Locals are cut above the rest

HAIRDRESSING talent in the Lockyer Valley has made its mark, with three hairdressers from Gatton taking out winning places in the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE's Spotlights Competition.

Nineteen-year-old Snipettes Toowoomba hairdresser Bridget Kluck never expected to win the Red Carpet category as it was the first competition she had entered.

"My style was elegant and simple and to be honest I did it the last two minutes we had with the photographer," she said.

"It's formal time at the moment, so I tried to think of what girls would like to wear.

"I got third in the Vintage section, which was a male style.

"It was a great experience and all my friends were the models."

Fusion Hair and Beauty hairdresser, 25-year-old Sasha Bachmann, won third place in the Era in Time category with her style inspired by her earlier days of ballet.

"We did the photo shoot last November, which was very exciting and a lot of fun," she said.

"It was an exciting competition because you basically come up with anything.

"I did ballet for 17 years, so it was inspired by the Black Swan with a more modern twist.

"It was fun to be creative and do something out of the ordinary that I wouldn't normally get to do at the salon.

"There are no limitations and it's fantastic that Sharon (Fusion Hair and Beauty owner Sharon Kluck) gives us these opportunities and encourages us to enter in things that we never would have before.

"I love doing clients and I think it's good for us in Gatton to show what we can do and prove that just because we are from the country doesn't mean we aren't creative."

Sharon Kluck took out highly commended awards in Era in Time and Red Carpet.

The three were placed out of 170 competitors in the competition.