EVO Rewind : DERT Foundation by Evo Enterprises Ltd

TRADE. CULTURE. EDUCATION.

t NORTH AMERICA

DAVID RACCUGLIA PAUL WILSON GABRIELLE DAVIS CRISP BARBERSHOP VINCE THE BARBER

dER T

N O i T A d N FOU

| F E B R U A R Y/ M A R C H 2 0 2 0 // I S S U E T W E L V E

LAUREN MILNER

$10

THE FINAL CUT.

Creative Directors// David Raccuglia, Paul Wilson. Hair// Anthony Johnson, Willis Orengo, Alice Salazar, Paul Wilson. DERT Foundation// Marcos Chavez. Models// Yahrock Bates, Joe Baxter, Sheldon Barrow, Myles Campbell (Cover), Noah Domon, Matthew Jamal, Keenan Javon, Fabe Robinson, Jabali Sandiford, Tylee Weaver. Photography// David Raccuglia.

THE FINAL CUT.

DERT. HIGH TEXTURE COLLECTION

DERT PRESENTS

H iGH TE X TUR E

EXPRESSING ONE’S STYLE IS A UNIQUE FORM OF STORY-TELLING AND BARBERS HAVE THE POWER TO DEEPEN THE LIVES OF THEIR CUSTOMERS BY BEING A CATALYST TO PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION.”

INSPIRED BY LOOKS AND STYLES FROM CLASSIC LITERATURE, MEN’S GROOMING PIONEER DAVID RACCUGLIA HAS CREATED A FRESH NEW BARBERING TREND RELEASE CALLED HIGH TEXTURE. JOINING FORCES WITH PAUL WILSON AND THE TEAM FROM ART + SCIENCE SALON, DAVID’S NEW TREND RELEASE CELEBRATES OLD SCHOOL TECHNIQUES. The campaign was commissioned by DERT, a new socially conscious book brand, calling on the barber industry to join in promoting the cause of children’s literacy. DERT is launching a new initiative that provides storybooks to barbershops in under-resourced black communities. HIGH TEXTURE is inspired by the great 19th century dandy authors like Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman with their existential outlook and witty quips. A grand sense of Victorian adventure and

Gothic horror is in the spirit of High Texture’s styling, reflecting writings of classic 19th-century literature greats like Robert Louis Stevenson, author of many classics including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Treasure Island. These influences collide with the great African American writing tradition of black writers like James Baldwin and Paul Laurence Dunbar with their call-to-arms for social change by wielding the power of the written prose and poetry. u

These eccentric literary inspirations are infused with a musical jolt, fueled by the soulful energy of Funk musicians like James Brown, and the impeccable glamour of Little Richard – where pure raw substance and emotion is expressed with a flashy layered personal style. High Texture compresses and fastforwards it all to the 21st-century man. DERT commissioned David Raccuglia to photograph 10 top American models in a range of hair expressions and fashion looks as part of a social campaign for the barber industry. High Texture promotes the cause of children’s literacy by debuting the social enterprise DERT to the barber industry. DERT is on a mission to encourage reading and learning by inspiring barbers to be literacy advocates and activating barbershops into reading friendly spaces. “David and I are often focused on relevant trends when we create collections. What had us excited about this project is the fact that through design it would transcend trend,” says Paul Wilson, Global Artistic Director of American Crew and co-owner of Art & Science. “Art +

ART + SCIENCE SALON IS PACKED WITH INCREDIBLE TALENT, SO I BROUGHT ONE OF OUR BEST MASTER BARBERS, ANTHONY JOHNSON, AS WELL ALICE SALAZAR, OUR MOST DIVERSE AND SKILLED STYLIST. THE HIGHLY TEXTURAL SHAPES ARE ARCHITECTURAL AND SCULPTURAL AND SPAN ALL ERAS.”

Science salon is packed with incredible talent, so I brought one of our best master barbers, Anthony Johnson, as well Alice Salazar, our most diverse and skilled stylist. The highly textural shapes are architectural and sculptural and span all eras. We have never had so much fun on a project.” “The barbershop has always been a space for men to gather and share stories in their journey to improve themselves,” adds David Raccuglia. “Expressing one’s style is a unique form of storytelling and barbers have the power to deepen the lives of their customers by being a catalyst to personal transformation. Like movies, sports and music, stories and characters from literature provide a universal experience that can help us dig deeper, and guide us towards being our best.” DERT’s mission is to cultivate better lives and a stronger community through reading, stories, and the transformative power of books. DERT seeks to bring books to barbershops and salons worldwide, inspiring industry professionals to be literacy advocates that encourage their customers to best transform themselves on the inside and out.

With each purchase, DERT donates a portion of its profits towards the donation of their children’s storybooks to literacy programs in barbershops. DERT’s social mission is to ensure that all children identify as readers by having access to books and being read to on a regular basis. Reading together is vital for all children through their preschool years and beyond. DERT publishes a unique line of books and learning tools designed to engage families in reading through all stages of life. Two brothers, an Olympia book curator, Ernesto Chavez, and a Brooklyn graphic designer, Marcos Chavez, founded DERT. Inspired to brand a new bookselling model by a symbol of nature (dirt) and the ethos of technical arts (design), the Chavez brothers formulated the concept of deep enhancement of reader technology known as D-E-R-T. Learn more about the foundation being established and find out how to get involved at dertbook.com. •

THE BARBERSHOP HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SPACE FOR MEN TO GATHER AND SHARE STORIES IN THEIR JOURNEY TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES.”

AMERICAN CREW DEBUTS STYLE MAKERS CAMPAIGN American Crew introduces the CREW STYLE MAKERS, a new campaign focused on education and shaped by the brand’s drive to help men groom for success and self-expression. THE CREW STYLE MAKERS serves as an inspiration to barbers and stylists to become industry leaders, set trends and open a world of grooming possibilities for their clients. With this new campaign as a tool, American Crew empowers professionals to showcase what it means to be a STYLE MAKER: an artist that holds both emotional and physical transformational power in their hands. The campaign is designed to demonstrate the

importance of the collaborative relationship between the professional and the client and how this partnership provides men with renewed confidence. “It’s a collaborative effort between the barber and the client,” explains American Crew Founder David Raccuglia. “When you think about hair and how important it is, who creates the style is not just the barber, who has the technical style and vision, but the client as well. I wanted to celebrate that relationship and do so in a way that was very happy and positive. I know that when I go to see Paul [Wilson] at Art & Science in Chicago and get my hair cut, I walk out feeling

BARBERS AND STYLISTS ARE INTRINSICALLY STYLE MAKERS, AND THIS CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES THAT. THE REAL TRENDS EVOLVE FROM BEHIND THE CHAIR, WHICH IS WHY WE’RE SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS WORK.” D AV I D R A C C U G L I A .

and looking better, so the campaign celebrates that experience.” THE CREW STYLE MAKERS is an inspiring compilation of grooming techniques and the brand’s widest collection of state-of-the-art cuts and styles to date. To bring this to life, David shot a short-form campaign video in a market that is seeing a resurgence of creativity in men’s grooming: Los Angeles. The video, along with a diverse look book, launched early this year. There are nine looks in the campaign itself, all modeled on a diverse group of men, designed to reflect the modern barbering community.

“It’s very representative of a day in LA,” says David. “That was what we really wanted to show; barbers in LA, male, female, it shows it all, it’s got a little bit of everything.” This campaign comes with step-by-step technicals and how-to videos that showcase how the looks are created and which American Crew products were used to create them, all easily accessible for barbers and stylists to take straight back to their shops and salons. “Barbers and stylists are intrinsically style makers, and this campaign celebrates that. The real trends evolve from behind the chair, which is why we’re so excited to share this work; we know it will drive creativity and invite professionals to interpret the looks using their own individual expression. No one really talks about the fact that getting a haircut makes men feel good, so we are bringing that to the forefront of the industry and celebrating that relationship.”

AMERICAN CREW ALL-STAR CHALLENGE RETURNS

AMERICAN CREW IS NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR ITS 2020 ALL-STAR CHALLENGE, AN EXCITING ANNUAL SEARCH FOR THE NEXT HAIR STYLING STAR. FOUNDER DAVID RACCUGLIA TELLS US ABOUT THE CHALLENGE’S ORIGINS AND HOW IT HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS.

THE REASON WE ASK FOR BLACK AND WHITE SHOTS IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU’RE COMPETING, WE WANT TO CREATE AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD. YOU DON’T FOCUS ON THE COLOR OF THE HAIR OR HOW THE MODEL IS STYLED, IT’S ABOUT THE SHAPE, THE STYLE, THE EXECUTION”

The original All-Star Challenge was called Face Off, launched 15 years ago in Australia. American Crew Australia worked with GQ Australia to create a contest that put the very best against each other, with the finalists going to Los Angeles for a shoot. “All of a sudden the UK got on board, which increased the global footprint and to see entries from both sides of the globe coming in was really fun,” explains David. “Then, about eight years ago, we decided we wanted this to be something that all countries that we distributed American Crew to be involved. We changed the name to the All Star Challenge and before long it became the incredible global event that it is today.” To enter the All-Star Challenge competition, stylists are asked to create a hairstyle that best represents the American Crew man. The look is to be portrayed on their chosen model and showcased through two black and white photographs of their model from chest-level and above. The model should be in front of a blank background, with one photo face-on and the second focusing on the profile. Photographs should be accompanied by a brief description of the look and the products that were used to create it. “We ask for black and white shots to create an even playing field. You don’t focus on the color of the hair or how the model is styled, it’s about the shape, the style, the execution,” says David. With color removed from the playing field, entrants must create their interpretation of the American Crew man; that, according to David, is what makes the entries so inspirational. “We get work from people that is amazingly executed and really, it isn’t them trying to recreate what we do, it’s what they think or what they believe is the perfect American Crew man. From there, it’s up to us to decide which ones best represent technical excellence. Sitting there looking at entries from all over the world, it’s amazing to see

If you are interested in entering the All-Star Challenge or to find out more about American Crew, visit www.AmericanCrew.com/ and follow links to All-Star Challenge entry page.

how far we’ve come. Not how much money we’ve made or how much the brand has grown, but the opportunity that we have been able to share.” In 2020, instead of having one sole winner, there will be five, each one winning a specific category. These five winners will all be celebrated for their individual talents, whether it is barbering, high texture, retro, length or trend. This year’s challenge will consist of individual in-country judging panels to select their national winner, who will then move forward to participate in the Global competition. From over 40 finalists, the Global Committee will name the five top competitors in each category as the All-Star Challenge 2020 Winners. This year, David will be judging the 40 finalists, and it is, unsurprisingly, the most challenging part of the experience. With the talent growing each and every year, narrowing down five finalists from a vast range of unique global entries is no easy feat. The judging panel for 2020 consists of David, Global Artistic Director Paul Wilson, Global Education Manager Phoenix Thomson and Gill Gorman Round, American Crew Global GM. “The funny thing is we have completely different tastes, so adding myself back into the mix will probably make things more difficult,” laughs David. “I’m very passionate about barbering and texture, Phoenix is passionate about editorial and style, Paul is a technician and loves how a cut is finished, so it will be interesting. It’s what I call creative sparring!” The lucky five finalists will be invited out to Los Angeles to shoot a global editorial campaign, collaborating with David Raccuglia himself. “It’s going to be one of our campaigns for the year so we’re very excited about it,’ says David. “It’s much bigger than anything we’ve done before. Now, instead of seeing one headshot from the winner, you’ll see a whole collection. These winners are coming to LA not to compete, but to work together as colleagues.” This rare opportunity is not only going to be exciting for the winners, but for David as well, who takes huge inspiration from the work of these barbers and stylists. “I have a place in my heart for people who show up every day and take care of their clients behind the chair. I did that for many years and I know that it’s not only a difficult job but it’s a job that needs a creative outlet. People work so hard for this and I love collaborating with them and capture their vision. It’s a real chance for them to experience what it would be like to be hired to create an American Crew campaign, we’re treating them like hired stylists,” says David. The chance to work with David Raccuglia and the American Crew team is not only an incredible prize, but also a platform for each of the winners to showcase their talents and grow their brand or business. Past winners have gone on to great things and their careers have completely changed after the All-Star Challenge – this experience might show someone where their true passion lies and set them on a new trajectory. It could truly change a life. “We have past winners who have written letters to tell me how much their life has changed since the challenge and that, for me, is what the All-Star Challenge is all about: recognizing talent and giving it the opportunity to grow and be seen by the rest of the world,” says David. Entries opened on January 1st, 2020 and will be accepted through March 1st, 2020. Each country will then submit their national winner to the Global Committee by March 18th, 2020.

ART+SCIENCE

WITH MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ACROSS CHICAGO, INCLUSIVITY, COLLABORATION AND EDUCATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME AT ART + SCIENCE. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1989, THE BRAND HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE BARBERS AND BARBERSHOPS INSIDE A SALON SPACE. Built on foundation of education, the first Art + Science opened its doors in Evanston in 1989. Over the past 30 years, the salon has cultivated education through a system of apprenticeships with an immensely talented core group of stylists and educators. “We have expanded the salons into Wicker Park, the West Loop and now we have a standalone barbershop in Logan Square,” says General Manager, Andrew Mooney. “Cutting and color have always been our core area of expertise,

but with co-founder David Raccuglia launching American Crew out of the original salon, barbering and the men’s work method became a cornerstone of Art + Science.” David founded the original salon with Laurence Hegarty, with Paul Wilson joining them as a partner as the salons expanded into the city, closely followed by head color director, Susan Hurley, who became partner and head colorist just last year. Together, the team have created multiple high-quality salons across Chicago. u

“We wanted to bring a mid-century nod to a bespoke aesthetic,” explains Andrew. “Virtually everything has been designed and built to suit the spaces and the neighborhoods in which we reside. The stations, the furniture, the front desk and the art is all curated to foster creativity. Although the salons all have a unique look and feel, the use of material is what ties them together.” The salons are departmentalized so that the stylists and colorists can operate quasiindependently yet still able to collaborate with one another. Collaboration is one of the keys to Art + Science’s success; it fosters a constant atmosphere of reciprocity and community in both the salon and the apprenticeships. Ever since its founding, Art + Science has been committed to bringing male clients into the salon environment. When David Raccuglia created American Crew out of the back room

of the Evanston location in 1994, he did so with the objective of bringing the level of Sassoon precision and education to men’s grooming, something that was desperately needed in the industry at the time. “In 2012, David came back to Art + Science with the shop-in-salon concept,” says Andrew. “He knew that the industry was shifting and a higher emphasis on barbering was re-emerging. We began by offering our talented team of stylists (all of which were cosmetologists) an opportunity to change their offerings from unisex cutting to focus on classic barbering.” While a number of these ‘barbers’ didn’t have a barbering license, they quickly built a loyal following. Since then, Art + Science has reformed their advanced apprenticeship to have a third category, one that exclusively focuses on barbering education. They now hire

both licensed barbers and cosmetologists with a passion for men’s grooming. These barbers have their own separate area in each salon, all of which are located near the front of the space with a different, classic barber aesthetic to differentiate the type of service a barber client might receive. The barbers are still very much a part of the salon culture, but their clients enjoy a slightly more intimate experience in their shop-in-salon area. “We worked hard to make sure the shop-insalons both matched our aesthetic but created a visual departure to make sure the barber clients know they are in their own space,” explains Andrew. “The barbershops all borrow from a classic barber tradition, with subway tiles, sleek metal, leather and ceramic barber chairs, hardwood stations, and big mirrors. Both the salons and the barbershops harken back to the same era, they simply look at two different cultures that were thriving at the time.” Despite being located in different areas of the space, barbers and stylists at Art + Science collaborate a lot, sharing clients and recommendations regularly, with the salon stylists originally helping to grow the barber client lists. “The main driving force for the initial barbershop growth was convincing women getting their haircut in a stylist station to send their husbands or partners in to get an elevated barbershop experience. The same dynamic works vice versa as well. We are also gender neutral when it comes to our barber chairs, making sure our clients know that our barbers specialize in class barber shapes, no matter the gender of the client. We have a number of barbershop clients who identify as female, non-binary, and trans. Inclusivity is a major part of the Art + Science experience and our team are expertly trained to offer everyone an incredible service.” •