With Hair Festival 2025 on the horizon, we’re looking back at the competition winners and Champions from last year’s event. Over nine categories across men’s hair, women’s styling, colour, new skills and more, eight winners were announced and three overall Hair Festival Champions were named for men’s, women’s and emerging talent.
Aimee Egan of Aimee Egan Hair took home the overall title of Hair Festival Stylist Champion, owing to her stellar complete showing as the first place winner in the Inspired by Colour pre-done category and silver medals in the festival’s inaugural Bridal category and the Glam Slam Women’s Total Look title, earning her medals in every category she entered.


“It is really so great to get you and your work out there in front of your peers,” Aimee enthused about the experience. “I was so inspired by all the amazing work and amazing hairdressers showcasing what they had to offer, regardless of the trophies. Winning the awards are an absolute bonus. You won’t regret putting yourself out there!”


For anyone looking to enter the Hair Festival Competitions for 2025, taking place on Monday, June 30, at The ICC, Sydney, you can enter any of these categories across pre-done and live cut, colour and total look titles. The Competitions sit alongside versatile Education Sessions, the REALtalk Business Forum for salon leaders, the Wonderland party and free Festival Hub of activations across the full Hair Festival weekend on June 29 and 30.
In the classic live competition setting that is so core to industry growth, Aimee credits the “excitement” as part of her love for this discipline.
“I think the pressure is great for anyone looking to grow in their career and put themselves out of their comfort zone,” she said. “I entered last year as I really felt like I needed to get back out there and it’s really given me the confidence to be more present in the industry and keep striving towards my goals.”
“I am currently motivated by growth,” she added. “I continue to create to see what works and what doesn’t. I feel so eager to grow, learn and immerse myself further and further in the industry. It’s really cool to see the finished product of your ideas and I can definitely see growth in my work with every competition, shoot or campaign, which motivates me to do more and more.”
Aimee credits Evo Staino for her electric winning colour look, lauding its ability to create for “really impactful pigmented fashion colours”.
“We had deep blues into lighter blues and rainbows through the sides. It popped! We finished with some glitter hairspray and she looked like a mermaid.”
Thanks to Hair Festival Competitions sponsor O&M, every medallist wins a cash prize of $300, $200 and $100, as well as a trophy, as they compete and are awarded in front of the Hair Festival crowd across two stages in the Festival Hub. Every competitor will also receive a special gift thanks to O&M just for giving it go.
Don’t miss your chance to show your skills on stage and you may be Hair Festival Champion for 2025.
For more information visit www.hairfestival.com.au
Catch up with INSTYLE and Styleicons!
- Subscribe to our bi-monthly magazine
- Check out www.styleicons.com.au
- Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter
- View our digital magazine
- Follow us on social media on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn