Kelvin Nguyen – Central Apprentice of the Year 2024
Kelvin’s passion for the industry has seen him grow from strength to strength, reaching new heights in 2024 when he was not only selected to work at Melbourne Fashion Festival but also when he was crowned Central Apprentice of the Year.
Kelvin grew up in Vietnam and moved to New Zealand as a teenager to pursue new opportunities “My Vietnamese name is Ngoc Minh, which means a bright pearl.” He was drawn to an apprenticeship because he sees it as a clear training pathway where he is able to learn and grow constantly.
A memorable moment in his hair apprenticeship journey was being selected to work at the Melbourne Fashion Festival. During the week-long event, he learnt new styling techniques and soaked up the atmosphere, his highlight was working with a variety of different models and witnessing the teamwork between everyone.
Kelvin’s favourite skill is the blow wave. His salon focuses heavily on blow wave finishing and he has constantly learnt to improve it during his apprenticeship, “getting good feedback and clients’ special requests to blow wave their hair has made me really happy and grateful for our amazing clients”.
This dedication to constant improvement and passion for hair saw Kelvin recognised as the Central Apprentice of the Year 2024. His advice to apprentices is “Try your best – Trust the process and enjoy the journey – It is ok to make mistakes, it is a part of growth – Get out of your comfort zone and try something new.”