Nicholas James Tucker has spent half his life working in hair salons, and his reputation has grown exponentially with his experience.
The 30-year-old, from Clydach Vale, has worked in the hairdressing industry since he was 16 and has always had big ambitions for his career. It quickly became a reality for Nicholas when he worked with celebrity hairdressers Royston Blythe and Nick Malenko, who took him under their wing.
More than a decade later, Nicholas is a multi-award winning hairstylist and worked with a number of celebrities, regularly styling the women on The Real Housewives of Cheshire, as well as Gemma Collins, who visited his new salon in Tonypandy for the first time on Wednesday, August 3.
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After years of working as Roystone Blythe's head stylist and becoming Gemma Collins' personal hair stylist, he decided to make the leap and set up his own salon which opened in June with the aim of bringing a "luxurious service" back to his home town. Nicholas' trademark is glamorous celebrity hairstyles, extensions and precise cuts, which are now available to his clients in the Valleys.
“I felt like this was the next step for me and I had the opportunity to come back home, near my family and people I know," he said. “The shop stands out but that’s the life I live - I wanted to bring back something vibrant, classy and luxurious to the Valleys. People deserve to have that here."
On Wednesday, Gemma visited the Welsh salon to support her long-time friend, which Nicholas said meant “the world" to him and he felt lucky to have her support. Now that Nicholas runs his own salon, he’s able to split his time and travel between the Valleys and London. This has allowed him to pursue larger projects, recently working with Gemma on her New Look campaign.
Nicholas has had huge support from the local community and he said he is grateful he has been able to follow his dream in opening up his own salon. He said: "I wanted to give them 'the whole shebang’ under one roof,” - and that’s exactly what he’s done. At the salon, you have a variety of services, from aesthetic procedures to makeup and photoshoots.
Kerri Simic, who is a part-time aesthetic nurse at the salon, said: “I’m from Cheltenham but travel down two to three times a week to work here. I love the vibe here and thought it would be a great opportunity to join the team.”
The clientele doesn’t stop at the Valleys, people have been travelling here from all over the UK - with regular clients coming from Norfolk and Shropshire - which is helping to bring a variety of people to the area.
“I hope it will bring more business to the area, as my main aim is to give back to the community,” said Nicholas.
You can find Nicholas' salon at 89 Tylacelyn road, Penygraig, Tonypandy R.C.T, CF40 1JR.
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