My dear friends, customers and partners,
I still can’t believe it! I write these lines and I still feel like I’m flying in the clouds, filled with an immense joy and gratitude that I want to share with you. The Scissors by Effi family here in beautiful Corfu is living a dream moment! In June 2025, our name was heard at the glamorous ceremony of the Estetica Hair Awards 2025, the largest and most prestigious hairdressing competition in Greece and Cyprus, and we won a place in the top three!
With immense emotion and pride, our salon was awarded the Bronze Award in the Bridal Look of the Year category for 2025. Seeing our work and passion recognized at such a level is the greatest reward. This distinction is not just an award, it is proof that with love, hard work, dedication and the right team, dreams can come true, even from here, our beloved island.
Table Of Contents
The Beginning of a Dream: The Journey to the Hair Awards 2025
It all started in January 2025, when we made the big decision. Scissors by Effi would participate as a candidate in this year’s Estetica Hair Awards 2025, the institution organized by the leading magazine Estetica Hellas. The challenge was enormous, but our desire to create and exceed our limits was even greater. The choice of the category was almost self-evident. The Bridal Look of the Year is for me more than a technical challenge. It is art, it is emotion, it is the moment when hairdressing meets the most beautiful day in a woman’s life.
With the valuable guidance of my Hair Coach & Art Director, the talented Markos Efthymiou, we embarked on a marathon of creativity. I designed and implemented four unique bridal hairstyles, four different visions for the modern bride. Each hairstyle had its own story, its own character. We wanted to show the flexibility, elegance and avant-garde that a bridal look can hide. The process was demanding but also magical. Endless hours of planning, testing and perfecting every detail, until we reached the result we had dreamed of.
The Importance of the Estetica Hair Awards: A Landmark Institution
For those who don’t know, let me explain why this win is so important. The Hair Awards by Estetica Hellas is not just another competition. It is the biggest celebration of hairdressing in Greece and Cyprus. What makes the institution stand out is the absolute transparency in its procedures and the prestige of the jury.
This year, our entries were judged by four leading international names in the global hairdressing scene: Dimitri Vinokurov, Angelo Seminara, Christophe Gaillet and Marco Lafratre. Knowing that your work is judged and rewarded by such legends of the field is in itself a huge honor. The announcement of the results in June 2025, which brought us among the three best hairdressing salons in Greece and Cyprus in our category, was a moment that will forever remain etched in my memory. This recognition confirms that art and quality have no geographical boundaries.
An Evening Full of Sparkle, Art and Inspiration
The 9th Awards Ceremony took place on Monday, June 16, at the imposing Athens Concert Hall. The atmosphere was simply magical! It was a glittering celebration, dedicated to all of us who love and serve hairdressing. That night we didn’t just celebrate the winners, we celebrated the creativity, innovation and passion that unites us.
Beyond the awards, the evening was framed by unique artistic events. The Art is white Installation was an incredible visual experience, where models were transformed into “living sculptures”. An organic composition where the inspiration of the talented Maria Dretaki met the Avant-Garde aesthetics of the Celebrity Skin brand, with the participation of great artists such as Georgia Bafa, Fotis Giakoumatos, Konstantinos Christopoulos and many others.
At the same time, we enjoyed excellent Hair Shows from top professionals. It was so inspiring to see live the work of Kupka Olo by Agapi Stylidou in color, Art by Garos in balayage, and of course, the moment that filled me with double pride: the Bridal show “Pigeon Blanc” by my own coach, Markos Efthymiou! The evening ended impressively with the Grand show “Morphè” by Design Art Academy Maria Dretaki, a spectacle of talent and creativity. You can get a taste of the magic of the evening by watching the official video below.
The Winners List and Our Place at the Top
The moment of the announcement of the winners was full of suspense. In the category Bridal Look of the Year, I had the honor of being in the final three along with two exceptional colleagues. I want to give my warmest congratulations to Christos Aliris for the Gold award and to Valentina Pappa for the Silver. I am honored that my name, Effi Loukanari, was found next to theirs as the Bronze winner.
My joy was doubled when I saw my mentor, Markos Efthymiou, receive the honorary Hair Tribute Award as “Hair Coaching Trend Setter“. A completely fair recognition for a man who sets trends and inspires all of us younger people.
Of course, the evening highlighted the top performers in all categories. Let’s take a look at the big winners of the Hair Awards 2025:
The Big Winners
- Hairdresser of the Year
- 🥇 Gold: Garos Sekertzis
- 🥈 Silver: Michalis Michael
- 🥉 Bronze: Sissy Visvardi
- Colorist of the Year:
- 🥇 Gold: Sissy Visvardi
- 🥈 Silver: Kristi Vlachou
- 🥉 Bronze: Evangelia Mitrousia
- Best Avant Garde Collection:
- 🥇 Gold: Michael Michael
- 🥈 Silver: Maritina Manthopoulou
- 🥉 Bronze: Tagiou Persephone
- Best Women’s Collection:
- 🥇 Gold: Teo The School
- 🥈 Silver: Alexandros Gourounas
- 🥉 Bronze: Roots Hair Salon
- Best Men’s Collection:
- 🥇 Gold: Dimitris Tzanis
- 🥈 Silver: Konstantinos Panou
- 🥉 Bronze: Kristi Vlachou
- Bridal Look Of The Year:
- 🥇 Gold: Christos Aliris
- 🥈 Silver: Valentina Pappa
- 🥉 Bronze: Effi Loukanari
- Barber Of The Year:
- 🥇 Gold: Kostas Siotas
- 🥈 Silver: Emmanuel Mitakis
- 🥉 Bronze: Husem Hasanoglu
- Cypriot Hairdresser of the Year:
- 🥇 Gold: Andri Rinnovo Kyriakou
- 🥈 Silver: Yannis Karaolis
- 🥉 Bronze: Dimitra Kekkou
- Best Hair Influencer:
- 🥇 Gold: Ioanna Tziga
- 🥈 Silver: Roots Hair Salon
- 🥉 Bronze: Andri Rinnovo Kyriakou
- Best New Talent:
- 🥇 Gold: George Aspromatis
- 🥈 Silver: Eleni Papageorgopoulou
- 🥉 Bronze: Elina Erofili Hair
The Ultimate Reward: Cover of Estetica Hellas!
And when I thought the joy couldn’t get any bigger, the ultimate reward came. Estetica Hellas magazine released a special collector’s edition dedicated to the awards. And on the cover of the tribute to the competition… was one of our own photos! One of the bridal hairstyles I designed for our participation. The photo of the beautiful Iliana graced the cover with the caption:
COVER
Effi Loukanari:
Bronze Winner
Bridal Look of the Year
#hairawards2025
Seeing your work featured on the cover of the most prestigious magazine in your industry is a feeling that cannot be described in words. It is the ultimate recognition. In the magazine, the publisher Evangelos Papalios emphasized in his greeting: “The protagonists are the Greek hairdressers.” These words resonate with me, because I truly feel that through these awards, Estetica Hellas gives a voice and a platform to all of us. You can also browse the digital edition of the magazine and see the entire tribute below.
ESTETICA #129A Huge Thank You to My Dream Team
This huge success could never be the result of an individual effort. A vision for such a demanding project, like participating in the Bridal Look of the Year, needs a dream team to materialize. I feel the need to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to each and every one of the people who stood by me and believed in this dream as much as I did.
- To Markos Efthymiou, our Hair Coach & Art Director. His guidance, inspiration and trust were the beacon on this journey.
- To Vasilios Bazakos, for the impeccable make-up that highlighted the beauty of the models and perfectly complemented the hairstyles.
- To Dimitris Kechagias, our photographer. His talent captured not just hairstyles, but emotions and stories.
- To Kyriaki Pavlidou, for the impeccable styling that dressed our vision with elegance and aesthetics.
- And of course, to our wonderful models, who brought our creations to life: Lina Kiosse, Marina Dogani, @iliana_tsaf and 𝑻zina 𝑻zoylai. Your beauty, professionalism and grace were decisive.
The Next Chapter
This distinction is not an end, but a starting point. It fills us with strength, inspiration and an even greater appetite for creation. We promise to continue to evolve, to learn and to bring to Scissors by Effi, here in Corfu, the most modern techniques and the most innovative ideas.
Thank you to all of you, the clients and friends of the salon, for your continued support and love. You are our daily inspiration. This award belongs to all of us!
With infinite love and gratitude,
Effi.
