Congratulations to Eloise Chiew of Suki’s in Vancouver, British Columbia on her first-place win in the “So You Think You Can Style?” Braided photo contest!
We caught up with Chiew to ask her about her inspiration, how she created the winning braided hairstyle and how she would encourage other young stylists to get involved in creative outlets.
To start, Chiew, a junior stylist from Canada’s West Coast, felt inspired by the braided theme and all the possibilities it entailed: “There are so many different types of braids and endless ways to transform and combine them.” Chiew narrowed down her creative ideas by sketching them out and practicing them on a mannequin to pinpoint her winning style.
“It’s always interesting to see what works and what doesn’t, especially when you see how it translates to camera,” notes Chiew. “The fringe for my final style was made using modified French braids. Above the fringe, I did a lifted French braid with hair fanned out behind it. I sewed a fishtail braid on top of a thicker braid and then wrapped both around the shoulder.”
The final braided hairstyle wrapped around the shoulder translated beautifully to camera. The fanned out hair creating the look of a faux hawk added height and interest, balancing out the thicker braids and braided fringe.
Clearly a lot of thought and effort went into this entry, but it offered Chiew the creative outlet she craves. “Entering these types of contests allows me to really be creative and design looks that I normally wouldn’t do in a salon. I really like exploring that side of hair and expressing myself in that way,” says Chiew.
Her advice to other young stylists: “If you enjoy learning and growing in your craft, participating in photo shoots, competitions and contests is a great way to do it.”
Basically, the bottom line is to look for creative outlets and challenge yourself by entering our next “So You Think You Can Style?” contest. (OK, maybe we’re elaborating a little at the end, but we think we’re making a good point!)
Congratulations also go out to our second-place finalist, Lauren Greenlaw, and our third-place finalist, Ashley Ruecker.
See our past “So You Think You Can Style?” contest winners here and stay tuned for the next contest starting March 27!
Photo credits:
First Place: Hair: Eloise Chiew; Makeup and model: Tara Torres; Photo: Ed Lau
Second Place: Hair: Lauren Greenlaw; Makeup: Jessica Benner; Photo: Paula Tizzard
Third Place: Hair: Ashley Ruecker; Makeup: Ariel Fiendel; Photo: Kiriako Iatridis
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