THE RIGHT BRAND PARTNER IS EVERYTHING.”

CT BARBER EXPO 2023!

Looking ahead to CT and the excitement is building. Brian said: “We’re so excited to unveil our unique partnership solution with our brands at the CT Barber Expo this Spring. This collaboration is going to be big and exciting!

“We’ve shifted gears away from the retail dollars at the trade shows because that’s not the platform to focus on cash sales. Trade shows are a place for our brands to shine with great exposure and captivating education.

“We’re creating an environment where our Classic staff, led by my wife, Marie Murakami (Classic Barber Products COO) will properly represent our brands. We will provide each of our brands with support in the form of product sampling, prospecting, education, product knowledge, and retailing directly from our warehouse to the shop’s front door.

“On the actual show floor, you’ll see an entire section of our ecosystem complete with an education arena and a stage, which will feature two full days of education. We will feature cool collaborations among our brands’ best educators. It’s going to be a better environment for barbers to do business with our partners at the event. We’re so excited about this new format, and all of the excitement it will generate. More details will be released closer to the show. Watch this space!” •

WE’RE SEEING MORE AND MORE ADVENTUROUS CUTS AND COLORS AS THE LINES BETWEEN HAIRDRESSING AND BARBERING BEGIN TO BLUR. WE BROUGHT SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN STYLING TOGETHER TO GIVE YOU THE LOWDOWN ON BECOMING THE BEST.

NEW YORK BARBER DAVID MARULANDA

CO-OWNS AUTHENTIC HAIR STUDIO AND STYLES SPORTS STARS ALL OVER THE WORLD, FROM NBA AND USMNT SOCCER TO FIFA WORLD CUPS. ALSO A COCCO HAIR PRO AND ELEGANCE AMBASSADOR, HE SHARES HIS STYLING SECRETS – AND HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR WORK NOTICED BY GLOBAL SPORTS STARS.

After two decades in the industry, David is now the official barber of the USA Men’s National Soccer Team and cuts hair for players on the New York Knicks, Yankees, Rangers and New York City Football Club. He told us: “When NYCFC was established, they brought in players from across the world, like David Villa who used to play in Barcelona. Also Patrick Vieira as well as Frank Lampard, just to name a few big names. I got to meet them and cut their hair, which really solidified me in that role.”

David also travels internationally, teaching hair techniques and styling for industry titan brands like Elegance and Cocco Hair Pro. In fact, he told us that he’s been to more than 30 countries to cut hair, speak at seminars, and conduct classes. “I started educating for Elegance after they found me at Barber Con a few years ago. They have the biggest booth at this year’s event, where I’ll be doing some shows with them.”

Yes, making a hair style last means creating a top-class cut and using the right products to set everything in place. But making a lasting style also means considering the external elements around and preparing for the effects they could have on the hair, from rain and wind to heat. When it comes to working for sports stars, you can add sweat and intense movement to that mix.

How does David enhance the way he uses products to make sure that every style holds its shape and withstands the elements as his sporting clients run, jump, and tackle for hours on end. He revealed: “A problem that I encountered in my very early years in styling soccer players was that the type of hairstyles that required certain creams tend to melt when they sweat, which was a problem because it was dripping into their eyes. As a stylist, you always need to keep that in mind when you’re suggesting hairstyles for athletes. You want to give them a good hairstyle, but you also want it to perform, because if it doesn’t perform well, your work won’t make it onto the screens or the social media feeds, and you can compromise your client’s abilities.”

But every client is different and the way they play their game is different too. Sometimes the considerations you need to make aren’t about the product, but about the texture of the hair itself. For example: “One of my most iconic looks was for soccer player Weston McKennie. I didn’t have to consider products here because he has afro hair, which holds its own pretty well. So, what I did was give him some color. We opted for national colors of red, white, and blue – and the fans loved it. A lot of people hated it too, but at least they were talking about it. That meant that my work was being shared on global platforms, becoming so visible and hey, it may have been controversial, but it did its job! I mean, the FIFA World Cup Instagram page was talking about it,” he laughed.

We wondered, is part of the reason why bright colors have become so popular with soccer players because they can make a statement that can be seen from the crowd or on the TV without actually having to put much product in the hair on game day? David agreed and said: “The low maintenance is appealing, and a lot of these colors aren’t permanent. So, if you have a good bleach base with effective de-coloration, then the players can change colors and go from pink to blue to green and so forth! Which not only helps them stand out but lets you as the barber/stylist get more creative.”

David continued: “And then when the hair grows and you maybe start doing skin fades, you can do color transitions with contrast from the dark hair to lighter hair. If you want to make yourself indispensable, you should learn how to do color and barbering. The modern barber takes the coloring talent from the salon and merges it with the technical skill of barbering to create styles that the biggest names will pay the biggest bucks for.”

It’s time to get practical. We wanted to know what tools and products David uses to achieve these looks and create buzz around his work as a result. He told us: “You are dealing with a lot of clienteles as a barber so need to be efficient. You need a tool that is modified to the best settings, like the COCCO PRO BLDC TRIMMER with Digital Gap Blades. It doesn’t scratch in sensitive areas under the chin, and behind the neck and ears. You want something that’s sharp to the point that even if you haven’t used the blade, it looks like you have. You need integrity in your work too. I love that Cocco tools can do the necessary work in one stroke that other tools will do in 10. Why would I use the most well-known brands when something new can do so much better?”

What drew him to Cocco Hair Pro? “I stick to Cocco Hair Pro when it comes to tools like clippers and trimmers. David Kim, Founder and CEO, spent a lot of time in a lab coming up with the blades that I believe have changed the industry. I only heard about them because they reached out to me while I was at the World Cup and sent me a package to Qatar. Once I tried the tools – especially the trimmer – I just knew that, yep, this is the one. I want to work with these guys.”

We tied up our chat by having a look at upcoming hair trends. What will we be seeing on the playing fields in 2023? David predicted: “In America, there’s a lot of mullets and longer hair. Wolf cuts as well. Obviously, a good oldfashioned fade is still popular because they’re the foundations of barbering. But if you look at things that have broken the scene in current times, I’d say we’re looking at longer styles – like the ones you see in Anime shows.”

Here's a final piece of advice for budding sports barbers from the guy who has been there, done that, and got every strip to prove it. “If you want brands to notice you, you have to go to hair shows and start competing. Print some business cards and grow your social following – nowadays, teams are looking solely online. Go out there, shake some hands and if your goal is to be known in the industry, you need to show your face. Be social! On media and in-person. The busy barber is not always the most talented barber, but he is the guy who’s at shows and shaking hands with the right people. So, find your lane and your skills and refine them. You don’t have to imitate anyone else. Stay true to you, work hard, talk to people and you’ll start to succeed.” •

Find David as @authentic_barbers on Instagram

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Jovan Figueroa

SINCE THE PANDEMIC, MANY MEN HAVE BEGUN TO STRAY AWAY FROM THE VERY POLISHED, OVERLY STYLED HAIR, AND EMBRACED A MORE LOW-MAINTENANCE, LIVED-IN LOOK. BUT LOOKING LOW MAINTENANCE ISN’T ALWAYS AS EASY AS IT LOOKS. STMNT CO-CREATOR JULIUS CAESAR AND STMNT AMBASSADORS JOVAN FIGUEROA AND ZACH IGNACIO EXPLAIN HOW TO CREATE THESE STYLES.

The words “Lived-In” are thrown around a lot when describing what is current and cool in men’s styles right now. But what does it actually mean?

In Julius’ words: “Lived-In Hairstyles are very cohesive looks that are natural to how it lays, and with focus on low-maintenance upkeep as it grows out. These styles usually have a softer finish with little to no hard lines/edges. They also compliment an individual’s natural hair texture, allowing for easy styling.”

Jovan added: “There are variations to this look. Some clients like to maintain their length throughout, and others like to keep the length on top with a taper fade. The second option leads to a longer, easily styled length on top with a clean and manageable fade on the sides.

“Despite all the many variations, the common characteristics are that the cut is (1) easy to style, has flexibility and movement, and (2) has longevity in that it will still look well-groomed and intentionally "messy" between appointments.”

“I PERSONALLY LIKE HEATING UP A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF STMNT SHINE PASTE INTO MY HANDS AND FINGERS, FOLLOWED BY SCRUNCHING INTO THE HAIR FROM ROOT TO ENDS FOR A FULLER YET WEIGHTLESS ‘JUST WOKE UP AND ROLLED OUT OF BED WITH PERFECT HAIR’ FINISH.”

JULIUS

In fact, Zach said, a main quality of a ‘LivedIn’ look is having the capability to style it in more ways than one. He said: “A lived-in look is generally a soft layered hairstyle that is mainly applied with lighter hold products. When lighter hold products are applied, it is able to enhance the individual’s natural hair texture and give the overall hairstyle an effortless finish.”

I asked the barbers what they believe has influenced these styles into the mainstream. Julius said: “Hair follows fashion, which follows suit to the overall climate of current society. As the world went through the Pandemic and we were all

Zach Ignacio Julius Caesar

forced to slow down, so did the overall movement of everything around us. The polished prepped, and put-together image of ourselves was traded in for cozy, comfy, and chill as we were confined to our personal spaces. A trend in every variation of the sweatpant + vintage T-shirt combo became everyday wear. Hair soon went in the same direction, where many grew fond of their natural texture and thus the ‘Lived-In’ era was re-born.”

Jovan added: “Trends are cyclical and allencompassing within niches. And if you take a look at fashion trends right now, there's evidently a strong influence of the ‘90s era. We are definitely seeing this ‘90s influence in the hair industry with a modern take on these longer hairstyles – reminiscent of Leonardo DiCaprio's look on the Titanic, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom.”

Working from home during the Pandemic was definitely an influencing factor pushing these trends along. Zach said: “The pandemic gave many people the opportunity to see their hair transform from short to long and get a different perspective on how they could potentially style their hair without the bald taper or fade on the sides they’d regularly get when it came time for a haircut.”

What are the essential products for creating a ‘Lived-In’ look?

Julius said: “The best tool you can use besides a few good hair styling products is actually your hands!”

His top styling products, after a good clean with STMNT Shampoo + Conditioner, are: “STMNT Grooming Spray for a very soft gritty finish will prep the hair for coming days in which the hair will build natural oils and coils to truly give that “Lived-In” perfect for continuous styling with the ease of our hands. For some root-lift/volume, a hint of STMNT Spray Powder placed on desired areas will accentuate purposeful shape and height. I personally like heating up a very small amount of STMNT Shine Paste into my hands and fingers, followed by scrunching into the hair from root to ends for a fuller yet weightless ‘just woke up and rolled out of bed with perfect hair’ finish.”

For Jovan, his go-to's are STMNT's Grooming Spray, Wax Powder, Matte or Shine Paste, and Hair Spray. He explained: “The STMNT Wax Powder gives stiffness at the root but also provides movement and flexibility to the hair.”

And Zach uses: “The STMNT Grooming Spray, Dry Clay, Wax Powder, and Spray Powder.”

HAIR TRENDS, LIKE FASHION, ARE CYCLICAL. WHEN YOU LOOK AT NEW TRENDS THERE ARE ALWAYS ELEMENTS FROM THE PAST THAT ARE MADE RELEVANT TO THE MASSES OF TODAY. LONGER HAIR IS BACK, AND PATRICK BUTLER OF FLOYD’S 99 TALKS US THROUGH THE STYLING CHALLENGES THAT BARBERS FACE.

Patrick has found something of a silver lining to the pandemic, he said: “Covid had a massive impact on the hair world because men started to allow themselves to grow their hair out, and when they did, they realized it was okay.

“They started to experiment. This means there are so many more options for barbers to offer their clients. They can say, hey we can take this length any way. We can evolve this and there are products to support it.”

Barbers, through their schooling and working side by side with mentors, have always been about shorter lengths. It’s always been about clipper

He continued: “They've had to learn how to style hair. If you look at some of the current trends right now, I think it's pretty amazing because what you're seeing are these cool combinations of a mid-taper fade that transitions immediately into length on top. It's like this amazing blend of traditional barbering with clipper work. And then it's this transition into length. It’s great because it has pushed barbers to step up their game a little and learn how to evolve.”

Floyd’s 99 has locations all over the country, and to help its barbers retain that hunger for education and a thirst for styling knowledge, the brand started producing collections with collaborators.

“We collaborated with two of our brand partners, Paul Mitchell first, and then Reuzel. We’re going to continue that into the new year and move forward. This year, we're going to create one on our own. And it's our way to do a couple of things. First push outwardly with what we feel is very current and relevant and a new trend. But also, provide education for our team in the process. As an example, we will do a photo and video shoot where we will shoot still photographs that show the process step-by-step.

“But we've taken a step further, we're taking that collection this year and producing a hands-on class for our team. It will take two forms. A haircutting hands-on, step-by-step, and also a color application step. The collection this year will focus on cutting and color. We'll see an integration of grey blending techniques as well as strong vivid colors because we know fashion colors are still very strong.”

How important is it for barbers to start learning color techniques?

“It’s so important, simply because one thing you can never escape is in aging clientele. And you should understand the impact that grey blending has to help them with their look. You can literally drop years off someone's look with a simple blending technique.

“And the good news for barbers is you don't have to go through a tremendous amount of advanced education to understand grey blending, it is far simpler for them to jump into than one would think.

“And then on the other side of that color equation, you've got so much more opportunity with fashion color now. And when I talk about fashion color, I'm saying that so many men are now open to different types of color, instead of just a grey blending. They are asking for us to be more aggressive with their style and color and it's accepted in the mainstream. And now more than ever, it's providing barbers with a new revenue stream that they may not have had before.”

Current collections that barbers are producing using color can be an overwhelming goal to aim toward. Patrick said: “Those looks are important for inspiration, but it can leave barbers thinking where do I begin? I think it can be a simple evolution from starting with grey blending and understanding some of the basic blending techniques, and then advancing yourself into some of the fashion colors. Just take it step-by-step.

“Sometimes as barbers we pattern our clientele, meaning we will rise to the expectation that they've asked for, and think that's the cap with them. Sometimes we get shy about encouraging a next step for the client. We always try to encourage our barbers, once they’ve got that client into a great place, and they've got trust in them to open up the creative door and maybe take a step further with that client than you ever thought before.”

Looking towards the 2023 Floyd’s 99 collection, and Patrick thinks that the trend that will influence it will be a mid-taper fade that immediately transitions into more length on top, which has been shining through lately.

“It’s interesting because it gives barbers the chance to be in a playground that is a blend of both worlds. One where they are comfortable dealing with the bottom half of the head, where it’s clean and short, and then that transition into the variation of length on top. I see the crop and Caesar cuts coming into play where there’s length up front. And as we head into summer, I’m seeing what people are calling a flow, where there’s a lot of length coming back. I’m seeing two versions of it. A full-on commitment to the length, or there’s those little elements of barbering where it’s faded up just under the temples or on the neckline but there’s this flow going on over the top. It’s like there are these little intricate evolutions of the clipper work being just laced into this length. Which is kind of cool.”

Styling the hair into the looks mentioned, we ask Patrick what styling products he views as his go-tos.

“Men are opening themselves up to a new styling category. They are used to pomades, gels, and creams but they are now discovering powder. The Floyd’s 99 Texture Powder allows them to be able to control the length and have it look natural and still have volume.

“Reuzel Fiber Cream, I love the consistency in that product. It truly is a fibrous type of application. You can feel it. I also like Paul Mitchell’s MVRCK Dry Paste. That’s a really strong product too.”

Going back to taking the steps to encourage your client to be a little more adventurous, Patrick has some advice:“The great thing about men's hair is that a change can occur literally within a cut to a cut. Encouraging maybe a quarter inch longer here or there, it's actually not so hard. They grow accustomed to a little bit more length at a time. And they see that they're able to still follow through, have a great routine, and it didn't add any more time to their style regimen. And suddenly, they’ve got a new look that's starting to evolve. I always encourage people to take it slowly. But the good news is, within one to two cuts, you could completely change someone's look and evolve it."

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF 1990S ENGLAND? ACID WASH JEANS? “I WANNA BE ADORED” BY THE STONE ROSES? SHAGGY, TEXTURED HAIRCUTS? WE SPOKE TO PHOENIX THOMSON, GLOBAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN CREW AND PAUL WILSON, GLOBAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN CREW ALL ABOUT THEIR NEW ‘90S INSPIRED AC-ID COLLECTION AND HOW THEY BROUGHT IT TO LIFE.