When you think of Darren Ambrose, you think of artistry, theatre and showstopping hair creations. Darren has spent his career crafting shows that are equal parts fashion, drama and pure immersion. In this first instalment of Hairdressing Unbound, we sat down to find out what it really takes to build and perform shows.
How did you first get into show work?
Jackie and I trained in a company that was on the show circuit at the time, and we were national and international show producers. We became their creative art directors, so from a very young age, we were quite immersed in that world. We both have an immense love of fashion, and we naturally just gravitated towards shows. They’re a great platform to push your brand and your signature. You can create stories of any sort – whether that’s driven by a product company or your own direction.
Was there a moment when you knew you’d made it?
There’s been so many epic moments! I’m super blessed and grateful to have experienced such great opportunities to date. I suppose the first moment that stands out at the beginning is when we were doing a BA show at Central Saint Martins for a good friend of ours. While we were there, we noticed this young designer: Maria Holberg. Her tailoring was immense – very Vivienne Westwood-esque – and we ended up buying eight outfits from the collection.
Not long after, Julie Bellinger invited us to do a show at Congress, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, which was a huge honour as all the big greats were on that stage. We crafted everything – choreography by I Got Soul, models, hair, clothes, music, lighting. I think that was the turning point where people really noticed our passion to detail, creating characters and our love of fashion. It just elevated us to another level, and it all rolled from there.
What have been your highlights and most memorable moments?
This career has given us so much. I remember creating a show in Vegas, for four or five thousand people. I performed live TV beforehand, then presented a runway with 20+ models on a large stage. What a mind-blowing experience – it was off the Richter scale! And the recognition we got that night and onwards was unreal.
In LA, I worked on Sunset Boulevard, prepping in the dressing room that had seen Prince, Bowie and so many others there before – the history and the feeling in that building was insane! The show was eclectic fashion featuring a whole mix of colours and textures. We also had the guitarist from Guns N’ Roses perform on stage, which was incredible.
What do you love most about creating a show?
I love how a show can take months to build and create. We just had the pleasure of creating the 2025 L’Oréal Colour Trophy show and that took six months – maybe more! I like to think about everything: Lighting, stage set, immersion, runway length, etc. It’s like you’re creating a room where the audience can have an immersive experience, so you also have to consider sound and music choice too. It’s not just about the model walking down a runway for us; it’s about creating authenticity and characters.
What are the biggest challenges?
There have been loads over the years! Sometimes, things don’t go right unless you have a challenge. Sometimes, models don’t turn up or go missing in action after casting them. Sometimes, things change in an instant, so you always need a strategy – and a backup strategy! You might have to change your whole direction. Whether you are working on a campaign shoot with an art director or directing your own vision, you have to be very versatile and be able to very quickly create a different story.
What would you say is your secret to success?
Agility, planning ahead, all of that, but also passion. You need enough passion and focus to want to produce something authentic. It depends how you define success, but for me and Jackie, if we produce something and we love the story, that’s success. Fashion is so opinionated and subjective – some people will love what you do, other people won’t. That’s life! If you get hung up on that, it suppresses your creativity. Stick to your essence and your signature, and you’ll reach your own version of success.
What’s your essential toolkit?
There are so many essential things I carry with me. If you’re travelling around the world doing shows, you’ve got so many different hair textures, so you’ve got to have everything covered. I carry millinery equipment, even things like paints and plastics – sounds weird, but the obscure stuff can become essential.
You need your thinking cap on for all eventualities. Pack up that bag like a bottomless pit of interesting equipment!
What’s a typical day or week for you?
It all depends – shows and creatives run like a separate business to the salon. I work all the time on the floor with clients, having great laughs with good friends. They are our grounding and business, but if we’ve got a job, those days are booked out. Your head has to keep switching between the roles, but I love that challenge! I’m not someone who can just stand stagnant – I need those different avenues. Even during the pandemic, we hired houses in London and made films, which we sold abroad for shows and online events. That’s another side of what we do and how we can adapt within our industry.
Is there anything you wish you’d known when you were first starting out?
Don’t wait and don’t worry. Grow some and just do it! People used to say to me, “Why are you doing Avant Garde? You can’t wear that.” But I got an amazing career off the back of it.
SPEEDY 3!
Give us your top three tips for breaking into this field:
✔ Research your ideal team and also research your eras.
✔ Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask to assist somebody; communication and contacts are everything.
✔ Always say yes – you might not get that door open again.
