Ac-id

So, let’s hear about the inspiration behind Ac-iD Phoenix said: “The inspiration behind Ac-iD stemmed from the resurgence of fashion from the early ‘90s. Growing up in the UK during that time, there was a strong sense of evolution in hair and music. We wanted to pay homage to bands like The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, and Primal Scream. Moving on from the hairspray and structure of ‘new romantic’ hair in the late ’80s, the style evolved into looser, more casual, textured shapes.”

What did the mood board look like? “My mood board could have been 40,000 pages long between outfits and music that inspired me for this collection. Diving back into the youth culture of the UK in the ‘90s, everyone was wearing oversized tees, baggy jeans, and bucket hats. Fashion was gender neutral, which really resonates with what’s happening in the industry now; very much less for “men” or “women,” which I absolutely love. As for inspiration, I let our stylist, Mark Anthony, just roll with it. He grew up in the UK in that era, so he was the absolute best for choosing wardrobe for the shoot because he totally understood it.”

We asked Paul what his favorite part of the collection was. He said:“My favorite part of the collection is that this is such a strong, editorial message for our brand and the fact that we haven’t done that in a while makes it even that much more impactful. The highlights for me are having such strong, structured shapes, texture changes, the hair coming down around the face, and weight that sits so differently from our classic work. I just love the fact that we’re able to make a statement while being true to the language of American Crew as a brand.”

Phoenix added: “My highlight was introducing rounder shapes with a new curriculum. There are six new haircuts included in this collection, all that can be learned and completed in a class format over a two-day period.”

I know it’s like asking someone to tell us who their favorite child is, but I asked Paul what some of his favorite looks from the collection were. He said: “Oh man, that’s tough, but I’ll have to go with Seb and Charlie. All these looks were styled with natural fall. Normally, we push the hair back and off the face. Letting hair fall forward makes these shapes so cool, and the styling and the texture that was applied is so true to what we were creating.”

I asked Paul what his favorite products were while creating the collection. He said: “My personal favourite? Fiber Grooming Foam, undoubtedly. It builds and fills out the hair so well. We used so much of it during this shoot… sometimes on damp hair, sometimes on dry hair, and sometimes for surface texture and shape. And we also used our iconic Fiber styling puck for finishing touches on the shorter lengths, which really tied the look together beautifully.”

What was the most memorable part of the shoot? Paul said: “For me, working with this group and to be shooting in a place that was such a big part of the inspiration for the collection, and to be able to collaborate with Phoenix.”

What will the Ac-iD Collection bring to professional artists around the world? Phoenix said: “It introduces a technical curriculum to showcase the excellence of longer hair, round shapes, and texture. It also focuses on graduation, which is rare in barbering, but an important skill set. These cuts and styles are a lot looser, and the shape is built rather than removed. We want to encourage professionals’ confidence to create roundness and fullness in a shape and to be experimental. I hope this collection creates some fun nostalgia and is a proper representation of UK style in the ‘90s, but with a modern edge. And for anyone not familiar, I hope the imagery and fashion bring some excitement and inspiration.”

Paul added: “I think it’s going to be utterly inspiring. The shapes and the ways that we utilize the AC method method will give a fresh take on what we do creatively. We always try to arm pros with not only the latest in trends, but the technique and the product to achieve them – and this unique collection will give them just that.

“I, personally, am going to use it in every possible way. I’m going to present it as inspiration to my stylists and their clients, especially the younger ones that are very much rocking the longer, shaggy look that is very on-trend right now. I want to teach it technically – the lessons and fresh applications into a new set of shapes.”

To find out more about the Ac-iD collection, send a DM to @americancrew on Instagram or reach out to us at info@americancrew.com and we will direct you to the American Crew representative in your local region.

ANGELA HENNING IS A THIRD-GENERATION BARBER FROM FORT WORTH, TX, AND THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THE CRAFT OF BARBERING IS IN HER DNA. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT SHE ALSO HAS A NATURAL GIFT FOR TEACHING AND EDUCATION AND THAT HAS TAKEN HER ON A JOURNEY WITH 18.21 MAN MADE.

Angela has 14 members of her family on both sides that are in the hair business. Her great uncle, Louis G Ayala, started barbering at age 15 and was still doing it at aged 90. Her grandfather, John, after a long career, retired and decided to go to barber school in his retirement. When he opened a barbershop, he had three of his daughters working there. His oldest daughter, Angela’s mother, wasn’t a barber, but Angela was, so she took her place – the first granddaughter to work with him.

Angela opened her own shop in 2007 and she finally sold it to one of her employees in 2018, after finding out she was pregnant after 10 years of marriage. She said: “That was at the height of me travelling and representing 18.21 Man Made as an educator, and I felt that was my purpose, to educate. When I was working with my grandfather he would bring every new employee into the shop and put them next to me because he knew I would train them. I didn’t need them to be perfect, I needed them to be teachable.

“Once I was discovered by 18.21 Man Made I was travelling a lot, and I felt really fulfilled. I would go to cosmetology schools and people were so hungry for education. I was balancing my barbershop and traveling when miracle baby number one was on his way. I was managing to do it all, then just 16 months after miracle number one… miracle number two was born.

“I was asking myself how do I balance family and work? It’s a lot to juggle two kids, a business and all the travel. I wanted to continue with the education, I didn’t want to stop travelling. It made more sense to me to go on a few trips a month and just work a few days behind the chair. So, I sold my barbershop and then Covid happened. I had always put my clients first and had a strong relationship with them, which paid me back during Covid, and they have now become like family.

“I travel sporadically, but when I do I prefer hands on training with 18.21. I go to cosmetology schools and salons to teach barber services. A lot of cosmetologists were coming to me to learn barbering skills so they would be confident in servicing any and everyone in the barbershop.”

I asked Angela what she hopes to pass on to fellow barbers and stylists. She said: “I think it’s important to realize the potential impact we have on others within our communities. If social media was no longer available to us, would we be able to rely on word of mouth only? And what would your clients and community say about you? Would they speak of only the technical skill you provide? What sets you apart when there are so many talented individuals? I had a client once tell me that during Thanksgiving dinner, their family shared what they were thankful for. He mentioned that he was thankful for me, his barber! I thought that was hilarious and a bit surprising.”

What does success look like to Angela? She said: “When I first became a barber, I witnessed most of the women I worked alongside struggle to find a balance with work and their home/ family life. We as professionals sacrifice so much of ourselves daily. We pour into others and that can leave us on E (empty) after long hours, days, weeks in the shop. I’ve been successful in curating a clientele that include the CEO of their own companies, their employees, AND the spouses of their employees. It starts with one person, but is an example of how tight-knit my base is, and I prefer it this way. I think it’s so cool that my clients do the filtering of their referrals FOR ME!

“They will even ask me beforehand if I am willing to take on new clients if they feel the person would be a good fit for me. Being able to carve that niche in my professional life, while still being able to prioritize my obligations in my personal life has allowed me to feel as though I have it all. I am able to have peace throughout the day with people who have become friends and family, which makes it seem less like work. I have the honor to represent, and the support of an amazing brand that has always been so accommodating to the lifestyles and schedules of everyone in the 18.21 Man Made family. At this moment, I’m living my own definition of successful.

“Working with 18.21 has been divine alignment, they are an amazing brand. They are so meticulous in the quality of each product, and they are so well rounded and tailor to every person and every hair type. It is everything that you could need."

Angela concludes by saying that her career mantra is: “Put the client first always. The 18.21 Man Made line is timeless. Just like my uncle!”