Jade’s studies take her all the way to the Big Apple for Fashion Week

By Greg Chapman

Jade Matthews’ CQUniversity hair and beauty studies will take her all the way to New York City this month when she gets to style up some of the city’s top models for Fashion Week.

While this is the first overseas opportunity, the 23-year-old Rockhampton resident isn’t new to big fashion shows, having provided her acquired skills and knowledge to events in Brisbane and Sydney.

She’s spoken highly of CQU’s hairdressing and beauty studies, having completed the Certificate III in Hairdressing in 2024 before moving quickly into the Diploma of Beauty Therapy – all while working with clients as an apprentice at The Safari Room.

“I’ve always had a strong passion for the creative side of hairdressing and beauty, and I knew I wanted to turn that passion into a career. Studying hairdressing at CQU gave me the opportunity to develop my skills in a supportive and practical environment while gaining the qualifications and industry knowledge I needed to build my career,” she said.

“I completed my hairdressing training at Rockhampton and am currently continuing my studies completing my Diploma of Beauty Therapy. I really enjoyed my hairdressing course as it provided a great balance between developing practical skills and gaining an understanding of the industry. It gave me a strong foundation in everything from technical hairdressing techniques and client services to professional salon practices, which has been invaluable in building my career.”

She said she was “incredibly excited” to be assisting at New York Fashion Week.

“Heading from regional Australia to New York to work as a hairstylist during Fashion Week is something I’ve always dreamed of being part of, so to be travelling to New York and working backstage on such an incredible fashion event is a huge career milestone for me,” she said.

I’m really excited to experience what goes on behind the scenes and to work alongside such talented creatives from all over the world. I’ve worked backstage at Fashion Week here in Australia, so I’m really looking forward to taking that experience overseas and learning as much as I can.

“I’ll be working as part of a professional hairstyling team, creating hair looks for models across the Fashion Week shows.”

Jade has worked backstage at Sydney Fashion Week and Brisbane Fashion Festival. 

“Those experiences really helped build my confidence and connections within the fashion industry, which encouraged me to put myself forward for new opportunities. I applied to work as a hairstylist for New York Fashion Week, and I was absolutely thrilled when I found out I’d been selected,” she said.

She encouraged anyone eager to pursue a career in the hair and beauty industry to consider CQU.

“I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who has a passion for hair and beauty and is looking for a career that allows them to be creative. The hair and beauty industry can take you all over the world and offers so many different career paths, so the opportunities really are limitless,” she said.

“Studying with CQU has given me the skills and knowledge I need to build my career, while also allowing me to explore different areas of the industry and discover where I wanted my own journey to take me.

“I’m hoping NY Fashion Week will be another stepping stone in continuing to grow within the hair, fashion and beauty industry. I’d love to keep working on fashion shows, editorial work and other creative projects while continuing to develop my skills and build my career.”

Start your journey in Hairdressing or Beauty at CQU like Jade.