How does he do it?
17 years is a long time, and Brendan O’Sullivan Hair and Beauty has sailed through it beautifully. Reflecting on the reasons for his continued success, Brendan says:
“Maintaining key values within the business has meant we’ve kept growing and improving. Whatever challenges you face over the years, it’s important to keep your thoughts firmly on the future.
Our vision has always been clear – to make every customer look and feel fantastic. We make sure all our plans and actions support this vision. Constantly measuring ourselves against our vision means it has become part of everything we do. Customer feedback is vital to us; we really do read every review, always thrilled by the five-star feedback clients leave for us. Recently we were voted ‘Best Hairdressing Salon’ in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in the Muddy Stilettos Awards; it meant the world to us all.
No matter how experienced, I think there’s always room for growth; you should never stop learning. We have regular development meetings with all our team members, with both individual and BOS team training plans. I believe you can get better at things you’re already good at. For instance, we are known for being a great colour salon; to make us even better, we recently had a full day of training with industry colour coach Carolyn Newman – team members at every level gained something new.
It’s no secret that I love fashion and session work. Involving the team in fashion and backstage work encourages their thirst for continued learning and discovering trends. This offers more options to our customers, so everyone’s a winner. We regularly send team members on the UNITE Runway Ready course to help prepare them for backstage work at London Fashion Week.
I learned long ago that if you struggle to find time for something, or you know it’s not your strength, get someone else to do it! My Business Partner Wendy is amazing; we work together on future strategies; she takes care of day-to-day business and has a huge depth of experience. It means I can take time out for session projects without worrying. We have a wonderful Salon Manager and Receptionist who also helps the salon run smoothly. I outsource marketing and social media; being on top of all these management functions means we can support the business well. I’m immensely proud of our team.”
The future? I’m so excited about what’s to come! It’s great to achieve our 17-year milestone in 2022, and I look forward to implementing plans to make 2023 and beyond even better.”
Read more in a recent industry interview with Brendan.
BOS Time Travellers at London Fashion Week
Brendan O'Sullivan and the team created futuristic hair for Jaded Collective at their 'Time Traveller' show, London Fashion Week.
"Jaded Collective celebrate creativity, diversity and persistence. Our brief was Futuristic Hair so we designed gravity-defying looks expressing our vision of the future. All our team were involved in creating the bespoke hairpieces, we love having so much fun with fashion."
– Brendan
Real hair blended with dramatic hairpieces perfectly complimented the Time Traveller theme, along with show-stopping peaks and spikes created from natural hair.
Products: Schwarzkopf Session | Photography @roamingpixel | Videography @lucocreative
Brendan works the Wet Look trend at London Fashion Week
Brendan O'Sullivan works the Wet Look Trend at London Fashion Week for Oh Polly and Unite Hair.
"Our brief for the Oh Polly show was a wet, slicked-back look. It's one of the key hair trends for 2022 and we really enjoyed creating the hair."
– lead hairstylist Brendan O'Sullivan.
Fast fashion and high energy on the Oh Polly runway. Brendan and his team used Unite Hair products to work the fashion-forward Wet Look trend. From 'caught in the rain' with drenched strands tumbling over the face, to slicked-back shiny chic, and high-volume movement combined with a luxurious gloss. The looks were playful, refreshing, and dialled up the shine, reflecting the 2022 trend that's set to become increasingly popular.
Unite Hair products used to create the looks were Boosta Volumizing Spray, Blow&Set Sculpting Lotion, Lazer Straight Relaxing Fluid, Smooth&Shine Styling Creme, Expanda Volume Root Energizer and GO365 Hairspray.
Photography: @grahamcannphoto
Video: @osullivanluke
Flying Solo NYC at Paris Fashion Week
Following the success of London Fashion Week, Brendan flew off to Paris as Lead Hair for the Flying Solo NYC show. Using Unite Hair products, Brendan and his team produced elegant looks inspired by braiding techniques, embellished with beautiful hair jewellery. Simple yet stunning, these looks would adapt brilliantly for Christmas and New Year parties for clients with long hair. Unite Hair products that helped create the look were Expanda Dust, Blow & Set Lotion and GO365 Hairspray.
Vin + Omi ‘Future Flowers’ London Fashion Week Show
Brendan was Lead Hairstylist at the Vin + Omi ‘Future Flowers’ London Fashion Week show at The Dorchester, 21st September 2021. No less than 50 models were walking (dancing or running!) including Jo Wood and Olympians Hannah Williams, Marcus Mempstead, Joe Choong and Stephanie Twell.
“This was such an exciting collection to work on, Vin + Omi designs are works of art and hair needed to be both spectacular and respectful of the sustainability values which Vim + Omi hold close to their hearts.
We referenced the Future Flowers theme with an Avant Garde perspective, always bearing sustainability in mind. Vin + Omi do inspirational research into how they can work with nature and leave the planet as undisturbed as possible and to align with this we used every day (but unusual for session work) materials such as fruit nets and protectors recycled from greengrocers and supermarkets, recycled cardboard, and old clothing. We even used recycled fashion pieces from Vin + Omi previous collections such sheepskin, wool, re-purposed building foam to create spectacular headpieces. It’s made me think about how I could use materials already to hand to achieve high fashion looks.
The looks were a celebration of how you can be sustainable during London Fashion Week, and a collaboration between the designers and hair team. We worked with Vin + Omi on ideas and mood boards, bringing the vision to life.
There’s such a great choice of products in the KMS range to help me and my team create the looks for this show. And of course, the new Conscious Styling products and GO Solid shampoo fit perfectly with the values behind the show.
I love all the looks but think my favourite must be Gravity Defying Ponytail – It’s simple yet such a contrast to expectations when you imagine a ponytail. I love the bluntness of the brow-skimming fringe.”
Oxford Fashion Studio at London Fashion Week
Brendan was Lead Hairstylist for three shows with Oxford Fashion Studios, London Fashion Week September 19th 2021.
“For the Oxford Fashion Studio hair we used a Seventies inspiration updated with more natural texture and an androgynous mood. Using KMS Conscious Styling products we created a raw texture and visible layers to the hair with natural movement from soft, seventies style blow-dries. These looks really play into the current hair fashion trends we’re seeing in the salon.
We referenced classic Seventies looks updated such as Mullet shapes in shorter and longer versions, a modern-day Shag cut worn shorter with more layers and a Curly Shag which has a squarer, flatter shape with a fringe (we think the Curly Shag look is set to be huge this Autumn), Wash & Wear Bobs and of course, Fringes. We love a Margot Robbie fringe and fringes shorter in the centre going longer to the sides.
I think my favourite look from the show is the Curly Shag style look we created on Charli Fletcher, the model who opened the first show. The hair is shorter than a traditional shag, with the new squarer shape. Charli looked amazing and as the first model to walk, absolutely owned the runway.
KMS products are so adaptable and whatever hair type you have, there will be a solution within the range. At London Fashion Week we don’t know every models hair type in advance and for the Oxford Fashion Studio show there are several designers so we need a look to compliment all. The KMS Conscious Styling range performed perfectly for us.”