Vote For Your Favourite Creation For This Year's Shiseido Professional Beauty Innovator Award
Here's your chance to vote for Harper's BAZAAR Readers' Choice for the Shiseido Professional Beauty Innovator Award.
The Shiseido Professional Beauty Innovator Award (BIA) highlights the talent and artistry of hairstylists in both Singapore and Asia. Now in its eighth year, Shiseido Professional Singapore will be selecting representatives from Singapore for two categories to compete in the BIA Asia competition.
The pandemic sparked an unexpected rise in the need to connect to nature and this year's theme — aptly named Natural Bonds — reflects just that. Participants are free to interpret this subject matter in their creations in one of two categories — Art Creation Category, which features artistic and creative designs, as well as Real Creation Category, which showcases the cut and colour on real hair.
The top 10 creations for each category were scored by Shiseido's panel of judges in Japan as well as five Singapore-based judges. The scores were then tabulated to narrow it down to 5 finalists for each category. The judges include industry insiders who are able to lend their expertise to select the crème de la crème in this year's BIA.
From left: Peter Khor, Celebrity Makeup Artist; Edwin Chua, Senior Lecturer of Hair Fashion & Design at ITE College East; Jerome Awasthi, Fashion Show Producer; Arissa Ha, Senior Beauty Editor of Harper's BAZAAR Singapore; Keith Png, Fashion Stylist and Designer.
Here are the 5 finalists for the Art Creation Category and Real Creation Category.
ART CREATION CATEGORY
This category stretches the finalists' artistic abilities to its limits. All hairstylists are able to use a combination of real and faux hair to support their vision and bring it to life.
#1 Soo Ze Siang, Shunji Matsuo (Ngee Ann City)
For this creation, Soo was moved by the notion of nature as a patient sculptor, creating beauty in trees. "Nature is not all that is visible to the eye, but also the inner pictures of the soul," he said.
#2 Soo Ze Siang, Shunji Matsuo (Ngee Ann City)
Like his previous innovative design, this one is deeply rooted in the Tree Spirit, with luscious greenery representing the Amazon rainforest as the lungs of earth.
#3 Soo Ze Siang, Shunji Matsuo (Ngee Ann City)
This striking hair creation is inspired by the ocean, a seemingly endless abyss.
#4 Soo Ze Siang, Shunji Matsuo (Ngee Ann City)
For this entry, Soo noted: "The slow circles of nature, instrument of grace, train us to be patient, slow us down and give us clarity from within. The Universe is based on rhythms. Everything happens in circles, in spirals."
#5 Olson Tan, Olson Studio
Inspired by the birds of paradise, Tan's creation captures the love, freedom, joy and faithfulness of these unique creatures. He hopes that his work will revitalise our relationship with Mother Nature.
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REAL CREATION CATEGORY
The Real Creation Category is the true test of a hairstylist's technical skills. Only real hair is allowed and the creation is fully expressed with cut and colour.
#1 Nicole Cheang, Blond & Pastel
Pale, cool and collected. Cheang's creation is based on the Arctic Ocean, highlighting its fleeting beauty due to the effects of climate change.
#2 Sam Lim, Cross Hair Salon
Lim hopes that his creation can draw attention to the effects of climate change and global warming so that the world can take action before it's too late.
#3 Lisa Ng Pei Chie, Kiu Gallery
Filled with positivity, Ng hopes her design can inspire kindness among humanity to help one another out of the pandemic.
#4 Ong Eng Zheng, Shunji Matsuo (Ngee Ann City)
It's not difficult to see why the jellyfish is the inspiration for this eye-catching look by Ong. The blue and purple ombre tones captures the serenity and grace of these mysterious sea creatures as they move through water.
#5 Salleh Rohani, Shunji Matsuo (Ngee Ann City)
Juxtaposing the resilience and vulnerability of this common flora, Salleh was influenced by the dandelion — an unusual choice of flower for inspiration.
Show your support and pick your favourite from each category with the voting form below.
The best 7 answers will walk away with a SHISEIDO PROFESSIONAL COLOUR SERVICE (worth $300) from your favourite stylist's salon that you voted for!
Plus, 5 lucky voters stand a chance to win SHISEIDO PROFESSIONAL SUBLIMIC LUMINOFORCE haircare products (worth $202).
Photo: Shiseido
Contests opens from March 18 to April 17.