Creative HEAD UK April 2018

THE ENTREPRENEUR
SOPHIA HILTON
BRIGHT HAIR, A BEAUTIFUL SALON AND A BOOMING BUSINESS –
THERE COULD ONLY BE ONE WINNER…
TO PICK OUT just one feat as Sophia Hilton’s greatest
achievement would be impossible. The owner of Not Another
Salon on London’s Brick Lane smashed Creative HEAD
records and took home four trophies at the 2017 Most Wanted
and It List Awards Grand Final; showcasing not just her
enviable creativity, but also a savvy brain for business.
So what makes this salon in East London so special?
“Our mission statement is to create an environment where
staff and clients feel free and confident to be themselves,”
says Sophia. This all-inclusive philosophy ensured that Not
Another Salon has risen to become the most followed salon on
Instagram in the UK without its own consumer product line,
with 192k followers. And Sophia has ensured that her social
media expertise (she doesn’t employ a social media manager,
instead opting to take the reins herself), is also used for good.
She is hoping to reverse some of the damage caused by
unrealistic expectations; a post she wrote about the pitfalls of
creating grey hair was shared 1,253 times by salons all around
the world. Just check out some of her thoughts on Creative
HEAD’s PAINT platform, where Ms Hilton is a PAINTER,
part of a collective of colourists keen to support and inspire
their peers.
And there’s an economic advantage to all those followers
too. “Some people overlook the financial benefit to a high
following,” Sophia explains. “About 80 per cent of our new
clients come from Instagram, keeping a constant flow of
new business. We now don’t pay for several of our biggest
expenses. We get product for tags – Salon Direct provides foil,
capes and gloves, Crazy Color provides colour and Innoluxe
provides the bonding agent. This comes to a value of £50,000
a year.”
Thanks to the huge success of her “Perfect Bleed”
technique, which captured the market for a high end
alternative to the DIY dip dye, Sophia was able to open Not
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CREATIVE HEAD