September Colourist of the Month - Jessie Burkitt

Jessie Burkitt, People Hairdressing

By Rob Kotevski September 1 2009

As long as she can remember, Jessie Burkitt has loved being around the buzz of hairdressing salons.

“I wasn’t brought up in the industry or around it, but I loved going to the hairdresser with my mum and had regular hair changes and once I even had a perm!”

The colourist from the People salon in Sydney’s Potts Point has completed her master in colour with Wella and was lucky enough to take out the national finals at a recent Trend Vision Award contest, where she was flown to the UK to learn from some of the best in the business.

When she isn’t jetsetting around the world, Jessie can be found absorbing the atmosphere and colour of her Surry Hills neighbourhood.

“I’m inspired by the subcultures of Sydney as a village. The cafes, bars, restaurants, film festivals, live gigs, fashion, vintage fashion and biker androgyny, Sydney has it all!”

Can you tell us a little bit about your working history?

My first job was at Ménage A Trios in Neutral Bay. I started and completed my apprenticeship there and continued working there for another two years. After a while the inevitable evolution came about and I needed more stimulation and more dynamic surroundings, so I headed to the city for a look around. Now I work at People in Potts Point and love it.

Career highlights so far?

I assisted a fellow colleague from Ménage A Trios in the Wella Trend Vision competition and won State and National. The prize was a trip to the UK to compete in the world titles. Luckily for me, whilst I was in the UK Salon International was on, so I got to some incredible seminars by Sassoon and Mahogany. Last year I went to LA to the Vidal Sassoon academy and did a week’s creative colour course.

My favorite gigs are the Wella and GHD creative tours where I prefer being back stage more ... I get terrible butterflies when I present but it’s good for the soul I suppose!

I’ve worked with the Pussycat Dolls twice now when they’ve been out here on tour. They always request Hamish and the team as their Australian hair crew. They are such lovely girls and work so hard!

Who do you consider an icon?

Annie Humphreys, of Vidal Sasson fame. I also like to channel Edie Sedgwick when I can!

What are you passionate about?

Travel is the most important thing in the world. Seeing how different cultures live and experiencing other parts of the world makes you a more balanced, interesting person.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel a far bit and have visited the States, (LA, Las Vegas and San Francisco), Bali, London, Paris, Singapore, Phuket, and Nepal; one of my favorites. We went trekking for 7 days (with no shower!) and then helped build a new hospital for our sherpa’s village. We visited a national park with tigers and bathed elephants. It was an incredible experience.

Now I’m out of home and paying my own way, holidays are getting further apart, but I have managed to book a trip to Barbados and NYC for New Years Eve 2010.

What’s next for you?

This is the year for me. Work work work ... I really want to build my relationship with product companies and continue doing more education. Now I have completed my master of colour with Wella, I’m ready to train the team at People affectively and get the juniors really excited and motivated about colour. Then it’s save save save so I can spend my 25th birthday in 2011 at Coachella with my friends.

People Hairdressing
Shop 4, 91-93 Macleay St
Potts Point NSW 2011
02 9331 0111

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