Carlow salon sweeps the board at national hairdressing championships
Laurna McGrath, Vanilla Hair Design, placed first in the 'Fantasy' (trainee) category
A Carlow hair salon has emerged as one of the standout success stories from this year’s Irish Hairdressers Federation (IHF) Championships, with its team bringing home an impressive haul of awards.
Vanilla Hair Design dominated across multiple categories at the prestigious event, held at the Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny on Sunday 5 October, with four talented stylists securing top-three placings in numerous competitions.
The salon’s rising stars particularly excelled in the trainee categories. Laurna McGrath achieved first place in ‘Fantasy’ (trainee) and second place in ‘Trend Upstyle’ (trainee), whilst Danielle O’Sullivan claimed the top spot in ‘Creative Colour’ (trainee), sponsored by Alfaparf Milano Professional.
Molly Carroll also made her mark, securing second place in the 'Newcomer of the Year' (trainee), sponsored by Image Skillnet, along with multiple third-place finishes across several trainee competitions.
In the senior categories, Aoife O’Toole flew the flag for Carlow, achieving third place in both 'Hair Up' (senior), sponsored by GHD, and 'Fantasy' (senior).
Danielle O’Sullivan also competed successfully in specialist categories, taking second place in 'Extensions', sponsored by Hairtalk, and third place in 'Textured'.
The IHF Hairdressing Championships are regarded as the signature event in the Irish hairdressing calendar, with entries judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts.
IHF President Mark O’Keeffe commented on the high standard of competition: “This year’s awards showcased an extraordinary standard of creativity and skill, and the judging panel had a real challenge choosing the winners.” The Irish Hairdressers Federation represents salon owners nationwide, collectively employing over 7,000 professionals, making it the largest representative body for hairdressing in Ireland.
The top honour of Irish Hairdresser of the Year went to Amanda Ryan of Allure Hair & Beauty in Mayo, with her colleague Emma Killeen named IHF Irish Trainee Hairdresser of the Year.
