Sarah Laidlaw

What country are you from, and where do you reside? 

I’m Australian, and living in Sydney.

Title of what you do and if you are aligned with a brand or company. 

I’m a Session Stylist and Makeup Artist. I’ve been under exclusive contracts with various brands of hair tools, hair products, makeup products and skincare. I’m free of those restrictions for the first time in twelve years. Watch this space…

Education background (school, salons, self-taught)? 

I finished grade twelve then went straight into a hairdressing apprenticeship in salon. In Australia, at the time I started, that included a certificate course at college. I was mostly self-taught with makeup. I learnt from all the artists I worked with when doing hair on set and put it all together into my own style.

What is the first creative project that you remember? 

The very first I remember was my Mum getting me to paint a picture for a competition for the cover of the phone book! I would been about six years old.

What is your signature style/artistic expression of your work? 

I love the exaggerated beauty of high fashion editorials. Striking, strong looks that capture the imagination and grab your attention. Those incredible couture images led to me loving big creative hair shapes, and I ended up getting known for oversized hair with effortless texture. It’s funny because I only get hired for jobs like that about 5% of the time… but it’s what everyone remembers.

What is the most fulfilling job you’ve worked on or someone you have worked with? 

I love creating looks for everyday people for their most special life events… seeing them look in the mirror and loving how they look is so fulfilling. You can see that moment literally change lives at times. When it comes to shoots or runway shows, almost every job is fulfilling to me! I really love the creative process of hair and makeup. I find it so FUN making beautiful images.

Do you have a career turning point, big break, or person who has helped your career? 

There are two special people that have influenced my career, and my life in general.

The first is Benni Tognini – He is a creative force in the hairdressing industry worldwide. I did work experience at his salon, and he is the ONLY reason I went into hairdressing! He was so creative and impressive that I couldn’t leave. I trained under him for 4 fabulous years. He gave me the gift of all his extensive knowledge and he taught me how to think creatively, laterally and inside out. He really is a genius.

The second is makeup artist Rae Morris – we met when I was an apprentice. Her main influence

happened about fifteen years later when she urged me to move cities to expand my career. She was also my biggest supporter as I moved into editorial, and she has always been a huge creative inspiration and a treasured friend of over thirty years now.

What was the scariest and proudest moment in your career? 

Some of the proudest moments that come to mind are the awards I’ve been given for my work. It’s a pretty special feeling. There were two years in a row when I was awarded both the Australian Session Stylist of the Year and Australian Makeup Artist of the Year at the same time.

As for scariest moments, I don’t know that I’ve felt scared very often at work. If I had to do touchups on the edge of a skyscraper, I’d be scared, though!

What is next for your career goals? 

Hmmm… I have so many creative things I’d like to do and not enough years to do them in!

What advice would you give to someone starting in your business? 

Learn as much as you can from everyone you can. Practice all the skills you learn, even if you think you’ll never use them. Fashions always come back around again. If a job has no pay but will be creative, then do it! Some of my favourite images have come from love jobs. Take every opportunity to assist other artists – that experience of observation is priceless. And above all, have fun, beauty doesn’t have to be serious.

Instagram: @sarahlaidlaw

Website: www.sarahlaidlaw.com