Destin hairstylist received prestigious award in Vegas

Tania Crawford, a hairstylist at Pure & Couture Salon at Destin City Market, traveled to Las Vegas in July and came home with one of the biggest honors in her industry: she was selected as a top five finalist for Newcomer Stylist of the Year.

The title is part of the North American Hairstyling Award, also known as NAHA. Crawford was chosen as one of the five finalists out of 17,000 applicants.

Crawford, who is part German and part Australian, moved to Destin several years ago and has been at Pure & Couture for almost four years. She decided to apply for the Newcomer Stylist of the Year Award, which is for stylists who have been working for under three years, and spent six long months prepping for the competition.

She had only been working at the salon for three years when she applied for the award, making her eligible.

“It’s more of an editorial competition as opposed to something onstage,” she said. “I spent six months prepping, finding models, a photographer, wardrobe, a makeup artist. There was a lot to it.”

All of that preparation paid off in the end, when Crawford was selected as a finalist for the award. Though she did not win the ultimate prize, being selected as a finalist out of thousands of other applicants was a huge honor.

 Receiving the designation gives Crawford bragging rights, features in magazines and endless networking opportunities with industry heavyweights.

“I’ve always been really passionate (about hairstyling),” she said. “I see sometimes what other people don’t see when they’re sitting in my chair, and I love bringing them confidence.”

Her boss, salon owner Adrianne Brackett, was naturally very proud of her.

“When Tania started with us, she had a long list of goals and she has achieved them very quickly,” Brackett said. “She inspires people around her and makes them better.”