The Wella International Trend Vision Young Talent Winner 2014 is UK finalist Nestor Sanchez Gomez. He moved to London from Spain 8 years ago to begin a career in hairdressing. Working for the past 3 years at HOB Salons, he’s now a Senior Stylist and Academy Educator there.
After beating out 82 finalist from 56 nations at Wella’s ITVA 2014 to take home the highly prestigious Young Talent Platinum Award, Nestor Sanchez Gomez from HOB Salons in London spoke about his feelings about winning such a sought-after international award.
When starting out, did you ever dream you would find yourself in Monaco on the Winners’ Stage?
“No, but it was always in the back of my mind… what if..?!”
How would you describe the sensation of winning the Grand Prize in the Wella Trend Vision Awards?
“Before I left the UK for Monaco, my mentor Akin Konizi said to me… ‘only the ‘special ones’ will make it to the end‘… and I have to say that winning Platinum on the International Stage, made me feel very special!”
What made you choose a life in hairdressing?
“I fell into hairdressing by chance after initially being interested in doing a fashion course. At the start I wasn’t sure and called my mum to tell her it wasn’t for me and I was coming back to Spain where I’m originally from. She gave me great advice to stick it out and see, and from there it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with it and I have never looked back since.”
How does your international life experience influence your ideas and your work?
“Although I consider my work to be very technical and precise, my international life experience helps me to keep my work esthetically and visually beautiful.”
What specifically inspired your winning entry?
“My team at the HOB Academy was a big inspiration for me, and the amazing experiences I have had working at incredible events such as London Fashion Week. I used these experiences to create an entry that combined strength and delicate texture.”
How did Wella Professionals products help you achieve your goal?
“Professional haircare is a must! The Wella Professionals range helped me to achieve stunning color on my models hair, amazing healthy results and a beautiful finish for the look that I created.”
What do you envisage as the next great trend in hairdressing?
“I love the Instamatic concept – multi tones within the shape adding softness and texture to a still strong haircut.”