On Monday 19 August 2024, the world’s longest running and most prestigious hair event, L’Oréal Professionnel’s Style & Colour Trophy ANZ, crowned its 2024 winner through a live grand finale with over 300 attendees at Ciel The Venue, Southbank. Ben Semple, Expert Stylist at Circles of Hair Western Australia was crowned as this year’s winner, with his Utopia-inspired look taking out first place for its response to a brief that encouraged freedom, harmony and self-expression. Second place was awarded to Natasha Monastra– Koko Blaq Coiffeur WA, and third place to Loren Polidori– Ensemble Salon.
An Expert stylist at Circles of Hair in Perth, Ben Semple has made a mark for himself as a driven, energetic and creative visionary. His exceptional work has ensured that his client column is one of the hottest tickets in Perth and his understanding of on-trend transformations is unparalleled. He has been part of the acclaimed Circles of Hair group since starting his apprenticeship in early 2013, his natural skill and style saw him quickly rise through the competitive ranks to develop into a successful award-winning stylist.
Career highlights include being a part of the Foundation Guillaume team that took part in the Intercoiffure World Congress 2017 event in Japan, being named Grand Finalist for the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Rising Star 2018 and overall Grand Finalist in both 2019 and 2020. Testament to his dedication to colour work, a win has always been his next goal.
Ben’s take on Utopia was visibly emblematic of his dedication and commitment to his craft, and irrefutable love of colour. For the second year, Australia and New Zealand became one, with professionals from the hub invited to offer limitless hair looks and showcase their unique talents under one umbrella.
Now in its 68th year globally, Style & Colour Trophy recognises the best of the best in hair styling and colouring, and works to shine a spotlight on the industry’s rising stars, turning the best among them into internationally renowned profiles in the world of hair. Celebrating the creativity and skill of hair artistry, the contest brings incredible excitement and energy to the industry, inspiring hairdressers around the world to strive to push the limits of what is possible not only in the salon, but on the world stage. For the fourth year in a row, the iconic competition was available to everyone within the hairdressing industry, no matter their level of expertise or years of experience. This year also saw winners announced for the first time at the in-person gala event at Ciel The Venue, Southbank with over 300 attendees.
An opportunity that every hairdresser dreams of, Ben’s winning look will be entered into the Style & Colour Trophy Global Semi-Final, where global judges will review amongst all other winners from participating countries across the globe, before selecting their top 6 finalists to compete for the global title in November 2024.
L’Oréal Professionnel invites hair pros and hair lovers around the world to keep up to date with all things hair and Subscribe to the L’Oréal Professionnel Paris YouTube channel to stay tuned for the live stream grand finale (date to be announced soon!) and other inspiring content from inside L’Oréal Professionnel Paris and from hair pros around the world.
