Fanny Gourdon, a first-year student in the Hairdressing Professional Baccalaureate program at École Terrade Angers, won the gold medal at the national “Un des Meilleurs Apprentis de France 2025” (Best Apprentice of France) competition in the unisex hairdressing category. The final of this prestigious competition brought together 750 finalists across 90 different trades in Strasbourg from June 27 to 29.
48 finalists, 3 tests, and 1 gold medal
At just 16 years old, Fanny Gourdon stood out among the 48 top apprentices competing alongside her in the “unisex hairdressing” category. The test consisted of three distinct parts:
- An artistic setting based on the Chinese New Year theme
- An evening hairstyle on a female model
- A men’s haircut
As the topics were revealed at the time of registration, the candidates had several weeks to train and perfect their techniques. Fanny’s rigor, creativity, and perseverance made all the difference:
« This highly intense competition was a great challenge. It allowed me to push my boundaries and progress both technically and personally. It’s a great human adventure. Behind this success lie months of preparation, doubts, adjustments… and countless hours of training! »
« The hardest part was finding the right models. For my part, I was lucky enough to have extremely patient, invested, and available models during the long preparation sessions. Their support on the big day was crucial, and I am very grateful to them. »
« I would also like to thank my teachers for their guidance and benevolent standards, as well as my family, who supported me throughout this journey. »
— Fanny Gourdon, Gold Medalist at the national « Un des Meilleurs Apprentis de France 2025 » competition
Fanny Gourdon (in the middle) alongside her two models and her artistic creation on a mannequin head.
A fully mobilized educational team
This victory reflects not only Fanny’s dedication but also the strong commitment of the educational team at the Terrade Angers campus. Her preparation was supervised by Catherine Jamet, an experienced trainer at the school.
« This title reflects the unwavering involvement of our teams in bringing out the talents of tomorrow. We are all extremely proud of Fanny. »
— Victor Adam, Director of École Terrade Angers
École Terrade, a breeding ground for talent
Every year, learners at École Terrade are encouraged to participate in the “Best Apprentice of France” competition by registering for departmental and then regional selections, with the hope of reaching the national final. To achieve this, they benefit from the support and commitment of the teaching teams, all driven by a passion for passing on knowledge.
Once again this year, École Terrade has distinguished itself with a remarkable track record, winning 57 medals across the entire competition.