The Freelance Hairdressers’ Association’s biggest event of the year, INSPIRE!, took place on Sunday 8 June and was a celebration of freelance hairdressing at its very best
Held for the first time at the beautiful Staverton Park Hotel & Golf Club, the event welcomed freelancers from across the UK for a day packed with inspiration, education, and connection. INSPIRE! 2025 offered something for everyone. From creative demos and hands-on insights to must-visit brand showcases and the prestigious FHA Freelance Awards.
This year’s stage opened with a warm welcome from FHA founder Sheila Abrahams, before kicking off a stellar programme.
Wella’s Nikki Clifford unveiled a sneak peek of upcoming A/W shades, sharing her ‘Surreal Colour’ vision, a trend inspired by AI generated looks and brought to life with dreamy pastels. Wella also ran competitions on their stand and gave out goodie bags, even one lucky member even won a free studio session.
ERGO’s Jonty Olivier shared his deeply personal journey from stylist to educator, discussing how carpal tunnel syndrome in his team led to a search for better tools. His session highlighted ERGO’s self-healing brushes, negative ion technology and extended barrels, which are all designed to protect stylists and improve results. Stylists Cheryl and Jacques also shared powerful first hand experiences of switching to ergonomic tools.
L’Oréal’s Nancy Stripe took to the stage to share her freelance journey and how she built her business through blogging, education, and staying on the pulse of trends. Her ‘Create, Captivate, Grow’ session inspired attendees to use social media to market themselves and offer clients completely bespoke colour, from biscotti bronde to cashmere blonde.
Fanola, presented by Edward Cummings and Hannah Martin of Salon Supplies, highlighted their standout products, including a banana scented peroxide and lightening bleaches in vivid purple, green, and blue. The session shared the brand’s philosophy of creativity and self-expression, plus practical info on next-day delivery and their exclusive 1:1.5 colour ratio.
Indola’s Andy and Abbey Smith delivered commercial creativity with their take on Street Style, featuring wearable editorial looks. From icy blondes to bold tangerine tones and ribbon like balayage, the duo combined technical insight with high-fashion flair.
The Exhibition Village was a must-visit throughout the day, where attendees explored tools, products, and innovations from Indola, Wella, L’Oréal, ERGO, Fanola, Aston & Fincher, and Spencer Scissors. From exclusive offers to hands-on demos and giveaways, the shopping village proved a huge hit, with stylists stocking up on kit essentials and chatting directly with their favourite brands.
The day closed with the announcement of the FHA Freelance Awards 2025 winners – a heartfelt and inspiring celebration of the talent within the freelance community.
Award Winners:
Avant Garde – Roberta Karvelyte-Pukan
Red Carpet – Samantha Blues
Barber – Candice Pettifer
Stylist – Nataleah Brandy
Colour – Gabriela Wain
Vivid Colour – Casey Coleman
Texture – Charlotte Bates
The INSPIRE! 2025 raffle also raised £383, which is a fantastic result that will go toward supporting the work of the Hair and Beauty Charity.
For the full imagery of the event see here: LINK
