Meet Kathy

Kathy has been with Obsession Salon & Spa for around 4 years but there’s more to Kathy than a great cut & blow-dry. Vintage, burlesque, teaching and cello-playing are just some of Kathy’s hidden talents.

How did you get started in the hair industry?

Before becoming a hairdresser I was a semi-professional musician and secondary school music teacher. I had been living and working in London for 8 years and gigging, recording and performing for most of those. I was unhappy working in education because I felt that the workload was so demanding that I wasn’t getting the time to be creative anymore. Through music I had met many friends in the creative industries and often helped them backstage on their shows, many of which were cabaret or burlesque shows, which is a big passion of mine. This inevitably meant lots of fabulous vintage up do’s and make-up! The more time I spent creating those looks on friends and on myself, the more I realised how much I loved styling hair. So I changed career at 30, retrained in hairdressing, and here I am!

Was there anything in particular that attracted you to working with Obsession Salon & Spa?

I had been a client at Obsession before moving to London, and my mum has been coming to Danny and Dawn for her hair for many years, so I knew how passionate everyone was there, and I also knew their commitment to excellent customer service and training. I knew that if I trained and worked at Obsession I would be getting a high level of training not just in hairdressing, but a commitment to giving the best quality service to all our clients.

What’s your favourite part of the role?

One of my favourite things about hairdressing is styling and long hair dressing for events. This is where I started and what got me interested in hairdressing in the first place, so I think it will always be a passion of mine. I love session styling for photoshoots and catwalks, but I also love creating looks for weddings and events too. Having said that, there is something incredibly satisfying in seeing through a complete colour and cut transformation when a client wants a new look!

Have you got one piece of advice for your clients?

Heat protection, heat protection, heat protection! You put suncream on your skin without question, so why wouldn’t you do it to your hair? Your hair straighteners are as hot as you need your oven to be to cook your Sunday roast, so don’t put your hair through that unprotected, it won’t thank you for it in the long run!

What is it that makes Obsession Salon & Spa so special?

I believe that the client journey from the minute you walk through the doors at Obsession to the moment you leave is a strength of ours. All our staff are here to give you the best luxury experience whether they are your stylist/therapist or just happen to be there to say hello. I hope that we make everyone feel welcome and pampered and provide excellent quality hairdressing and beauty treatments to help you to look and feel at your best. How many people can say that they make people feel like a better version of themselves for a living? I think that’s pretty special.

Is there anything in particular that you would consider yourself an expert in?

I have a thorough knowledge of Kerastase homecare products so I can advise clients about the best way to maintain their hair at home. I have also recently become the in-salon ambassador for the new L’Oréal Metal Detox treatment which can help protect the hair when colouring and help maintain your colour for longer with a more even result. I am also in the process of becoming an ambassador for the Lions Barber Collective, which is a hairdressing and barbering charity aimed at making it more acceptable to talk about male mental health, and be able to recognise signs in our clients and signpost them to the right place if we feel they might need help. I think my colleagues come to me for advice on styling, but also for advice about dealing with curly hair, as my own hair is very curly and I wear it natural most of the time. I have an understanding of what shapes of cut will work best with curls and what products will produce the least frizz and the best defined curls.

Any tips on future trends?

Lived in colour. I think easy maintenance is here to stay, but also a move away from the icy/ashy colours and a move towards warmer caramels, and mushroom colours. No more high maintenance silver toners and more sunkissed honey blondes.

And when you’re not working what do you get up to?

I still play a lot of music. These days it’s mainly folk music, but I’m open to lots of different genres. Both my parents are musicians too, so I play a lot with them, and you can often find me sat in the corner of a pub with my cello and a few other musicians playing tunes and singing a few songs. I love going to see other bands and live music, and of course I LOVE cabaret! I’ve travelled a lot over the years, and very nearly moved to Cambodia a few years ago. So when we are a bit freer to move around the world again, there are a few places that are first up on my bucket list. I’m also pretty active, and I like to keep in shape. I do pilates most days and I’m often on my road bike to get some fresh air and if I’m feeling really restless I’ve been known to drag myself out for a run! As for hanging out, it’s usually at a friends house over a glass of wine and a few nibbles, nothing beats a chilled night surrounded by friends putting the world to rights and having a good chuckle.

Kathy x