A PERTH hairdresser is celebrating after landing his fifth cover shot on the front of the industry bible.
A model with hair styled by John Gillespie has given him a record-breaking number of covers on the Hairdressers Journal.
It is the first time the feat has been achieved by a Scottish hairdresser.
The image came from a shoot for haircare company Schwarzkopf, which saw John create a portfolio of exciting new styles.
The award-winning stylist, who has dressed the tresses of A-list celebrities and captured the attention of some of the world’s leading models, has just been made an ambassador for Schwarzkopf and said it was “unbelievable” to secure a cover story with his first style collection for them.
“I think Hairdressers Journal liked the commerciality of the collection,” said John.
“I created styles that could be easily changed, bringing movement and adaptability to every look.”
John, accompanied by Perth salon artistic director Catherine Scobie, created eight styles with four models for Schwwarzkopf and declared it among his “best work ever”.
“A lot of work we do for photoshoots follows a very specific brief,” he explained, “but this session allowed us total creative freedom and I’m absolutely delighted with the result. To produce a first class portfolio for the client that wins immediate approval from the most widely read hairdressing magazine in the world is fantastic.
“It’s very hard to have a collection featured in the magazine never mind on the front cover so it’s a real coup for me and for Perth,” he said.
“It shows you don’t have to come from London to make the international headlines in hairdressing.”
Perth-born John (42), who has salons in the city’s St John Street and nearby McEwens of Perth, first realised his ambition to appear on the front cover of Hairdressers Journal in 1997.
“It puts a real quality stamp of approval on your work from the trade,” he explained.
“The buzz and excitement of your style appearing on a front cover is just as great each time and even better on this record-breaking fifth occasion.”
ktopping@thecourier.co.uk