Jess at Saks Barnard Castle


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In the latest of our #SAKSFAM Q&A series we meet Jess Hesp, Saks Barnard Castle’s youngest senior stylist, festival lover, Harry Styles fan and all-round hair super-star.

1. Why hairdressing?
I started as a Saturday girl when I was 13/14. My mum said I need to get a job to fund my weekends. I was coming to Saks Barnard Castle as a client and I liked the people and the atmosphere, so I asked if they had any Saturday jobs going. It was never a career aspiration then but pretty much straight away I realised I liked the place. I left school, did an apprenticeship and now I’m on my third tear on the salon floor.

Jess Hesp with A Team

THE A TEAM: Jess Hesp with Saks A Team

 

2. Career highlight so far?
It has to be working with the A-Team, Luke Pluckrose and the Saks  Art Team. The whole year was about the history of hair and looking at hair through the eras. We did the hair for at The Clothes Show three years running and the New Look show.

3. Fave hairstyle of all time?
I am a BIG fan of up-dos and I love doing wedding hair and being part of the excitement on the day and seeing how happy and buzzing they are about their hair and everything. Seeing it all come together its really cool.

4.Best hair transformation moment?
My most recent #ilovesaks post was my lovely customer who had red hair and decided to embrace a colour closer to her natural white hair. It took a couple of appointments to get there but the final colour was gorgeous!

5. Who is total #hairgoals to you?
Has to be Cara Delevigne….I would love to be involved in helping her grow her hair back after she shaved it all off.

6. Done a celeb’s hair?
Amy Childs. It was so funny because I was back stage at the event and we had just finished and she tapped me on the shoulder and said: “are you a hairdresser?” I said yes but I was very, very nervous. She was so lovely and normal. We chatted for the whole time and I felt so happy once I had done her hair.

Jess-Hesp-Styling-Amy-Childs-Hair

STYLIST TO THE STARS: Jess Hesp styling Amy Childs hair

7. Half hour of me-time – what do you do?
Sleep! I love my sleep.

8. Best bit about Saks Barney?
The team we have a varied mix of people and we all get along so well. Nice environment and great people to work with.

9. Secret to amazing hair?
Regular cuts and the right hair products.

10. ALL THAT AND MORE…Get Shorty, Big Hair Don’t Care, Texturise me or Bit of a Do?
Ooh too hard to choose…Bit of a Do and Get Shorty. I love messy hair… I’m a controlled mess person. When Lisa puts my hair up in the salon she always asks if it is messy enough for me.

11. Desert island…can take three things…what are they?
I wouldn’t take my phone…if you ask any of my friends it’s pointless me having a phone. I look at messages then I don’t reply. I’d take my boyfriend Phil-wouldn’t want to be lonely. Mmm…what else would I take? I do like my food. Actually I’d find food on the island.

12. Next holiday location?
Been to Barcelona, we hired bikes and rode around the city. Barcelona is so beautiful. We were more like locals than tourists. We went to a festival in Spain, then were going to another one in Winchester soon. I LOVE festivals.

13. Your go-to hairstyle?
Festival hair….plait on the front, bun on the top…and GLITTER! I’m growing my hair at the moment so always an up-do.

14. Night in or night on the tiles?
Always a night in. If I was going out it would be to the cinema rather than going ‘out out’. Fave film…I love a comedy and Disney’s Moana at the moment. I just love laughing!

15. Best customer feedback?  (NOTE: Whilst Jess was busy pondering how to answer this question not one but two customers in the salon shouted up to sing Jess’s praises and give her amazing feedback on the spot. One said to Jess: “you are the most modest and talented person.”) Enough said.

HAPPY HAIR: Jess and Saks Barnard Castle customer

16. Future goals?
Running Saks Barnard Castle…of course!

17. Guilty pleasure?
I don’t know if it’s a guilty pleasure but I’m a huge Harry Styles fan. Even all of his new stuff, I’ve seen his film Dunkirk and it’s amazing. I just love his hair, although I wish he didn’t cut it off. That’s probably another guilty pleasure…guys with long hair.

18. Inspiration at Saks comes from…
Sarah Clarke-Lees she’s amazing. She just came out of nowhere. I was in the A-Team with her and she was always having loads of ideas and you just straight away knew she was going somewhere. It’s cool. I am really pleased for her that she’s got to where she is now.

Jess-Hesp-and-Sarah-Clarke-Lees

SAKS INSPIRATION: Sarah Clarke-Lees and Jess Hesp

19. Give us your #ILOVESAKS
I love Saks because… There’s loads of reasons why. Just everything about Saks is really cool. The education that is ongoing…I’m doing my team leading and management qualification at the minute. I’ve done my hairdressing and barbering qualifications and and I still want to excel in other areas of hair but I have got so much more from Saks. The people -everyone is amazing. You can go to everything from a L’Oréal  event backstage styling or the summer parties and always feel totally part of the family.

20. Proud Saks moment?
I organised a charity ball to raise money for The Eve Appeal. I was aiming for a £1000 to be raised that night at Headlam Hall but we raised just under £2000, so I was absolutely over the moon. We had a raffle, an auction, a live band, a 3 course meal and a glass of prosecco on arrival. It was fab! I will definitely do it again… I absolutely loved organising it all and the whole experience of it!

Jess and Simon

EVE APPEAL BALL: Jess and Saks Barnard Castle boss Simon Folkes at The Eve Appeal Ball

 

 

 

 

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