FROM THE COLLECTIVE TO LONDON FASHION WEEK: ZOEY WESTON’S ELEVEN AUSTRALIA JOURNEY

From joining the ELEVEN Australia Collective to becoming a Colour Master, Styling Educator and stepping backstage at London Fashion Week, Zoey Weston’s journey shows just where saying yes to new opportunities can take you.

Meet Zoey Weston from Salon B in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

When Zoey first saw the ELEVEN Australia Collective, she knew she wanted to be part of it. The chance to learn, push herself creatively, work on hair shows and experience a side of the industry she hadn’t explored before was too exciting to pass up.

“I loved the thought of working backstage with ELEVEN and doing things I never thought I would.”

And, as it turns out, that was only the beginning.

IT STARTED WITH THE COLLECTIVE

Walking into her first Collective session, Zoey remembers seeing everything that was planned for the months ahead and thinking,

“What a year this is going to be!”

She threw herself into every opportunity, building confidence in the skills she already had while challenging herself to step outside her comfort zone and try something new.

One experience in particular stands out.

“HairCon was a massive game changer for me.”

The Collective gave Zoey more than new skills. It gave her the confidence to put herself forward, say yes to opportunities and start thinking about where she wanted her career to take her next.

TAKING HER SKILLS FURTHER

With the confidence she’d gained through the Collective, Zoey was ready for her next challenge: becoming an ELEVEN Australia Colour Master.

For Zoey, it was about going beyond simply knowing what to use and really understanding the why behind every colour choice. It’s knowledge that has changed the way she works behind the chair and how she talks to her clients about their colour.

“I don’t just pop a toner on and hope for the best now. I know why I’m using it and what the result will be. Clients love it when I explain what I’m doing, too.”

Colour Masters gave Zoey another layer of confidence and knowledge to take back into the salon, but she already had her sights set on where she wanted her ELEVEN Australia journey to take her next.

FROM LEARNING TO LEADING

At the very beginning of her Collective year, ELEVEN Australia Education Director Jo Roberson asked Zoey where she wanted to be in a year’s time.

Her answer? To become an ELEVEN Australia Styling Educator.

So when the call eventually came to tell her she’d achieved exactly that, it was a pretty special moment.

“When I got that phone call, I couldn’t believe it. I’d given the Collective everything. I showed up and went the extra mile, so it meant a lot to feel that my hard work had been noticed.”

Now, Zoey gets to share her passion with other hairdressers, helping them develop their own skills and confidence through ELEVEN Australia education.

“I love meeting other stylists and teaching something I love.”

From joining the Collective to becoming the person standing up and sharing her knowledge with others, Zoey had achieved the goal she’d set herself just a year earlier.

But another opportunity was about to take her somewhere completely new…

NEXT STOP: LONDON FASHION WEEK

Then came an opportunity Zoey certainly wasn’t going to say no to.

On Sunday 13 September, she joined the hair team led by Ella Fisher of Hair Artistry for the VIN + OMI ANARCHY show at London Fashion Week, working backstage to help bring the show’s bold and rebellious hair direction to life.

For Zoey, it was a chance to put everything she’d learned into practice in a completely different environment.

“The atmosphere backstage was incredible. Everyone was so nice, and we worked so well as a team. It was hectic, but I loved every minute. Organised chaos!”

For Ella Fisher, who led the hair team for the show, working in such a fast-paced backstage environment meant choosing products the whole team could rely on without limiting their creativity.

“Backstage at Fashion Week is fast and unpredictable, so you need products you can trust but that don’t dictate the creativity. For me, the products should support the idea rather than become the idea, and that’s what worked really well with ELEVEN Australia on this show.”

And amongst all that organised chaos came a moment when Zoey suddenly realised exactly where her ELEVEN Australia journey had taken her.

“I looked out of the window from the 24th floor and had the most amazing view over central London. Prue Leith was in front of me having a giant red wig fitted, and Jane Moore was to my right having twigs fitted to her head. That’s when I thought, I’m at London Fashion Week! I still have to pinch myself.”

From wondering what her first year with the Collective might bring to finding herself styling backstage at London Fashion Week, it was a pretty special full-circle moment.

SAY YES AND SEE WHERE IT TAKES YOU

For ELEVEN Australia Education Director Jo Roberson, seeing Zoey take that next step has been a proud moment.

“It’s been a pleasure getting to know Zoey and helping her on her journey. The LFW opportunity was last minute, as LFW tends to be, but Zoey just said yes and threw herself into it, and I love that. I’d also like to thank Ella Fisher for giving us this opportunity.”

And Zoey’s advice for any stylist thinking about taking their own next step?

“Just do it! You don’t have to feel completely ready. If you’ve been thinking about it, it’s worth exploring. You never know where it might lead you.”

From the Collective to London Fashion Week, Zoey’s journey is proof that sometimes the best thing you can do is say yes and see where it takes you.