Melbourne hair icon Bernadette Beswick has been celebrated on the global stage, taking out the prestigious British Hairdressing Awards (BHA) International Collection of the Year 2025 for her visionary Luminary collection.
This latest accolade marks her third major honour in just 18 months, following her titles of AHIA Creative Australian Hairdresser of the Year 2025 and
AHIA Business Educator of the Year 2024 – cementing her place as the only hairdresser to have achieved all three distinctions.
Bernadette’s Luminary collection showcases her extraordinary artistic vision, where she explores the duality of light as both a physical phenomenon and a metaphorical force in hairdressing. Through meticulous precision cutting fused with futuristic innovation and geometric form, she draws inspiration from the beautiful elements of light itself-from the spectrum and natural patterns to the way it reflects across textures such as fur, feathers, and liquids. Each hairstyle in the collection becomes a deliberate challenge to outdated conventions, setting a new benchmark for creative excellence in hair artistry.
“I am beyond words with appreciation of receiving this international award! Luminary is shining bright worldwide and I am so proud,” says Bernadette Beswick. “This win will help me influence the lives of my students even more. We can never forget that hairdressers can truly change lives.”
The award-winning collection was brought to life through collaboration with an exceptional creative team. Bernadette Beswick worked with ELEVEN Australia Global Brand Artist Rachel Vitullo for colour artistry, while the collection was captured through the lens of photographer Andrew O’Toole, with make-up artistry by Kylie O’Toole and styling by Catherine V.
Bernadette stands as a distinguished industry leader with over 35 years of experience, uniquely positioned as both founder of the globally recognised Beswick Education, as well as Guest Featured Hairstylist at Silk Hairdressing in Mt Martha.
Through Beswick Education, she offers an extensive portfolio of specialised courses designed to elevate hairdressers at every career stage, from the foundational “Harness Foundation Hair Cutting Class” for apprentices to the transformative “Shear Excellence Cutting Camp” for advanced stylists. Her innovative offerings include acclaimed “5-Star Retail Sales System” and her most recent “Classic Bob Cutting”, ensuring hairdressers not only master their craft but also develop the communication and business skills necessary to build thriving careers.
This most recent recognition is particularly significant given the strength of the competition, with four of the other five BHA International Collection of the Year finalists also hailing from Australia, demonstrating the country’s exceptional standing in the global hairdressing community.
CREDITS
AHIA Creative – 2025 Australian Hairdresser of the Year
BHA – 2025 International Collection of the Year
Collection: Luminary
Hair Director: Bernadette Beswick @be.the.exceptional.hairdresser
Haircuts and styling: Bernadette Beswick
Colour: Rachel Vitullo
Photographer: Andrew O’Toole
Make Up Artist: Kylie O’Toole
Styling: Catherine V
