STYLE took centre stage at a gala night celebrating the best of hairdressing in Essex.

Hair salons from across the county joined Basildon and Chelmsford-based hairdressing school J&E Training for a black tie extravaganza to mark their annual achievement awards.

A catwalk exhibition was the highlight of the night as senior stylists and junior art teams from nine salons showcased their work in front of more than 350 of their peers.

Paul Shiret, from J&E, says: “It was a great evening and the catwalk show was just fantastic. It got a great response.

“We have been doing it for three years and it just keeps getting better and better.”

J&E specialise in training hairdressing assistants and work with salons across the county.

The dinner, held at Basildon’s Towngate Theatre, is the ninth year of the achievement awards and was attended by students past and present.

Lynne Hayes, J&E’s business development manager, says: “The awards dinner has just grown and grown, it’s a great event.

“We use it for motivation and to promote achievement and it really helps inspire and encourage the students.”

Lynne says the catwalk element of the evening has an important teaching function as well as lending a slice of glamour to proceedings.

“The show is very important for the trainees because it demonstrates the creative side of hairdressing and allows them to develop their artistic side and stretch their imaginations,” she adds.

“Putting on a show in a public setting means their work has to be of the highest standard. It also opens up the industry to them and shows them hairdressing isn’t just about working in a salon, which helps broaden their expectations.”

On the night the results of three photographic competitions were announced – men’s commercial look, ladies cut and colour, and the avante-garde section, which was based on the theme of dreams and nightmares.

Also announced were the winners of merit awards ranging from best young apprentice to best salon team, with 22-year-old Peter Radley, from Reed Hair, in Maldon, named J&E’s Student of the Year 2009.

Guests of honour at the dinner included hair celebrities such as Anne Veck, and former Vidal Sassoon art director Stacey Broughton, who now works with www.myhairdressers.com where Peter will spend a day creating a photographic showcase of his work worth £3,500.

Also there was British Men’s Hairdresser of the Year Jim Shaw, who runs Essensuals and Essensuals Men salons in Billericay.

Jim says: “I go to lots of awards ceremonies across the country. J&E put on such a professional show. There is so much talent in this area, it’s a really strong part of the country.

“J&E do a really good job and we have trainees in our salons who came to us through them.

“I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and it’s great to see such original and inspirational work coming through.”

Lynne says the attendance of high profile industry figures helps inspire and reward their students. She says: “Having such well-known names, who between them have won so many accolades within the industry, is very inspirational. It also raises the standard of the work students submit both for collections and for the photographic competitions.

“It shows how seriously we take it, and it shows we appreciate the work of the students.”

The glamourous evening also had a serious side, with donations from ticket sales raising £1,400 for the Hair and Beauty Benevolent Fund.

The fund is the official industry charity and offers financial support to individuals and their families in times of illness, bereavement or financial hardship.

Paul says: “We have raised a lot of money for the fund, which is great because it does really important work with people within the industry who find themselves in need.

“The fund helps so many people when things get tough so it’s a really important initiative to support.”

For more information on J&E and the courses they run, visit www.j-etraining.com