Talented single mum-of-five from Derbyshire among 'best hairdressers in UK'

Maire Abbett, 38, who started her journey with hairdressing when she was a teenager, has been running Zoo Glamour, a hair and beauty salon in Clay Cross, for the last six years.

Now she has qualified for The Wella Professionals TrendVision Award 2022 UK and Ireland Finals.

The competition is considered one of the most prestigious and iconic across the industry.

A panel of highly experienced experts looks through images of hair styles and choose finalists in six categories.

One of them is Colour Specialist, a category in which Maire has reached the finals.

After 20 years of gaining experience and qualifications, she will join the most talented hairdressers during the 2022 Grand Final which will be hosted on Monday, October 3 in London.

Maire said: "Getting to the UK Trend Vision finals in London means the absolute world to me. I have worked many years in my profession to be able to get to this position and it shows if you put in the work you will achieve your goals.”

Maire who has been hairdressing since she was a teenager, has also been teaching in local colleges before opening her own salon.

She has earned multiple certificates and a Bachelors degree in hairdressing, while in 2018 she completed her Master Colour Award with Wella to boost her skills even further.

She said: “These qualifications along with constantly pushing myself to keep up with the latest trends and the constant need to keep on developing my skill set is what has allowed my business to progress to where it is today.”

In October, Maire’s hard work will be presented to an audience of 800 industry experts among the work of most talented hairdressers across the country.

Wella’s Head of Craft and Community, Allison Hargreaves said: “To reach the final of this incredibly prestigious award is an immense achievement. This is a tough competition, and the standard of work is high. The elite list of finalists have demonstrated that they are exceptionally skilled and talented, and I wish them all great luck on the night.”

Maire, who has worked her way up from a junior to a salon owner, believes that starting her own business has allowed her to advance her career alongside being a mother.

Her own hair salon has given her more flexibility with working hours and allowed her to develop her talent and skills.

Maire said: “I feel proud I have been able to do this as a single mum-of-five. Hopefully I’ve set my children a good example of working hard and achieving your goals.”