Showcase: Back row from left, Nicholle Taylor, Felice Colarusso, Kevin Cole, Leo Luna and Jessica Barry. In front are Brooke Dodovich and Lloyd Kelly. Picture: GREG ELLIS
A team of Illawarra hairdressers will join forces to style all the hair for some of the state's up-and-coming models at the Miss Sydney Australia competition.
The third annual event hosted in Cronulla in early April, is the brainchild of Albion Park businessman Felice Colarusso.
Mr Colarusso has enlisted the support of Nicholle Taylor, who recently acquired Tecnica Hair and Beauty Salon at Albion Park to become Tecnica's first franchisee.
"Nicholle is in charge of this year's hair competition and hairstylists," he said.
"The hairstylists will operate under Nicholle's guidance on the day and the night. Nicholle is also running all the production."
Mr Colarusso said that would give him more time to manage the event.
And with her taking over the salon he would focus on his Tecnica Haircare distribution business and his internationally expanding Horse Show Colour operation.
Mrs Taylor was involved in last year's Miss Sydney Australia, won by Kirsten Dee, of Cronulla, and said she saw it as a great opportunity for hairstylists in the Illawarra.
"I'm the producer of Miss Sydney," she said.
"Last year I also did the production and the year before I did hairdressing. I am actually a dancer and performer as well so I have the background knowledge of what goes on behind the stage at events like this.
"I have been part of some other beauty pageants as well. With my experience and knowledge I have been able to help Felice to do this."
Mrs Taylor said having a team of eight Illawarra hairdressers doing the hairstyling backstage helped create and build a local network for such major events.
"They get to know each other and learn from each other," she said.
The other hairdressers come from salons including Broken Glass at Port Kembla, owned by Kevin Crane, and Anaston Hair and Beauty, of Warilla, run by Jessica Barry, who was involved in the first Miss Sydney Australia in 2011, at which the inaugural winner was Tegan Martin, of Newcastle.
Mr Crane said the competition created plenty of pressure but he said that was the best way to learn.
"You get to work with great models, you get to showcase your work and it is all about high energy and just having a really good time," he said.
"I like to take my whole team along because it was such great experience for them."
Ms Barry said it was also a chance to show Illawarra hairdressers were just as good as those in Sydney.
