Four Decades of with Lorna Styling, Education and Evolution with Lorna Evans

In 1985, a teenage apprentice named Lorna Evans began a career in hairdressing that would span four decades, three salons, countless workshops and stages globally, and thousands of stylists trained. In 2025, she marks 40 years in the industry with the same drive that pushed her as a young stylist: a determination to lift others through education and practical tools.

Early Influences

Hairdressing was never far from Lorna’s world. Her mother, Alice Schofield, still works part-time and will celebrate 65 years in hairdressing this year. Watching Alice build a life around her salon gave Lorna both the work ethic and the insight to see hairdressing as a career that could evolve with her.

Encouraged by mentor Ruth Browne, Lorna enrolled in a ten-week competition styling course during her first year as an apprentice. It set the tone for everything that followed. The discipline of preparing models, the pressure of competing, and the satisfaction of building technical strength gave her the confidence to move quickly into her own business.

Salon Life and Business Lessons

By 21, Lorna owned her first salon on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Over the next 32 years she grew her business presence while raising her profile in long hair styling. Bridal work became a significant part of her career, and competitions gave her the platform to showcase technical skill and creativity.

Running salons gave Lorna a deep understanding of the commercial realities of hairdressing, staffing, training, marketing, and building a loyal client base. This combination of artistry and business capability caught the attention of many major brands. She worked with several global haircare brands in both styling and business education roles, and presenting on stage both here and internationally also.

Her work took her beyond the salon to fashion weeks, photo shoots in New York, presentations in Las Vegas and London, and director roles for Australian fashion festivals.

Recognition Along the Way

Industry recognition followed. Lorna was named AHFA 2011 Victorian Hairdresser of the Year, won AHFA Salon Manager of the Year, and received Hair Expo’s Excellence in Marketing award. Between 2013 and 2015 she was a Hair Expo Educator of the Year finalist. While awards were not the goal, they validated the combination of creative work and business strategy that became her hallmark.

Shifting Focus to Education

After decades of salon ownership, Lorna made the decision to step out from behind the chair and focus entirely on education. Long hair styling was often seen as a niche, sometimes intimidating for stylists who hadn’t had the training. Lorna wanted to change that. Her philosophy - “find the problem, fix the problem”, shaped her approach. She identified the stumbling blocks stylists faced when tackling long hair work and developed both tools and training to remove those barriers.

Lorna Evans Education

Today, Lorna Evans Education is established as one of the leading providers of styling education in Australia and New Zealand. The business is structured around multiple entry points:

• School Program: mapped to government units “Create Classic Hair Up” and “Braiding,” with every student receiving a kit of Evans’s tools and lifetime access to step-by-step online training.

• The Collective: an online membership offering more than 70 hours of tutorials, business resources, downloadable head sheets, and guest artist sessions.

• Beginners Guide to Styling: an eight-module program for emerging stylists or makeup artists, teaching foundation techniques from chignons to Hollywood waves, complete with a free toolkit.

• Workshops: immersive, in-person training across the country, where stylists refine skills under Lorna’s guidance.

•“Working alongside educators and students is still a highlight,” Lorna says. “Seeing our resources used in classrooms across Australia and New Zealand is something I don’t take for granted.”

Her teaching, however, doesn’t stop at the border. With online learning now embedded in the industry, Evans regularly runs webinars and programs for stylists from Germany, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and beyond. This international reach has broadened her influence, positioning her as a global resource for long hair education while still maintaining the intimacy and accessibility that her teaching style is known for.

Tools That Solve Problems

Alongside education, Lorna has built a line of styling tools designed to address everyday challenges faced by professionals. Brushes, combs, pins, rollers, padding and bungees, each has been developed through years of practical experience and tested with working stylists before release.

The best-known of these is her TIMESAVER brushes , but her range has grown to include a full ecosystem of products that allow stylists to create polished looks efficiently. For Lorna, tool development is not about chasing trends but about filling genuine gaps in the stylist’s kit. “If a stylist is struggling, I want to design something that takes away the roadblock,” she explains.

Her e-commerce business now serves more than 10,000 customers, and her tools are found in classrooms, salons and backstage kits across the country. For more than seven years she has also worked with UNITE hair care , ensuring students and stylists are equipped with high-quality products to support their styling. “Quality tools and products are where great styling starts,” she says.

A Family Business

What makes the milestone even more meaningful is the team behind it. Lorna runs the business with her husband Russell, while her daughters play key roles. Holly splits her time between the business and her role at Respekt Your Hair, while Kaity manages operations behind the scenes. Holly also was awarded the AHIA Creative 2025 Emerging Stylist of the Year!

“It’s a privilege to have my family involved,” Lorna says. “They each bring different strengths, and it means the business is genuinely built on trust and support.”

This industry has given me everything - creativity, purpose, lifelong friendships, and the chance to pass on my knowledge. I’m beyond grateful,” says Lorna

Lorna Evans Education has something NEW on the way, and it’s seriously exciting! Soon, stylists everywhere will have a powerful new tool to help take control of hair like never before. Stay tuned… this game-changer is almost here!

Shown in this feature are images from 2 of Lorna’s Collections: Eclipse and 37 Degrees.

Eclipse Collection

Hair: Lorna Evans

Photography: Nadia Sliwka

Make-up: Julie Provis

Stylist: Sarah Banger

37 Degrees

Hair: Lorna Evans

Make-up: Victoria Hull

Stylist: Georgina O

Photographer: Peter Coulson