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Remedy Hairdressing for Men
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long the road New Briggate, tucked up between indie cafes and The Grande Theatre, sits a barbershop which represents every man out there. After a few visits, I could tell its popular by all who walks through the door. From hipsters to the working man on his lunch break, the place is full of appointments and walk-ins. The front windows display the products created and used from Remedy themselves, advertising them on rustic antique furniture, with signs of ‘Barber Shop’ and their price list all tastefully feel relaxed and comfortable, with a small waiting area to the side with leather low armchairs with books of movie icons and independent Leeds.
side with the wash station along the back wall. Surrounding these, are trinkets of Remedy’s own brands of beard elixirs, hair wax and clay and face creams; Lock, Stock & Barrel. The establishment exclusively uses and retails this hair care brand. Their mural of their branding takes centre stage of the for Men is surrounded by quotes and sayings of the topic of barbering and hairdressing and what the barbers stand for.
Upstairs has the same rustic manly ambiance as downstairs. As you walk past the banister, you can see empty bottles of Kraken add towards the décor, Si the head barber and owner, replied that it wasn’t and just a result of the past few years of celebrations from the shops success. Something that is not only an excellent touch but also holds many memories and stories they share with their clients. There is a replica of what is downstairs, just on a smaller scale. and large armchair at the centre of the room. This creates the atmosphere to be like a gentlemen’s club, elegance yet manly. The great leather armchair adds to the ultimate man cave like shop. But let’s not forget about the staff, which happens to be one of the most important aspects to making this barbers work. They are friendly, hard-working and unique in themselves. From greeting you at the door to waving you goodbye, their smiles are genuine all the way through. Their service is on a personal level where they take time out to get to know their client, enabling them to get a better understanding of what they want in their style. They look smart, dressed to impress and very bold. There couldn’t be a better team to best represent this quirky establishment. The services they promote are a selection of haircuts and hair treatments, they also supply a variation of cut throat shaves to hot towel shaves. This service has become quite popular within recent times due to the fashion of growing longer facial hair. This image has been promoted by the media as a recent most desirable look for fashion.
made them with decorative handles and hollow blades made
no longer needed. Only recently have they come back into fashion within retail due to their novelty of being vintage and unique.
venture and the highs and lows of his experiences...
Si Hunter Where did your idea come What was the inspiration from to opening a barbershop? for your wall painting? The idea of opening a barbershop was always there, since about 1989 anyway. barbershop in 1994, so the idea wasn’t anything new. I trained as a barber so naturally that was where I was heading.
What inspired you to become a barber/hairdresser? If truth be known I kind of fell into the barbering profession. It was quite clear when reaching the end of my school days that I was going to be ‘using my hands’, certainly nothing academic. I didn’t want to work in a mucky environment, such as a builder or plumber, so barbering was it. The local barbershop was looking for an apprentice around the time, and the rest as they say, is history.
I was in a restaurant three years ago, they had a big beautiful picture of waiters all lined up, white towels over their right arms, beautiful smart attire with a great back drop of a restaurant, the original image was perhaps seventy years old. I just did the same with an old barbershop image then got our designer to create the text and incorporated the two together.
Was there a theme you had in mind when you were starting up your business? The theme has developed over a period of three years. I had a clear idea of where I wanted it to go, up until that time I doubted myself and thought the brands theme and branding had become weak. Gentlemen, Traditional, Barbershop, Unique, Pastiche, Quality and I guess Fun were all words which ultimately ended up forming the brand. I didn’t just want to go out and buy the feel of the shop. I’ve
seen that done so many times, it ends up feeling like a big chain brand. Everything has to happen naturally and organically I think, which is what happened and it’s worked for us in the best possible way.
What would you consider to be the most important aspect to owning a barber shop? There are so many important aspects of owning a barbershop. The most important as far as I’m concerned is the quality of haircuts we deliver to our clients. All the other things, nice shop, good equipment, friendly atmosphere etc. are just trimmings that add to the bigger picture.
Barber
How did you start creating the hair care products? The development of our own products was a simple decision to arrive at. I just thought there wasn’t the product on the market that I loved. They were all too expensive, poor quality and cheap branding was in my opinion, was all the market had to offer. So I approached a guy who I knew was an expert in Essential Oil blending and asked him to blend the most beautiful products he’d ever be happy using myself and on my clients, and he did! produce, even down the logo
of the brand, hand blended and hand painted, all done within a mile of the shop!
What's the age range and type of man that comes through your doors? The age range of our clientele is between 15 and 55. not many thank goodness. Actors, accountants, footballers, solicitors, students, designers, dancers, builders, bar-tenders, doctors
You've been open since 2006, what's been the best highlight for you? In the 9 years of trading, I would say my highlight was buying out my then business partner. This was just over three years ago. I at last felt I had total control over the direction and brand of the business. It was a huge gamble in many ways of them. This was incredible important to me and has got me to where I am today. business in a big business world is a bloody highlight I guess, and that happens every day! Creating our products and seeing them on our shelves was pretty cool too.
How important is your team to you, have they helped you achieve 'the dream'? I’m so so proud of my team. They are without doubt barbershop. I’m very protective over them, because I’ve hand-picked each of them and trained most of them. I’ve invested a lot of recourses in all of them, I don’t like to think of this current team being broken up, it’s pretty special and I love each one of them like family. In my 25 years of barbering I’ve never worked with such talented team, and I couldn’t be happier. That’s part of job I guess, creating a dream team.
Remedy has made its mark in Leeds and they haven't gotten this far without a lot of hard work and dedication. It's now known as one of the most popular barbers in Leeds City Centre and has 5 star reviews across the internet with people boasting and promoting their skills and products. If you'd like to visit Remedy, it is open from Monday-Saturday and welcome walk-ins. For bookings, please call 0113 380 4912 Or email REMEDYHAIRDRESSING@YAHOO.CO.UK
R A W T N I A P AND OTHER HIDDEN WONDERS FOR MALES A males guide to hair care products and grooming products. Going from high street brands to something a little more indulgent.
Champneys
This small but essential travel pack has all of the products you will need on the go. Body wash, face wash, deodorant and a face cloth all designed in a charcoal grey and gold, comes in a handy see through travel bag. We tried these products out with our guys and here are their responses:
"The body and face wash are good for travel but not if you're looking for a more luxurious foam with your wash. Though it's handy to have the face cloth included." "I liked this travel pack, it's nice to have a deodorant included in as I'm always forgetting to pack mine! Great for a weekend away." "Really enjoy using this, it's nice to have a compact pack to grab and go. The only downside is how small the products are inside so after a few weekends away, they'll be gone."
Ted Baker Tour De Ted
Two compact products, a body spray and a hair and body wash from this well known and well loved brand. This is super handy with a little extra. These are ideal for going on holidays, refreshing after a days worth of activities in the sun. The musky smell is light and fresh but still makes an impact. Also there's no denying that the packaging isn't the most eye-catching, using primary colours for the bold and daring.
"I really enjoy using these products, it's such a good duo. The only downside is that it runs out sooner than I'd like but other than that I can't fault it!"
"I love getting this as a gift, though I tend to use the body spray more. But it's such a good combo and using them together, always smell great."
FCUK URBAN
For the man that wants to smell good and look good. This big brand delivers time and time again and is sold in every high street health and beauty store. The distinctive scent is one of the aspects of this brand, which makes it so recognizable. Buying on a budget? No worries as this product is under a fiver each and many times are involved in promotions!
"I like this product, it's not something I would buy a lot as the smell can sometimes be overpowering but it's good to use for a big night where you want to smell fresh all night." "I am a regular user of this product and I can not recommend it enough. I love this brand and also use their aftershave too."
Next- Signature Collection Escape
Although this is a slightly bigger set, this is ideal for gifts or just even a bit of a splurge. Next fragrance collections have been quite popular for the company. With a range of scents of light and fresh to a deep musk, they do cater for all men whilst keeping it exclusive to their brand.
"I've never used this product before until now and I have no idea why, I really like the hair wax. I don't need to use a lot for a lot of coverage. Together it's a great scent and will definitely be putting this on future Christmas lists." "I use Next products from time to time when I get them as gifts as they can be a bit pricey. I like how it includes a shaving balm as I think it's a vital product for men who shave to have. I like this scent, light but maybe too light for everyday use."
You Do WHAT?! When we asked a group of men what their morning routines were like, we weren’t exactly prepared for their answers...
al Essences "I wash my hair with Herb d exfoliate 'Dazzling Shine' shampoo an a morning my beard in the shower on y VO5 and towel dry both. I appl ir for texturizing gum to my ha Daimon texture and hold, then The d scent. I Barber pomade for shine an Murdock moisturise my beard with and comb London beard moisturiser ." through with a beard comb
I use some styling products like VO5 wax after washing hair. I usually just follow for GQ/Fashion blogs for new products and tips.
tever I get wha y haircut m me d asks n e i r f l r i g My grooming r too! outin quick and simple e is , I st my hair every m yle orn it takes me 1-2 ing, minu as I like my hair tes, messy.
I trim beard weekly using electric shaver. I style my hair using either wax or gel depending on the style I'm trying to achieve and where I'm going that day.
until it ir a h n o Use putty I shave once a ong. gets too l o leave stubble et week, I lik rugged look. e for a mor
If I got a bad haircut, I’d want my friends to tell me!
Essential - I w ould not leave the house without doing my hair. I shower every m orning and wa sh my hair and ta ke it from ther e, I don't do a lot to it as my inspiration is ro ck and in so the messier th die bands e better.
Thorough. I wash it then shampoo, condition, mousse and style. I like to think my hair represents my style, as I was to look smart and make an impression.
n o c i e l y t s e t a m My ulit e b o t s ha
m a h k c e B d i v a D
ith hair w ir a h y r d , ir a I wash my h ead wax. I H d e B ly p p a n e h dryer t ducts and o r p g in m o o r g believe my my style h g u o h t e m t n e haircut repres ars. My style e y e h t r e v o d e has chang change of a y b d e t a t ic d is usually l hair trim. ia c a f a r o le y t hairs
I shower ever every oth y morning and sh ave er and strai day. Then blow-d ght ry my Toni&G en my hair. Then i uy hair g use l u e t o finish off s with hair tyle and spray!
Not overly fus sed about how my hair looks, a bit of wax so it stays in a general style but is never ha ir sprayed into a locked positio n.
My style tends to stretch between 'street'0 and 'smart' and having longish hair now means I can style to fit either one. It does require more product when it's longer so after a shower I use sea salt spray or Ted Baker wax.