WELCOME TOBARBERVILLE

Most Luxurious

HOUSE OF HANDSOME

“This place looks like a dang cathedral. Every single element from the high ceilings, to the wallpaper, to the wine dispensers. This is a place for luxury.”

Best Mirrors

THE MAIL ROOM BARBER

“This minimalist space is so fresh and clean. The massive mirrors were custom-made by a local woodworking shop, making the space look even bigger and brighter.”

Most Creative

NEIGHBORHOOD HEROZ BY LUKE NAHSHON

“This place has so much color and creativity from floor to ceiling. From the attached shoe boutique to the arcade games, and the graffiti walls, I didn’t want to leave this place.”

Best Lighting

MODERN CLASSICS

BY DONNY BLENDS

“This shop shows the best example of aesthetically pleasing and effective lighting. These hexagonal lights shed light from every angle so the barber has great vision and no shadows”

BARBER OF 10 YEARS, CHRIS (CJ) FOREMAN BEGAN CREATING VIDEOS TOURING THE DOPEST BARBERSHOPS AROUND THE STATES TO PROMOTE THE BARBERVILLE FESTIVAL IN NORTH CAROLINA. HIS INSTAGRAM PAGE QUICKLY GAINED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS, RAPIDLY BECOMING ONE OF THE HOTTEST ACCOUNTS, FEATURING STANDOUT BARBERSHOPS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

After moving to North Carolina from New York, CJ had an idea to hold events to promote and bring together the NC barbering community. He explained: “I started hosting what I called ‘Meet Ups’ to bring barbers from all across the state together, to network, share knowledge and help build a stronger community.”

After hosting a few of these meet-ups, CJ realized that there was scope and demand for something bigger. So, he started planning the first BarberVille Festival, which was a roaring success. He was already thinking about the next one when… well you know what happened.

“The pandemic hit, and all events were put on hold. But then last summer, when things were feeling normal again, I decided to announce that we would be holding the next BarberVille festival in October 2023. I wanted to think of an organic way of getting the name of the festival out there, and I thought, why don’t I go around to different shops and get some content? I had no idea it would take off the way that it did. We started with just one video and then we added more and more of our ideas, and now it has just taken on a complete life of its own. I did not think that is what was going to happen, and I am catching up to the success of it all. Like, I just learned how to use a camera a few months ago!”

Over the last six months or so, CJ has been touring around some of the best, most beautiful, and most highly acclaimed barbershops across the country, from House of Handsome to Joshua Hawkins’ shop, @3quip_, to Tyrik Jacksons Academy, to Taylor Perry’s SMP Studios, and many more.

CJ and his editor work closely together, but all shoots are done in-house, they don’t outsource or share other people's work. So, it is truly a two- man team traveling, shooting, and creating all of this epic content.

After seeing the rapid success of the account, and the high demand for more tours, CJ is now thinking about the next steps for BarberVille. He said: “We are considering a few options, from a season of longer ‘episodes’ which viewers can subscribe to, potentially working with brands, and we are even thinking about expanding outside of the States. We would love to showcase some of the best shops in the UK, Europe, and even Australia.”

I asked CJ what some of his highlights have been since starting this journey. He said: “It has been a truly amazing journey getting to travel all over the place and meet new people every day. So many of the people we have featured are people who I have looked up to throughout my career. Even though the travel can be arduous, that excitement when I pull up to a shop, and the excitement of the barbers who are getting featured, is unmatched. I love getting to network, collaborate and talk to fellow artists and barbers about our industry, where things are going, and what we are excited about and looking forward to.”

CJ has gotten the chance firsthand to see and showcase some of the best barbershops in the country. So, I asked him where he thinks the trends are going in terms of barbershop interiors. He said: “There are a lot of different aesthetics people are going for these days. Some shops are adopting that modern, minimalist aesthetic inspired by the apple store, which I am a big fan of. But another thing I have noticed is that the shops that are standing out are the ones that are picking a theme and committing to it. For example, we have visited shops that have a basketball court as a floor, and a hoop in the shop. Other shops look like streetwear shops and sell sneakers and clothes too. Other shops are committed to that fully luxurious experience.

“So, what I am seeing is people picking a theme that represents them in some way, then doubling down on that theme and bringing it to life, creating an immersive experience. You could just rent a space and throw some chairs in there, but if you want to stand out, your shop needs to reflect your inner style.”

Finally, I asked CJ, what barbershops can do to up their chances of one day being featured on BarberVille. He said: “Well, we want to be authentic and transparent. We are very thoughtful about the shops that we feature. We want to feature shops that are not only unique in terms of their interior, but that are giving back to their local community, and involved in the barbering community. It’s not all about looking pretty. We want to feature the people and shops who are making a difference.”

Find out more about The BarberVille Festival on Oct 1, 2023 at thebarberville.com and check out their tours at @thebarberville on Instagram