Gary Lees and Kate Thompson beat off stiff competition from 39 salons across the Scottish region to reach the London final on Monday, June 2.

As well as the prestige of winning one of the world's longest running hairdressing competitions, the prize package also includes a photo shoot for style bible Vogue as well as a five-star, all expenses paid trip to New York.

Gary and Kate had 30 minutes to style a winning look under the brief 'Hair Inspired by Fashion'. Using the autumn/winter 08/09 catwalk collections as a starting point, they had to demonstrate an acute understanding of women's hair and fashion trends.

Gary explained the inspiration behind their striking image: "This look plays on conflicting tones and textures to create an overall feel of youthful, high-fashion femininity. The leather and velvet of the Christopher Kane dress is balanced by hot and cold tones of blonde and mink in the hair."

Kate said: "It was an unbelievable feeling to hear our salon name called out. This look perfectly encapsulates the style of work we produce in the salon and we are delighted to be representing Scotland with such a stunning image."