現為英國美髮體系HOB的國際創意總監，Akin Konizi同時也是英國最權威的美髮比賽BHA年度髮型師獲獎次數最高的記錄保持人，在英國美髮產業備受尊崇。

Admired by his contemporaries as an icon for a new generation, Akin Konizi is one of hairdressing's leading lights as four-time winner of the industry's most esteemed accolade- HJ's British Hairdresser of the Year Award 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2013. He is also the creative force behind HOB salons and has been instrumental in establishing it as one of the UK's leading hairdressing groups over the last 33 years.

2005年，Akin奪下倫敦最佳髮型師的榮譽，這一刻的興奮讓他永生難忘，回想當時的心情，他說：「那個當下讓我明白，靠著勤奮的工作和堅定的信念，我可以完成我所有的夢想。」

In 2005, Akin was awarded London Hairdresser of the Year, "It made me realize that with hard work and belief I was able to achieve all of my dreams."

Akin的美髮夢起於1980年代，原本就對時尚產業有著極大的熱忱，他選擇就讀時尚領域，幸好他開髮廊的表哥領他入行，才讓美髮界有了這位不可多得的創意奇才。「初次接觸美髮，我就感受到豐沛的生命力和能量，我立刻明瞭這就是我想做的工作！我很喜歡客人全然相信我、把自己交在我手裡，而我也不付期望的讓他們擁有煥然一新的面貌。」Akin很快地在家鄉Leicester Square找到一間沙龍實習，並在3年後升上設計師。

Akin started his career in the beginnings of the 1980s because of his cousin who opened a new salon. "It was so full of life and energy and fashion that I knew it was the job I wanted to do, I love doing a haircut on client when he or she puts trust in me and at the end of the day, I get to bring out the best in them." He started working at Alan international in Leicester Square and did my apprenticeship at their academy for three years."

他在1983年認識了Clive Collins和Paul Simbler兩位合夥人，一同創辦了HOB沙龍，靠著對時尚和美髮產業的洞察力，在33年間，從一間沙龍拓展成為擁有26間沙龍的連鎖體系，「只要有髮型師想加入HOB，就代表我們會持續開拓！」凡是要求嚴謹的Akin也保證，每一間沙龍都維持著同樣的高標準，實實在在地發揚HOB這個品牌。

He met his two partners, Clive Collins and Paul Simbler and opened HOB in 1983. They use all of their knowledge and their education to create a salon group with very high standard of work. Akin's vision and uncompromising drive for excellence has been instrumental in establishing the 26-salon group as one of the UK's leading award-winning hairdressing brands in 33 years. "While there is a demand for more people to work for us, we will continue to open salons. The thing that's most important to me is that they are of the right standard and continue to reflect the HOB Brand."

教育一直都是Akin的心之所向，他在2006年時於英國Camden創立HOB學院，傾儘所有知識投入其中，他終於讓教育走出沙龍，以更大的規模滿足髮型師好學的求知慾，「做教育最棒的一件事，就是把2、30年的經歷濃縮，傳承給下一代，看到他們受到啟發的瞬間，就是最好的回饋。」

Education has always been Akin's passion. In 2006, they launched HOB Academy in Camden. He finally able to do education on a much bigger scale. “The most rewarding part of educating other hairdressers is the satisfaction. I love the look on their face when they get improved, I love that light bulb moment!”

也許是習武的影響，Akin深信教育立基於紀律與不懈怠的練習，唯有這三者相輔相成，才能有所成就，然而想要真正練就一身好髮藝，還得要先有美學素養，「美感能讓髮型擺脫匠氣，賦予客人迷人風采和自信。在HOB學院裡，我們不只傳授剪髮技術，更重視美感的傳遞。」

"Education, for me, is based on many factors." Akin believes very much in discipline and practice. He used to do martial arts so he understands the value of repetition to become a master. "On top of that, there needs to be an understanding of beauty. So apart from teaching just technical skills, we work on understanding the objective of what we do. And I think that's ultimately to make people feel attractive, feel good about themselves, or for them to state who they are." Akin says.

以精準的剪裁技術和獨特風格為名，Akin成功的祕訣就在於無止盡的練習，「練習的目的是讓你能更知道該如何掌握工具、如何讓剪刀和梳子運行順暢，訓練裁剪線條時的穩定度就是一個很棒的練習，每次都盡量讓線條保持乾淨平整，並在一次次的練習中掌握訣竅，當技巧提升至渾然天成的流暢時，創意自然會流洩出來。」

Renowned for precision cutting, Akin's best tip is his non-stop practicing. " It's about having good tool control- using your scissors and your comb effectively, and practicing to create the best possible line that you can. Once you start doing without thinking, then you can become creativity."

這幾年流行的長髮風潮看在Akin的眼裡，多了份憂慮，「長髮的流行代表較低的回客率、也代表著更少精準技術的運用。」Akin沈重地表示，1980年代和90年代是剪髮技術最蓬勃發展的時代，英式剪髮的技巧在這20年間快速熟成，催生出許多經點短髮造型，然而Akin擔心，在長髮當道的現在，這些經典的短髮剪裁技巧會一點一滴的流逝在時間的洪流裡。

In his opinion, the lately long hair trend has doing the cutting side of hairdressers' skills a real damage. " It means less salon visits, it means less precision cutting, and it means a much more of a less skillful way of doing things." Akin explains, "I worry that if it carries on for too long, we will lose the skills that are passed down from generation to generation.”

「我們正逐漸遺忘前人努力研發的技術，無論剪裁技巧也好，或是造型技巧，都因為快速變遷的速食髮型而失傳！總有一天，若是髮型師失去了這些技能，也終將成為能被輕易替換的拋棄式服務。」面對著現代人凡事講求快速和簡單的觀念，Akin對髮型師的未來深感擔憂，也提出嚴重警告，他認為，身為髮型師的每個人都有義務，透過建議客人嘗試不同的髮型，實際將技術應用在沙龍現場，並透過教育和文化傳承，讓過去的美好得以延續。

"We are now slowly giving up the skills that have been worked on so hard over the years. Skills like precision based cutting, setting skills, styling skills. All those skills we worked on really hard up to the 80s and 90s and now we've moved onto a very disposable look. If we're not careful, hairdressers will also become disposable through lack of the necessity of skill." He then continued, “My ultimate goal is to direct our industry to become a continually developing one and to make sure those skills, philosophies and attitudes are not lost. I hope to achieve it by educating and by passing the culture.

自從2005年獲得BHA倫敦最佳髮型師的榮耀後，Akin一再地突破自我，以令人驚豔的創新作品接連奪下2008、2009、2011和2013年的英國最佳髮型師。

Since winning London Hairdresser of the Year, Akin has achieved outstanding success in the prestigious awards. Winning the coveted British Hairdresser of the Year title, in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

「第一次得獎，那剎那的感覺是無法形容的美好，是無法置信卻又極度自豪的美好！」這樣的美好對Akin來說顯然不夠，他目前最大的目標，就是再下一城，以5座獎杯刷新歷史記錄。

"The first time I won British Hairdresser of the Year. It's an incredible feeling and one you can never really believe and something I'm very proud of." Apparently, four awards are not enough for Akin, "The one goal I haven't yet conquered is to win British Hairdresser of the Year 5 times, which has never been done before. I will continue until I reach my goal."

每次投稿勢必入圍的Akin也分享他創作時的訣竅，「永遠選擇與作品風格相同的模特兒，如果你想做的是誇張的風格，確保你找到最瘋狂的模特兒。並隨時與彩妝師、服裝師和攝影師保持密切的溝通，學會聆聽專業與傳達自己的理念，事前的準備是必要的，透過大量的資料搜尋，你才能清楚知道自己的理念！」

Asking about his huge success on awards accolade, he gives some of his best tips. "It’s a photographic competition in reality. The image is important. Fantastic hair, fantastic skills, fantastic make-up, great idea, great concept and all these things should make a good image,” he says, “be sure that always using the best models for the looks you want to achieve. If you have to find crazy models, keep looking until you find them. Communicate with your make-up artist, your stylist and your photographer. Also listen to the experts but you must have an idea of what you are committed to and what you want to achieve. Put the work in, put the research in, so you know exactly what your vision is.”

Akin直言自己受到很多事物的啟發，但影響他最深的還是時尚，「時尚就是不斷輪迴的圓圈，我很喜歡從過往的時尚中尋找靈感，將我認為會重回潮流的元素提取出來，使用現代的方法重新演繹，並融合時下的街頭趨勢，創造出屬於HOB或是Akin Konizi的獨家風格。」

"I’m inspired by lots of different things. First and foremost I’m inspired by fashion. I do a lot of research into past fashion, and what I believe to be current and what’s going to be coming up next. I then translate it into a modernistic way. Then I look to the street and see what’s happening and develop it in a HOB and Akin Konizi way."

Akin在2015年的入圍作品來自一場巧妙的意外，在拍攝其中一位模特兒時，化妝師的手不小心入鏡，然而這張相片卻讓Akin和攝影師大為驚豔，當下便決定多拍幾張這種「意外照片」，最終促成了這組個性獨特的作品，「就像在直擊片場一般，得以窺視時尚產業。」

In his 2015 BHA nominated collection; you can see hands coming in or make-up artist or stylist coming in. “That kind of happened by accident, myself and the photographer were stunned by the effect. So we carry on doing more images like this and when it came to the time to choose a collection, we select those images. They give an insight into our industry.”

出乎意料，Akin對於保持身材有著很高的要求，他認為髮型行業與體能有著密切關聯，「保持良好的身體狀態，讓自己充滿能量是應付工作最好的方法，所以我工作以外的時間長花在健身、跑步和練習武功，這能幫助我調適工作壓力。」

Much to our surprise, Akin is very passionate about keeping fit. He believes hairdressing is very much a physical profession and requires lots of energy. "I think the only way I can actually cope with the work that have is by being physically fit, so I am always in the gym, or running, or doing martial arts. I find it relaxes me and prepares me for the work I have ahead of me.

採訪最後，我們請Akin給予一則與美髮有關的好建議，他說：「相信明天的你會比今天更好，期許自己每天都學到一件事，更要相信自己每天都在進步，如果你相信，你就能夠做到！」

To give an advice relating to hairdressing, “that would be to believe that you could get better every day. Try to learn at least one thing a day. You will be getting better and improving every day. And if you believe that, you will be.” he said.