One of South Australia’s most awarded hair salons has cracked another, with a local hairdresser being named the best of SA at the 2026 Australian Hair Fashion Awards.
Zink Element of Hair’s Maria Cotroneo is no stranger to the award, SA Hairdresser of the Year, having won it once before in 2023. The salon has been located within the walls of the Unley SHopping Centre for 30 years now, and in that time they’ve secured their spot as one of the states best.
Owner, Suzi Cotroneo was ecstatic with the award and clearly shows a care for her salon that keeps her staff on the creative edge.
“This marks our third win, with Maria Cotroneo taking the title twice and Joe Cotroneo also being recognized,” said Suzi.
The Australian Hair Fashion Awards are considered one of the most prestigious nights in the Australian hairdressing industry, making the win a major milestone for the long-running Unley salon.
Joe and Suzi Cotroneo are artistic directors of Zink and are also part of the Australian artistic team for L’Oréal Professionnel, keeping the salon connected to national and global hair trends. The team has also been involved in major fashion events, including Paris Fashion Week and Melbourne Fashion Festival.
“The biggest highlight obviously was when we went to Paris Fashion Week,” Suzi said.
Zink at Paris Fashion Week
Closer to home, Joe and Maria have also worked as Hair Directors at Melbourne Fashion Festival, with the salon contributing its creative direction backstage over a number of years.
Zink’s work has also been featured in Marie Claire multiple times through the L’Oréal Style & Colour Trophy, where the team has been recognised as winners and finalists.
For Suzi, the accolades of success comes down to the salon’s willingness to push itself creatively.
“Because we are always trying to excel our creative juices,” Suzi said.
“So we’re not scared to enter these awards because they are a bit more avant-garde, a lot more technical and a lot more hair work.”
That level of work starts long before an awards night. According to Suzi, entering a competition can take months of planning, from creative direction and wigs to the overall mood and finished photography.
“There’s a lot that goes into our photo shoot, we organize a photo shoot six months before the actual shoot day,” Suzi said.
While all the glitz and glamour are big part of their story, Zink’s heart remains rooted in Unley.
“We are so proud to be in the unley shopping cent for over 30 years and, we have an amazing team and a few of our team members have been with us over 20 years,” she said.
“We are so blessed to have such an amazing culture that supports teamwork, togetherness, and long-term growth.”
Make no mistake Suzie and Joe both regularly work on the floor, sharing their talents.
“We love it,” Suzi said.
“I think that’s just our culture and it works well for us because then we work with the team, and we get a lot more results, and everyone’s skill set is a lot higher when we’re actually in and on the floor.
“That’s the culture and it’s like a family.
“Zink Element of Hair isn’t trying to be everything to everyone, we are known for our premium and luxury services, editorial quality and colour work,” she said.
For Unley locals, it means one of Australia’s most recognised hair teams isn’t a flight away in New York, but a short drive to the Unley Shopping centre, with the same team culture that has
Zink Element of Hair is located in the Unley Shopping Centre, click here to see more of their amazing venues.
