Do or Dye features trainee stylists at Scotland’s biggest hairdressing academy.
They’ve trimmed the tresses of Paolo Nutini, Emeli Sande, Katy Perry and Calvin Harris. Now the world of one of the country’s top hairdressing outfits is set to be revealed in the BBC’s latest documentary series and there are some tears and traumas along the way.
Do or Dye: Hair Academy is the four-part fly-on-the-wall series that follows the wannabe stylists at Scotland’s biggest hairdressing training academy.
More than 80 students pass through the doors of the Rainbow Room International academy every year hoping to make it in the cutthroat world of crimping. And in the decade or so it’s been open, hundreds of teenage hopefuls have been given a shot at a career and solid start in life.
“You have youngsters coming straight from school and not all of them make it at first,” says salon boss Linda Stewart. “So they do get upset and there are some tears.”
Linda set up Rainbow Room International, which has salons in Glasgow, Stirling and Ayr, with husband Alan. And after 33 years with a pair of scissors to hand, there’s not much about the business of cutting hair she doesn’t know.
“We get hundreds of applications every year and we’re trying to develop the whole person,” says Linda. “Things have changed a lot but you still get a little bit of a stigma ‘you’re not very good at school, so you may as well go into hairdressing’. But we have proper classrooms and they have to go through all the modules to get the NVQ.”
Students get ‘salon names’ if there are other staff with the same name.
Binky real name Heather McPhedran and Austin Morrill are two of the youngsters set to be telly stars over the next few weeks.
“I have been fascinated by hair since I used to do my Barbie dolls when I was a wee girl,” said Cumbernauld girl Binky, 18. “We constantly have to keep up with fashion so we don’t look clueless when clients ask us stuff.
“Being at the academy has given me a real goal but I don’t know if I’d ever like to have my own salon. You need to have lots of experience. It’d be a big risk.”
Austin, 17, has been cutting his family’s hair since he was 11 and admits it’s a real passion.
“I’ve been here a year and while the wages are quite low because it’s an apprenticeship, it goes up quite a bit when you’re qualified.”
The youngsters are hoping to be among the chosen few selected for the pop-up salon at T in the Park that sees the festival’s big names are attended to. But there’s a lot of hard work first.
“A lot of the students that have come through have gone to work in big places in London and made a name for themselves,” adds Linda. “There is a glamorous side with fashion shows and working abroad if you’re willing to work.”
Do or Dye: Hair Academy, BBC1 Scotland, Monday at 7.30pm
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe