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South Surrey native wins ‘Oscars of hairdressing’ award

Simon James named Contessa 2019 Texture Hairstylist of the Year
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Simon James works on a client’s hair. (Instagram @simon.james.hair photo)

Those in the industry call it the Oscars of hairdressing.

And for South Surrey native Simon James, winning a Contessa Award was a childhood dream, sort of.

“As a kid I used to dream about winning an Oscar as an actor,” James said, who was once featured in this publication when he was an Earl Marriott Secondary student for his work in theatre. “This is the closest thing to it in my industry. The recognition of hard work and being the best at what you do.”

James was named the Contessa 2019 Texture Hairstylist of the Year this month at an awards gala in Toronto.

James got his start by sweeping hair in his father Richard Farry’s salon as a kid, he said. Farry still works out of No. 10 Downing St. in Ocean Park.

“To be honest, I kind of fell into (the industry). It was a happy accident,” James said, adding that his mother and two cousins are also hairdressers.

James now works out of Vancouver’s Style Lab and specializes in colour and colour correction.

“Which is why it’s funny that I won my first major award for styling because that’s always been my weakness,” he told PAN. “I turned a weakness into a strength. I spent so much time over the last five years working on styling.”

James Instagram profile (@simon.james.hair) shows off some of his work featuring vibrant colours and extravagant styles.

“The creative side is where my passion lies,” he said. “It’s what keeps me motivated in the salon. My major mission is to make an impact in the industry. My major goal is to inspire the next generation of hairdressers coming up. I like to do charity events and educational events, stuff like that to get the next generation interested in the creative side.”

James also works as an educator for Goldwell Professional Hair Colour.



About the Author: Aaron Hinks

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