Wella Trend Vision Finalists announced

The chance to represent New Zealand on a global stage in New York has inspired an eclectic mix of hairdressers to enter this year's Wella Trend Vision competition. The finalists, announced on June 1, represent the best of the bunch and will compete head to head for Trend Vision gold on August 1.

The entrants used one of the four themes created by Wella Professional's Global Creative Directors Eugene Souleiman and Josh Wood as their inspiration when creating their competition looks – Passionista, Lumina, Glamazon and Polaris.

The 19 finalists will battle it out in the live national final on August 1 in Auckland, competing to win gold in either the Colour or the Young Talent category. The two winners will then compete against representatives from more 50 countries at the International Trend Vision Award in New York on October 30.

For the younger competitors, the highest scoring apprentices in each region wins a Trend Vision Apprentice award, which comes with one year of Wella education. This year, the accolade went to Michaela Powell, Amy Tildesley and Nicole Knox.

Judge and editor of Fashion Quarterly, Fiona Hawtin, says it's always a pleasure to see the depth of talent New Zealand hairdressing has. "Some of the entries were breathtaking. Of course, they showed the requisite technical skills but they also had the creativity that makes a truly arresting image.

Young Talent finalists

• Kelly Latu, Blaze, Auckland
• Sara Carswell, Blaze, Auckland
• Jason Chong Li, Stephen Marr Newmarket, Auckland
• Aimee Bergerson, Veronica Jayne, Palmerston North
• Peter Burkill, Buoy Hairdressing, Wellington
• Sharelle Creswill, House of Hair, Gisborne
•  Cameron Aitken-Boyle, Zaibatsu Hair Art, Dunedin
• Nicole Knox, Zaibatsu Hair Art, Dunedin
• Jason Trotter, Janine Jansen Salon, Nelson

Colour finalists

• Danny Pato, D&M Hair Design, Auckland
• Jock Robson, dharma, Auckland
• Michaela Powell, Blaze, Auckland
• Lenard Johnston, dharma, Auckland
• Natasha Bird, M>phosis, Hastings
• Amy Tildesley, Silver Scissors, Palmerston North
• Michael Beel, Buoy, Wellington
• Jaimee Smith, Zaibatsu Hair Art, Dunedin
• Kylie Hayes, Moha E Gli Amici, Dunedin
• Vicky Taylor-Blair, Scott Base, Dunedin