LookAtVietnam – A Hai Phong hairstylist basked in the glory of his victory on Friday during the final round of the French-themed L’Oreal Colour Trophy competition.

King of the bob: The grand prize winner of the L’Oreal Colour Trophy competition, Nguyen Duc Hieu, receives his prize.

Duc Hieu, who works at hair salon Hieu Trang in Hai Phong city, won against 14 other professional designers from Ha Noi, Nha Trang, Binh Phuoc and HCM City.

His biggest competitor was stylist Tran Van Duc Thinh, who was second runner-up.

With this prize, Hieu will travel to Paris for a hairstyling course worth US$5,000.

The judge of the event, well-known Japanese stylist Shunji Matsuo, said Duc Hieu’s style as a trend-setting bob with long-swept bangs and red-coloured hair cut at a sharp angle, highlighting the bone structure of the face.

“The work of Hieu does not stop at a classic bob style,” she said. “It’s a creative and gorgeous cut breaking the old order. He also shows off an excellent dyeing skill with a high degree of difficulty and innovation.”

Simon Koh, one of the judges who is also L’Oreal Professionel’s Ambassador in Malaysia, said: “Although this is the first time the competition was held in Viet Nam, I’ve been really impressed by the quality of work in the final round. They are all practical and I highly appreciate their good combinations of cut, colour, make-up and clothes styling.”

In addition to the competition, 700 hairstylists during the gala evening witnessed the L’Oreal Professionel Ambassadors Govin and Simon Koh’s “Rock n’ Folk” Autumn-Winter 2009 collection, as well as Shunji Matso’s collection, Centenary Beauty: The Beauty of Hair through Many Periods.

“There is no boundary for creativity. If you dare to dream, to think and bold enough to carry it out, you will be a success,” Matsuo said. The L’Oreal Colour Trophy competition has taken place every year since 1954. It combines international fashion, inspirational creativity and innovative hairdressing into a spectacular competition.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News