress,

he has high ambitions for his hairdressing career.

I think everyone's ambition is to open their own hairdressers,

which I would love to do, but I also want to travel the world.

I want to see the world,

I want hairdressing to take me around the world.

But unfortunately for Mark, his hopes of becoming a hairdresser

could be short-lived as he's developed the skin condition

dermatitis.

I'm allergic to a product that's in shampoos

and hairsprays and waxes, and it's like, what can I do now?

It will flare up really badly.

Sometimes I won't be able to bend my fingers.

It's a thing I'm never going to get away from, really.

One potential solution to Mark's problem would be to wear gloves

when working with the products

but even that might not be an option.

I've been tested as well to see if I'm allergic to like rubber, latex.

I don't know what will happen if that comes back positive.

And in the Royal Exchange Square salon, after getting

the portfolios externally judged, it's time for David to announce

whether it will be his son Jack, or Kathryn that gets to go to Congress.

OK, guys, what we had to do was to keep it objective is

I had nothing to do with it.

And the entry that's going to go through this year...

..is yours, Jack.

Is it?

-OK, guys?

-Yeah.

Congratulations. Commiserations. Does anyone need a hug?

-You want a wee hug?

-Yeah, I want a hug. Let's hug.

They can have a hug.

And in the other salons, it's time to find out who will be joining

Syd at Congress to compete for Assistant of the Year.

Right, so we've made our decision.

-It was a really high standard.

-Really hard.

Hope, you're through for Level 2, so well done.

And Beth, you're through for Level 3.

Yous are going to Congress.

Whoo!

I can't believe I got picked. So I can't wait now.

I feel a wee bit rubbish for Lesley cos I believe

that she did put effort in but at the end of the day,

the winner got chosen.

I'm totally fine with it, it's gutting

but I'll hopefully get there another year as a stylist.

The big reveal, who is going to Congress.

And I don't know this myself.

This is for Level 3.

Demi! There you go. You're up there.

I feel like my hard work has paid off

and I'm really, really pleased with myself.

Angel, you're going to Congress. Yes!

Really brilliant.

Oh, my God, I'm so...

No, I'm happy. I'm dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead chuffed.

Honestly, aw! I'm really happy.

Our lucky assistants will be competing against students

from all the other salons.

But for Austin, he'll have to try again next year.

I'm a bit gutted

but I guess I can put a bit more information into it next year.

The day has finally come for over 100 hairdressers to

descend on Airth Castle in Stirlingshire,

for the company's annual award ceremony, Congress.

But for the company's art team it's been an early start

as they get the models ready for the catwalk seminar later in the day.

That looks amazing what you've done.

It'll be good when it's done.

The girls, we'll keep it quite fresh.

For the guys, just very bare, minimal.

Just a bit of powder, that's it.

Well, good morning and welcome to our 28th Annual Congress.

And we've got a brilliant day. Absolutely brilliant day.

In the morning event, it's a competition as usual,

all of your directors have all been briefed so everybody go

and have a brilliant time and I'll see you at the next break. OK.

CHEERING

Each salon has to work together to design their own

shield and coat of arms.

The challenge is to do it in such a way that represents their salon

without writing their name on it.

Does anybody know what colour Stirling tartan is?

Yes, green and blue, we've got it.

Right, well, I'll make that just now if you give me the paper.

Doesn't look anything like a traffic cone,

-it looks like a party hat.

-Aw, David, come on.

But for some, the criteria are proving a bit hard to follow.

What are the things you couldn't say? Mention Glasgow?

We're not allowed to give it away that it's Buchanan Street,

cos if we say your name that's it.

But then we're giving clues in that anyway.

Can you not write Stylist of the Year?

Nah, that will give it away, we can't say that.

All right, we've got 15 minutes.

Done a wee bit of brainstorming, got some ideas back

and now they're just trying to put them down on paper.

So yeah, everything is easy. I'm doing nothing.

All the shields have been completed and the staff line up to try

and guess which shield belongs to which salon.

What's that?

-That's sheep.

-And a farm.

That's a ball, hockey.

I don't know.

With the winner of the shield competition being revealed later on,

it's time for the art team to give a demonstration.

Let's hear it for your artistic team 2014.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I love this because it's two different textures.

It's really, really sleek at the sides.

Coming into a lot of curled texture through the top.

It's going to be created into a kind of mohawk.

Let's hear it for Nicole.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

It's been a great experience for me seeing all these different haircuts

and even having my own hair cut on stage as well.

It's just brilliant.

I enjoyed being up on the stage. I didn't know what to expect

or realise there was that many people in the company.

So I kind of got a bit of a shocker like that.

SHE LAUGHS

But, nah, it's good. I'm enjoying it. It's really good.

With hysteria creeping in, and a busy evening ahead,

John escapes for a bit of 'me time.'

I decided to give myself a wee break just before all

the excitement of this evening, by sneaking away for a wee hour.

But John's main challenge of the day still lies ahead.

I've just got to calm myself down before doing my wife's hair.

If you've got to imagine, there's about 150 hairdressers in the room

so it's full winter plumage.

While John contemplates his evening...

..the award for best shield goes to Howard Street.

One for each hand, Leigh.

OK, I hope you've had a fantastic day.

7.00 for cocktails. We'll see you then. Thank you very much.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

But for Level 2 assistant Mark, it's not been a time to celebrate.

He was given the all clear from the doctors to wear the latex gloves

but, unfortunately, that only caused him more problems.

Cos I had the gloves on for quite a long period of time

my hands would start to get really hot and sweaty in them

which was then irritating my hands even worse.

They were bursting and erupting so easily. So, in a way, the gloves

were just getting me even worse with the sweat going back on them.

So, sadly for Mark, it means the end of his Rainbow Room career.

I completed my Level 2 so I'm qualified as a junior stylist.

I had a talk with my director and it sort of came to a mutual agreement

that it was best to sort of give me a bit of time out of hairdressing.

It's not something that I'm going to let get in my way,

I'll fight against it.

Back at Congress, it's getting serious as everyone glams up

for the big awards ceremony.

It's pretty glamorous.

It's got to be suitable for a room full of hairdressers, basically.

Make-up has got to be flawless.

Girls spend weeks getting ready for the Congress.

-Weeks.

-It's crazy.

And a rejuvenated John is pulling out all the stops for wife,

and salon partner Jo's, hair.

We're just about to add a blonde hair piece at the back of it,

a kind of 1950s Marilyn Monroe-type effect.

Hollywood glam is the vibe, that's what we're going for.

Cos it is, it's like the Oscars when you go down there tonight.

-No pressure.

-Everyone really makes a big effort.

Mr John Parker apparently is rumoured to have the same suit.

I mean, obviously I'll look much better but...

HE LAUGHS

But that's just how it will be.

Binky is mindful of some advice she was given about

mixing business and pleasure.

Have you ever heard, "Don't dip your pen in the company's ink"?

LAUGHTER

That's what my Uncle Gerry told me.

What the hell does that mean?

Like, you don't dip your pen in the company's ink,

like, you don't nip anybody in the company because then it's awkward.

I'm taken.

Naw, I'm not like that, guys, OK. I'm all-good. Sophisticated.

Walking down the street...

You know.

You know.

With the awards fast approaching,

the assistants' thoughts turn to who's going to win.

Cos I'm up against my friends, like,

we're all pals as well and we're all up against each other.

So it's not weird or awkward or that. But it's weird.

When you end up with, you know, a dozen or

so assistants that are short-listed, then everybody's a winner.

It should be inspiring for them.

Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please.

Put your hands together for the boss man himself, Alan Stewart.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Are we ready to rock the house?

CROWD: Yeah!

With most of the awards given out, and assistant Demi winning Level 3,

it's time for the award our Level 2 assistants have been waiting for.

Assistant of the Year Level 2.

CHEERING

The portfolios were unbelievable.

The standard this year was amazing.

So the winner of Level 2 this year...

..Katie Marie Gray.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Do you know what, girlfriend deserved it

so give credit where credit is due.

Onwards and upwards. That's always the motto.

It's been an amazing night. Obviously I'm gutted I never got

Assistant of the Year but there's always next year.

And the final award of the night is for Salon of the Year,

one of the most competitive in the company.

So Salon Team of the Year this year...

..is George Square.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

We're absolutely over the moon, we're so proud of our whole team.

The golden award for the golden team.

CHEERING

Next time, the assistants are under pressure

to host their own catwalk show.

I'm a little stressed out right now.

Hopefully I don't die.

Stylist Sarah Jane ties the knot.

Och, I'm just dead excited, I just cannae wait.

And our Level 2 students find out if they're being kept on.

We have to be very, very clear

that we're getting the right person through.