- 27 February 2026
- Apprentices & Careers & Success Stories &
With Clare Murphy, Session Stylist and Saks Artist/Educator.
This National Careers Week, we’re celebrating the incredible journeys that a career in hairdressing can take you on. Take Clare Murphy, for example, who started working in a salon at 14 and now styles stars on sets like The Crown and Game of Thrones. Clare's story shows us just how far a career in hairdressing can take you...
A great foundation with Saks
"I've been a hairdresser for 35 years. In fact, I started working in a salon when I was 14 and have been teaching for 28 of those years now too.
I work as a freelance session stylist and Saks Artist for Saks Hair and Beauty UK.
I started out working in a salon and then moved into teaching and session work. I have been fortunate to work for international brands in the UK and overseas. I have expanded my skills to enable me to take advantage of new opportunities in the film and TV industry through wig making."
Photo credits: Saks Hair and Beauty UK
Always learning new skills
"I wouldn’t be where I am today without my Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, my assessor’s awards, and my teaching degree.
But I returned to learning to gain new skills in wig making. Wig making courses are expensive, so I used work experience as a way to help me learn wig making skills and to learn from the experts firsthand.
In hairdressing, being professionally curious is really helpful. The best creatives are always learning, whether from the internet, their colleagues or the latest trends. They’re asking numerous questions and employing various techniques."
Session Styling for TV and Film
"I had the opportunity to work in TV about 15 years ago. I started working in light entertainment for a wide variety of live and recorded shows, including Strictly Come Dancing, The Greatest Dancer, Take Me Out, and Dancing on Ice.
I then worked on several major drama series, including Game of Thrones, The Witcher, The Crown and Bridgerton. About five or six years ago, I branched out into film too and have worked on films including Wicked, Downton Abbey: A New Era and Jingle Jangle.
My skill set is extensive, and my knowledge and experience enable me to complete any brief, whether it’s fashion, period or avant-garde. My specialism is in making, sourcing and working with wigs and hair pieces to achieve any look required by the client or designer on set or on location.
I also work at high-profile events such as London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week."
Key skills and historical knowledge
"Working as a stylist on set or at a special event involves using different techniques to those used in a salon. Being able to put hair up, use tongs and set hair in a range of ways is key.
It also important to know all the different genres and periods in time. You often need to create hairstyles from past eras – from the 40s, 50s or 60s. I have a film set in the 60s starting this year for example. So, educating yourself about all the hairstyles and practising and recreating all those styles is so important. You can research and practice stuff that you find online."
The styling day on set
"It’s a long day! For example, I wake up at 3:00 am, leave the house at 3:30 and then travel to the Studio. I will then set up or sort my equipment for the day.
We then do what we call “the call” to sort the hairstyling for the day. We have a sheet that explains the requirements in detail for that morning. We might only do three or four people for an intricate shoot like The Witcher.
But when I did the Crown, as it was quite contemporary at the end – in the 80s and 90s – it was simpler, and so we fitted in 10 people in a session.
And you take turns during the day to be on set ensuring all is as it should be. You can be on set til 6-7pm or even later. You also have to factor in de-wigging everybody, too. This can take over an hour for things like The Witcher and The House of Dragon. And then you need to tidy for next day and then drive home. So it’s a tiring day. Plus, you need to get to bed early to get up again at 3am for the next day. It’s hard work but it is so creative and interesting to be a part of."
Clare’s journey shows the incredible places a career in hairdressing can take you. With curiosity, creativity, and determination, the possibilities are endless. Start your hairdressing career journey today with Kleek Apprenticeships.
Find out more about Clare at clarejmurphy.com / saks.co.uk and follow @claremurphyhair.
This article has been developed from a previous video interview we did with Claire Murphy at the Saks Hair and Beauty Academy in Darlington.
Article first published in Issue 4 of The Kleek Magazine, pg 27
