Destined to be hair apparent | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Rotorua can now boast one of the region's top hairdressers.

Leeanne Elliott, from The House of Elliott on Pukuatua St, is off to Christchurch in September to compete for the title of the nation's top hairdresser.

Ms Elliott is one of four top Bay of Plenty hair designers who competed in the regional competition in Tauranga and will take their skills to a higher level next month  in the New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers National Hair Design Awards.

Ms Elliott will join Maia Fox, Liz Ward and Andrea Reid, all from Tauranga, at the national competition on September 25.

All four claimed supreme titles for outstanding work at the New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers Regional Hair Design Awards on Sunday.

Ms Elliott won the Urban Night Hair Award, Ms Fox, of Salon One At The Cove, took out the title of Apprentice Directional Women's Fashion Cut, while Ms Ward, of Liz Ward Hairdressing in Katikati, took the senior title for Directional Women's Fashion Cut and the Oceanic Hairdressing Masters Award.

Andrea Reid, of Tauranga's Rodney Wayne Hairdressing, took out the Apprentice Urban Night Hair category.

The women fought off fierce competition from almost 200 entrants for the right to represent the Bay of Plenty at the national competition.

President of the Bay of Plenty Hairdressing Association Angela King said the contest produced "a lot of pressure and a lot of nerves".

Mrs King said  all the models' hair  was  coloured before the competition.

This had created "havoc" as hairdressers worked to balance their client workload leading up to the challenge.

"Some worked until midnight," she said.

Mrs King said the standard of work was high and support from the public strong.

• See this Friday's Weekender for a profile of Leeanne Elliott.