Southwick hairstylist nominated for national awards

Ingrid Watts, from Fine to Fabulous, in Manor Hall Road, stumbled into vintage hairstyling, having previously focused on brides.

“I’ve worked so hard to build up my business and to have national recognition would be amazing,” said Ingrid, who is nominated for two awards at the ceremony in Birmingham on June 19.

The awards celebrate independent businesses who keep the vintage scene alive.

Ingrid said: “It’s such great fun transforming girls to vintage vixens and almost all of them have never had their hair styled like this before. It’s been a fantastic concept, which I think will be around for a long time to come.”

She has up for Best Vintage Hairstylist and Best Vintage Breakthrough Business. Voting opened online at www.thenationalvintageawards.co.uk on Thursday.

Ingrid said her whole family was in the hairdressing business but she was determined to go into the travel industry and worked nearly 20 years before being made redundant.

She wanted a more flexible job once she had children, so started at the bottom, as a salon junior in her mid-30s.

“Now I totally love the whole era of the vintage hairstyles from the Great Gatsby 1920s to the swinging ’60s,” she added.

“It’s so exciting to transform someone hair into victory rolls, marcel waves or an enormous beehive.”

Fine to Fabulous offers all aspects of hairdressing, bridal hairstyling and vintage hen party packages.