Member Article

Newcastle entrepreneur lands show stopping opportunity

A Newcastle hair stylist involved in this years’ London Queer Fashion Show is aiming for a permanent spot on an international stage.

Young entrepreneur Farah Mukhtar, who owns Show Stopping Beauty, was recently offered an opportunity to be part of the hair styling team at the London Queer Fashion Show.

Exposure to her most recent opportunity, and working on previous international editorials has left Farah wanting to target similar opportunities in the near future.

Farah hopes, under the Show Stopping Beauty name, to work on more fashion and catwalk shows – including the highly-regarded London Fashion Week, which she has been shortlisted for, alongside editorials for prestigious glossy magazines, but with more of an international focus. Farah, 25, who also provides her services for photo shoots, secured the Queer Fashion Show opportunity through Hair: Mastered, a fast-track career accelerator programme for people looking to break in to the hair and beauty industry.

As well as being alumni of the Hair: Mastered programme, Farah is also a graduate of Business Sparks, a business start-up programme led by Reviving the Heart of the West End (RHWE), that offers support and guidance to aspiring young entrepreneurs in Newcastle and the North East. Business Sparks launched again this October, offering business workshops, network and trading opportunities as well as business advice and an enterprise grant.

Farah took part in Business Sparks in 2013. She has always held an interest in hair and beauty, but said that it was the Business Sparks team that helped her see how it could work.

Farah said: “Working as part of the team for the London Queer Fashion Week was a hectic but amazing experience. I wouldn’t have had that opportunity if I hadn’t got involved with the Hair: Mastered and Business Sparks programmes. “Business Sparks not only supported my business idea, but they offered lots of practical financial and legal advice, gave me an experienced business mentor, as well as reinforcing the importance of networking and getting involved with other businesses.”

Hannah Morrow, from Business Sparks said: “The Business Sparks programme aims to help young people think about all aspects of their business idea, so we offer one to one advice, the chance to work with experienced business owners, test trading opportunities, workshops on key topics plus a start-up grant.

“Since graduating from the Business Sparks programme, Farah has seized every opportunity she has been given. She has always been focused on achieving the best she can, and we are pleased to see her succeed.”

Farah’s taste for the international stage was discovered while studying in Milan, and on a collaborative project in Iceland with other Hair: Mastered graduates. She has since had her work published in various prestigious, glossy magazines all over the world, including Dreamingless Magazine, Estela, IQ Beaute and Switch Magazine.

Farah said: “If I could give anyone who’s wanting to start their own business advice, I would say go for it, take every opportunity you can, and make sure you network and get involved with Business Sparks.”

Whilst running her own business, Farah has also achieved a 2:1 honours degree in Law from Northumbria University.

It’s not too late to join the October Business Sparks course; Find out more call Hannah Morrow on 0191 226 7300 or email business.sparks@rhwe.org

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Business Sparks .