Fudge is collaborating with the British Fashion Council for a second season as the official hair partner for London Collections: Men S/S14.

The showcase takes place from 16th–18th June and will be the third season of the UK’s dedicated men’s fashion event. Last season, Fudge partnered with Richard Nicoll, James Long, Meadham Kirchhoff and Christopher Shannon.

Showcasing a host of British and international design talent, London Collections:Men will include high profile menswear designers such as Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford and J.W. Anderson.

As the official hair partner, Fudge will host to The Fudge Fix, a dedicated salon and lounge area at The Hospital Club in London. By popular demand, Fudge will also provide a second styling station at Victoria House, offering blow-drys, styling and dry cuts. From Sunday to Tuesday, Fudge will be offering complimentary hair appointments to celebrity and fashion VIPs, press, buyers, and London Collections: Men committee members.

This season, Fudge has also teamed up with Mr.Rizzo, the new men’s salon in Covent Garden, which will be open to the general public over the three-day event to offer complimentary male haircuts and styling.

John Vial, Fudge’s creative director, said: “Our involvement not only allows us the opportunity to offer young Fudge stylists involvement in fashion and session styling but also support and collaborate with some of the UKs best emerging and established designers.”

For reports from the shows and backstage buzz from Fudge, check out Creativeheadmag.com from 16 June!

The Most Wanted SESSION STYLIST 2012 winner, who appeared in an exclusive Coterie event for Creative HEAD in March, teamed up with fashion photographer Rankin to create the campaign looks, along with a short film.

Using the ghd eclipse styler, Sam created the hair looks for the campaign, which shows an evolution of texture through five images of Dutch-born model Milou Sluis, who was chosen for her ability to transform her look.

Sam said: “It’s great to be working with ghd as the new global creative director. I don’t think there could have been a better way to begin our relationship than with the new campaign for ghd eclipse. Rankin’s iconic photography, combined with the creativity of ghd eclipse, has created a campaign that, for me, embodies the spirit of ghd.”

The key message of the campaign – greatness comes to those who create – was captured by Rankin in a pared-back, nonchalant style, allowing Sam’s hair looks to be the focus of the campaign.

Rankin said: “It was great to work with Sam on the new campaign. He’s the best at what he does and we were on the same page when it came to the result: showing the life and personality behind the hair he’d created.”

Paul Stoneham, ghd’s chief executive, added: “Working with Sam McKnight, we have produced a stand-out campaign that brings the best of the best together – a world-renowned session stylist, an iconic photographer and our game-changing new styler, ghd eclipse.”

To see more from Sam at The Coterie click here.

Opening the event, Base Tone Slap drummers gave a booming performance followed by a presentation from Sassoon Academy of its latest Muse collection.

Next up, teams from D&J Ambrose, PKAI Hair, Toni&Guy and John Frieda Salons presented colour working using Wella Professionals’ latest innovations Color.id, before it was time for the big reveal…

Congratulations to the Southern finalists, who have been announced as:

Color category: 

Paul Reed – Guy Fawkes

Clayde Baumann – D&J Ambrose

Sean Nolan- HOB salon

Gemma smith – Fubar Hair Collective

Young Talent:

Peter Burkill – HOB salon

Katy Pickering – Strangeways

Jasmin Giamattei – Marc Antoni

Lucy Tuck – Marc Antoni

Luke Benson – D&J Ambrose

Above: Color category

Above: Young Talent

I happened to pop into Jigsaw Menswear on Upper Street, Islington. If I’m honest, I didn’t even know that it was still going. Having spent most of the late ‘90s in the Jigsaw menswear store on Floral Street, Covent Garden, I’m happy that it is still around. I was really impressed by the great collection of classic yet quirky pieces. The whole collection stood out as well-considered and I pretty much wanted to buy it all. If you are an old Jigsaw menswear fan, get down there. If you’re looking for some great staple pieces for your wardrobe, I think you’re going to be pleased.

He joins backstage stars such as Most Wanted SESSION STYLIST 2012 Sam McKnight, Eamonn Hughes and James Brown on the agency’s roster. Leigh has worked a number of seasons backstage for Sam McKnight at labels such as Chanel and Ralph Lauren, and has been steadily growing his editorial work (pictured, left) with titles such as Tatler, Idol and Stylist. He can also be found working at Josh Wood’s Atelier between session gigs.

Leigh has seen his star rise rapidly following his double win at The It List Awards in 2011, where he was crowned both FASHIONISTA and ONE TO WATCH. In October 2012, he formed part of a panel of rising stars that spoke at The Coterie (pictured, below), interviewed by session stylist Claire Rothstein and HOB Salons manager Sean Dawson. Leigh was also recently revealed as the new global creative director of Cloud Nine, and will head up its Artistic Team and collaborate with the brand on its creative direction.

The double-dip recession can kiss my art.

First, the plumber came to assess some work and give me a price. This went well.

I ordered the new basins. Two days later they arrived, smashed to pieces. Emails followed and after a week a new, unbroken basin arrived. I booked the plumber. He was busy so I waited two weeks for a day that suited the plumber.

He didn’t arrive at the appointed time. I sent a text asking what time he planned to arrive.

The reply came back: “I’m busy today, how about next Tuesday?”

No, I replied. I have a meeting next Tuesday. What’s more, I arranged a whole week of work around him installing my basins and he didn’t think to let me know he wasn’t coming.

What? He didn’t feel like it? He ran over on another job? Had a family emergency? Maybe there is a perfectly reasonable explanation, but to not have the common courtesy to let me know he wasn’t coming is a total p**s-take.

I left a banging party early and sober the night before because I had to be up at 8.30am for the plumber. The painter and floor people are booked to follow on from the plumber and now the whole schedule is thrown out of whack.

If I took this approach to my work I’d be on the scrap heap in six months. How in the name of sanity do people get away with conducting themselves like this?

No wonder the economy is going down the pan. You can’t give your money away. You have to queue while someone chats – disinterested in serving you to hand over £500 of your hard-earned money.

More and more I will dump my shopping at the counter and go elsewhere if I’m getting crap service and spend my money with someone who treats me nicely.

By the same token, I keep a lid on my tendencies to be a whiney bitch when I’m working and try to make sure the client is happy, comfortable and satisfied with the job done.

And don’t even get me started on those bloody ‘serve yourself’ tills that require an assistant to authorise anything sharp, in a spray, or alcoholic.

How did it feel when your name was called out?

It was an amazing feeling – I didn’t expect it at all. Walking into the Royal Courts of Justice in London made it so nerve racking. I had never been before and the venue was insane! I couldn’t believe it when my name was called out; it was the first award of the evening, which was relieving as it meant I could relax and thoroughly enjoy the rest of the event, which was amazing.

What opportunities have come your way thanks to your win?

Since my win in September my workload had increased dramatically and the award really stands out on my CV. I now have a new agent; I’ve taken on the exciting role of UK Creative Ambassador at styling tool brand Cloud Nine and I feel like my profile has risen in the industry, too.

What has been the highlight of your year so far?

The highlight of my year has been seeing my images recently released for Cloud Nine’s global advertising campaign. This is a huge personal high for me. The brand is so progressive and at 23 I feel that having this work in my portfolio is an honour.

What advice would you give to anyone entering the Fashionista category?

Follow the brief, personalise your entry, check everything and then check it again and again! Your entry is something that will represent you to the industry’s elite, so it pays to make it perfect.

Do you want to see your career soar? Enter The It List now!

The BBC-trained hair, make-up and prosthetics artist has worked on everything from Agatha Christie’s Poirot to X-Men Origins and the award-winning Les Misérables. The audience was given a fascinating insight into her world, with a video revealing how Jan assisted in ageing actor Jesper Christensen by 30 years for the film The Debt – make-up which took three hours to put on, an hour to remove and cost £12,000. “My job is not always about making people look good,” she admitted.

Next up was Bafta award-winning filmmaker Philip Dupée from production company Love, talking fashion films with digital expert Sean Singleton of The Singleton Consultancy. Interviewed by Susanna Flynn from PR agency Ketchum, they discussed the move from TV to online as we find ourselves “living in a technological revolution that’s only just started”.

(Pictured above: Sean Singleton and Philip Dupée)

It’s predicted that online video will account for 57 per cent of all consumer web traffic by 2015. Having created mini movie masterpieces for names such as Vivienne Westwood, Max Factor and Puma, Philip shared his insight into how to bring brands alive through film.

(Pictured above: Kathryn Dartnell from Haringtons)

Four short movies were showcased, including films from Vivienne Westwood and Calvin Klein, highlighting the skill it takes to create a piece with a real narrative. To get ahead in the digital world, you have to offer something different and refreshing. “Being bland is the biggest crime,” warned Sean.

Join us for our next Coterie meeting on 29 July – for more information on becoming a member, click here.

Follow @TheCoterie on Twitter and see more pictures from last night’s event at facebook.com/thecoterieclub

(Pictured above: Eleven Hair’s Ben White and Georgie Wynes)

(Pictured above: Melissa Remi, Darren Webster and Ragna Kreter from Webster Whiteman)