The Alfaparf Milano Professional Architects of Design (AOD) team gathered at the Alfaparf Milano Academy in London recently to take part in a photoshoot as the final activity of their 12-month long programme.
The AOD education programme is an opportunity for 10 talented and creative hairdressers to be mentored by both national and international stylists with education taking place in Alfaparf Milano Professional academies in Ireland, the UK, Rome and Milan.
With nine days of mentoring, the AOD team had the chance to learn skills from a line-up of mentors, including Paul Stafford (Northern Ireland), Alan Keville (Ireland), Alessandro Fratini (Italy), Richard Ashforth (UK), Alan Austin Smith (UK), Ramiro Mata (Spain), Oni Quadrino and Emanuele Vona (Italy), and Piero Gentile (UK).
The hairdressers from Ireland and the UK chosen to be part of the AOD team were Wayne Chartley, Pont Smith, Ben Newby, Michael Paraliki, Maria Haberlin, Triona Hollian, Grace Marie Bardon, Jolene McCarthy, Gillian Woods and Lynsey Cleland.
For their final photoshoot, they were given the opportunity to work in pairs on five models and create their own looks. With the assistance of Gentile and the UK technical team, the participants presented looks, styles, colours and cuts for each of their models.
After deciding on the colour formulations, cuts and style, they worked collaboratively to create multiple looks that were then captured by a professional photographer.
The day ended with their graduation from the programme where they were all presented with certificates by David Donnellan on behalf of Alfaparf Milano Professional.
“I really enjoyed watching the creative journey the team went through over the two days we were together in the London Academy,” said Gentile, who is Alfaparf Milano Professional's technical educator. “It has been fantastic to watch them grow over the last year, and to see their talent develop. The great thing about this shoot is that it was all about teamwork, which is so crucial for anyone working in a creative industry like ours.”
The AOD graduates will now have a collection of images to use in their salon and across their own social media platforms.