Rise Up.

Master Jam Calling Aveda’s Rebecca Sun.

Rebecca Sun has dreams of one day assisting Aveda Global Vice-President Antoinette Beenders – and those aspirations might just be getting one step closer since being announced as this year’s winner of the Aveda Colour Harmony Award in June.

The vivacious 23-year-old from Luc Espace salon in Chatswood, NSW, had pretty good odds going into the finals, having two entries amongst the final five. Motivated by nature, Rebecca’s first entry was wheat-inspired, featuring rustic copper roots to gold ends and contrasting textures from smooth to rough. However it was her second entry reflecting the elements of autumn that scored her the winning vote – dark roots fading into burgundy copper/gold ends and a sweeping, windswept fringe.

Aveda Colour Harmony is an award that honours creativity, technical skill, vision and the holistic connection between hair colour and makeup. The judging panel, including International Creative Director Antoinette Beenders, über colourist Ian Michael Black, makeup maestro Rudy Miles, Mick Luppino of Lupp Hair and culture Editor-in-Chief Jenny Burns, voted for the hair colourist and makeup artist team whose work best reflects current style directions, the spirit of Aveda and the connection between hair colour and makeup. In 2010 it was Rebecca’s turn for triumph – not a bad result considering this was her first time entering the competition.

“Having worked for Aveda for so long, I’ve grown to really love the products and I wanted to be recognised for representing the brand in some way,” Rebecca explains. “I was able to do this across the board with Colour Harmony, as I could produce a creative cut but also incorporate colour, styling products and makeup.

“Not to mention being able to fulfill my dream of a trip to Master Jam to work backstage alongside the Aveda Global Creative Team!” she adds with a grin.

So what characteristics does Rebecca believe her entry had when it came to crossing the Colour Harmony line in first place?

“I think having a clear vision of what you want to express through a modern creative cut is paramount,” she expresses. “Having a creative technical pattern, using a natural element (the wind) and also having the connection between hair colour and makeup I feel really appealed to the judges.”

Rebecca certainly has her head on straight when it comes to her career path as a hairdresser. Although excited by her win and the accolades that come with it, she is completely aware that success and longevity in this industry come down to more than just pretty pictures.

“I believe I have a lot of strengths as a hairdresser and these go beyond my skills as a colourist,” says Rebecca. “I strive to excel in all fields of hairdressing. For me, it’s about building relationships with our guests, identifying what they need or want during the consultation and also making the haircut their own. That mix of creativity and personality is really important.”

Rebecca also credits the work environment as being vital to the success of a young, up-and-coming stylist. “Being surrounded by awesome people and given some creative freedom helps me perform on a day-to-day basis at my best,” she says enthusiastically of the Luc Espace salon. “I do my best to provide excellent service and it’s the teamwork in the salon that makes this possible. Not only is teamwork vital to execute an amazing haircut, but the unique Aveda experience and rituals also make a harmonious and holistic environment that is great to work in.”

So whilst Rebecca is getting ready for her trip to Master Jam in London, she’s hoping it won’t be her last foray overseas. Her aspirations for the future include participating in fashion weeks in major international cities, as well as elevating her skill set by doing more education courses in the hope that she can pass such knowledge onto others in her role as Junior Styling Educator at Luc Espace. And her advice to other young people who are thinking of entering into a competition or awards?

“As cliché as it sounds, you just have to give it a go and work hard,” Rebecca says. “We all know that if you don’t do anything, you won’t really get anywhere. As hard and as daunting as it is trying to be creative, organised and self-assured all at once, the hard yards will eventually pay off. It’s through all the challenges along the way that will make you become the artist you are striving to be!”