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In February 2026, the Wella School Program, in partnership with Sebastian Professional, officially launches the 2026 Sebastian Student Competition, a competition created exclusively for emerging hair talent. Designed to ignite creativity and reward technical excellence, the competition serves as a powerful launchpad for students ready to step confidently into a bold professional future.
At its core, the Sebastian Student Competition celebrates individuality, raw creativity, and skill. It recognizes the courage it takes for students to challenge convention while mastering the craft of hairdressing. More than a contest, it offers visibility, credibility, and inspiration at a pivotal moment in a student’s career, helping shape the next generation of industry leaders across North America.
This year’s theme, Shape Your World, invites participants to think beyond traditional boundaries of hair. Shape is more than form; it’s expression, identity, and evolution. Students are challenged to explore how the world of hair has shaped them and how they, in turn, will shape its future. By aligning creativity with purpose, competitors are encouraged to push limits, fuse imagination with technique, and transform personal vision into impactful hair design. The world becomes the medium, and hair the tool to sculpt, mold, and leave a lasting mark.
Students can enter one or both of the two categories, Cutting and Styling, each highlighting a different dimension of artistry and technical mastery.
The Cutting category combines structure with creativity, challenging students to bring shape-shifting concepts to life through precision and imagination. Participants are tasked with creating a haircut that reflects a unique vision, where sculpture meets self-expression. By transforming shape, texture, and form, students can redefine modern hair design and demonstrate advanced technical skill with fearless creativity.
The Styling category focuses on shape, texture, and movement, capturing creative essence in a single, unforgettable silhouette. Through styling, participants translate their world into motion, expressing attitude, energy, and emotion in every strand. This category encourages artists to challenge the limits of transformation while crafting looks that clearly communicate their point of view.
The competition journey begins with preparation. Students are encouraged to review all rules, regulations, qualifications, and key dates to ensure they are ready to participate. Throughout the competition period, Sebastian Professional will also host Shape Your World 3-part podcast Series in collaboration with Volume Up by The Tease on the Wella Education YouTube, offering exclusive guidance, inspiration, and insights from industry professionals to help students refine their ideas. This series will be joined by Marylle Koken, Omar Antonio, and Anthony Cole.
Each episode breaks down the competition journey into approachable, actionable steps. Designed to educate, encourage, and empower emerging stylists, the podcast helps students build confidence, refine their creative vision, and feel supported as they shape their world and take their first steps into competitive artistry.
Once prepared, it’s time to bring ideas to life. Participants step behind the chair and create their vision for the Cutting and/or Styling categories, fully embracing the Shape Your World theme. After completing their look, students photograph their work, capturing both before and after images. Attention to angles, lighting, and positioning is essential to best showcase the transformation and technical details of each entry.
Students may enter both categories or choose just one. Each participant is permitted to submit the same entry for both Cutting and Styling and/or submit multiple entries within the same category, allowing creative flexibility and exploration.
If you know a rising stylist or are mentoring one, you’ll want to share this opportunity. A chance to stand out, be seen, and grow. Students can step into the spotlight, level up their portfolios, and catch the eye of major industry players. Winners receive a curated package of professional products and cash to help them continue their career forward.
More than a competition, the 2026 Sebastian Student Competition is an invitation to experiment, elevate, and transform vision into something unforgettable. In February 2026, the next generation of hair artists is ready to shape the future of beauty.
