Golden girl's purr-fect ploy

Ebony Crowley has wanted to be a hairdresser for as long as she can remember.

Even as a child she was constantly trying out new hairstyles and colours on her brother — and even the family cat.

“I’ve always loved hairdressing,” she said.

“As a kid I used to practise a lot on my family.

“My brother would let me straighten his hair; but with colour, I used to dye our pet cat.”

Fortunately for her cat, Ms Crowley now spends her time working at Geraldton’s Hair Vault while she finishes her third-year of a hairdressing apprenticeship.

With a host of loyal clients, even Ms Crowley’s brother won’t trust anyone else with a pair of scissors.

“I’m the only one he’ll let cut his hair and I’ve got a few other friends and family who are the same, ” she said.

All that practise has paid off for the 20-year-old in more ways than one, after she recently took out a gold medal at the 2015 WorldSkills Australia Hairdressing NW Regional Competition.

Competitors were judged on a selection of categories, including colour, women’s and men’s styles and an up-do look.

With her first-place finish, Ms Crowley will now represent the North West region of WA at next year’s 2016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition in Melbourne.

The hairdresser is a little bit nervous to perform in such a big event, but continues to follow her mantra of “practise makes perfect”.

“At the local WorldSkills I practised so much in the lead-up that on the day I was actually quite surprised by how relaxed I was, ” she said.

“So I think that’s how I’ll tackle the next competition. The categories will be along the same lines so I’ll just make sure to keep working at my styles.

“It’ll also be great to see some of the best hairdressers in Australia and be able to pick up a few tips or inspiration from them.”