PROHAIR X American Crew

I N S P I R A T I O N , I N N O V A T I O N , E D U C A T I O N . M E E T T H E O F F I C I A L S U P P L I E R T O M E N .

STRENGTHENS HAIR TO REDUCE HAIR

CONTENTS

Birth of a Grooming Brand the founding of a household name.

Picture Perfect capturing the best men ’ s hair image

6

All ne w Amercian Cre w the brand’s latest and greatest product innovations

Acing your Education an introduction to the American Crew hair cutting and styling master class

Meet the Ace Ian Harrold talks education in the barbering world

Birth of a Grooming Brand

meet DAVID RACCUGLIA, the man behind the brand,

find out how AMERICAN CREW was born,

Celecrated photographer and Founder of American Crew, Dav id Raccuglia epitomises the word entrepreneur Graduating from barbering school in the U.S. in 1979, and going on to train in woman ’ s hairdressing shor tly afterward, he was educating in London by 1980, doing platform work for a number of well know n brands

By 1989, Dav id had opened his ow n salon, Ar t + Science, in Chicago and was creating a name for himself as both a talented hairdresser and businessman

But Dav id still had ambitions to achieve even more. He’d had the germ of an idea to launch a grooming product range for some time, but soon after opening his salon, the idea began to evolve into a reality

During a trip to Moscow in 1989 working as an educator, Dav id met photographer, Mark Harrillak. The two men hit it off and agreed they would collaborate on a project. That project was a men ’ s hair look book called Groom which they worked on together over the period of

a year

“I took out a bank loan to self publish the book,” recalls Dav id “We had 10,000 copies printed and all of them had sold w ithin a year ”

Dav id describes the feel of the images in the book as ‘ grunge meets Armani’, combing two strong trends of the early 90s.

It was during the process of creating the look book, that Dav id became aware of just how few dedicated grooming products there were on the market and the concept for American Crew was born

In true Dav id Raccuglia style, it didn’t take long for him to act on his idea and w ithin a few months the first American Crew product, a water based pomade, was developed By 1994, the range was officially launched

through the U S professional market, featuring five styling products and three haircare lines

“Hair in the 80s had been fried and dr y w ith blonde tips, our goal w ith American Crew was to keep mov ing away from this trend, promoting healthy hair w ith high shine. We picked the right time to launch, as the early 90s was a time of change, w ith men getting smar ter and better groomed and taking better care of themselves, including their hair American Crew rode this movement ”

As well as helping to change the way men looked at their hair, American Crew took a stance on helping to train hairdressers to become better hair cutters and stylists ”We wanted to become advocates for teaching people to cut hair better,” says Dav id “We created an education team and a curriculum in ever y countr y where American Crew was distributed to teach cutting and styling techniques. I think we were the first grooming brand to have a dedicated education team In this way we began to create a reputation for the brand and it gradually went from strength to strength ”

From the initial five lines, American Crew has grow n to be a world leading brand, comprising more than 40 products Despite selling the brand in 1996 to Revlon, Dav id has remained an integral par t of the brand, in par ticular when it comes to its creative direction

“I love the 1940s and that ver y Italian inspired high shine look, but I also love the 60s and 70s, when hair star ted to get more textured and matte,” says Dav id “With the photographic campaigns for American Crew, I have always combined these elements ”

Dav id stayed on as President of American Crew until 2008 and since then has remained on board in the role of founder, but w ith the additional role of official campaign photographer

Since his early days working in hairdressing, Dav id had always been interested in photography and had taken par t in a number of shoots as a hairdresser It was in the year 2000 that he star ted shooting the brand’s photographic campaigns

“With the first shoot I did, I created the v isual I wanted for the brand It was ver y inspired by my Italian family. I used a lot of natural light. It looked like an Armani adver t ”

Since then, Dav id has shot ever y campaign for the brand and loves the challenges that developments in social media have brought

“We’ve had to change the look of our campaign imager y based on social media We have to compete w ith lots of colour images so we can’t shoot ever y thing in black and white anymore, which was always my preferred style I literally didn’t shoot in colour until 2007 ”

Commenting on the current grooming market, Dav id has only positive things to say

“It’s good that men are proud to groom and not quiet about it When I was cutting hair in the early 80s men didn’t want to talk about it or even admit they’d had a haircut Now men are really enthusiastic about the barber they v isit and w ill recommend them to their friends I also like that the old men ’ s club mentality is being erased from the industr y There are some amazing female barbers out there, so that way of thinking doesn’t work anymore, which is a good thing

Picture Pe rfect

David’s simple steps to capturing the best mane’s hair image.

Creating a great hair image is a special ar t form and who better to give the tips on how to do it effectively than American Crew founder and celebrated photographer, Dav id Raccuglia Here Dav id prov ides his top tips when it comes to capturing men ’ s hair on film

The hair needs to be technical excellence You can do all the tricks in the book w ith the hair and retouching, but it won’t work if the cut and style aren’t executed w ith technical brilliance

A white background w ith beautiful hair is usually better at making the hair the focus than a really busy background If you only have a small budget, keep it simple w ith a clean light w ithout too much shadow

Even if you are keeping the set up for your images simple, it is still impor tant to know what you want to convey. Put a mood board together that includes any elements that have inspired the hair, this w ill help you create a clear voice for your image or collection

With hair photography the main communication is from the shoulders upwards It’s a small canvass to paint on but can do it w ith the right light that shows the texture and the shine

ALL NEW AMERICAN CREW

The

AMERICAN CREW DETOX SHAMPOO

A dual action detox and exfoliating shampoo with a unique combination of Manicouagan Clay and exfoliating Coconut shells It thoroughly cleanses hair, removes excess sebum and product build up that accumulates while gently exfoliating the scalp

• Formulated with 80% naturally derived ingredients

• Packaging made with a minimum of 80% Post Consumer Recycled Plastic

• Formulated with 80% naturally derived ingredients

• Packaging made with a minimum of 80% Post Consumer Recycled Plastic

AMERICAN CREW MATTE CLAY SPRAY

A seriously texturising spray that gives you a strong, medium hold that lasts all day long Formulated with the key hit ingredient in the Original Matte Clay (Kaolin Clay), this spray gives major texture and body to the hair

• Provides volume and texture

• Adds thickness to hairstyles

• Kaolin Clay absorbs oil

• Matte finish

• Workable medium hold

• Provides fullness and body to the hair

• Long lasting hold

• Humidity resistant

• Non greasy feeling

• Washes out easily

• Alcohol free

• Sea Salt free

AMERICAN CREW ANTI-HAIR LOSS 2-STEP SYSTEM

Hair loss and thinning hair is an ever increasing concern for many men American Crew provides a strong, effective solution with proven clinical results to address hair loss and thinning issues

Ian Tucker Head of Education, American Crew UK comments: “As many as 85% of men will have some sort of hair loss in their lifetime The 2 Step Anti Hair Loss System from American Crew has been clinically proven for effective hair loss prevention. It helps strengthen hair, reducing breakage by 88%, whilst promoting a healthier looking scalp”

SYSTEM SOLUTION

The products are formulated with keratin amino acids and vegetable proteins to strengthen hair to prevent hair loss and PRO Vitamin B5 for added moisture

ANTI-HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO

Daily shampoo for thinning hair refreshes the scalp to clear pores and improve scalp condition, a necessar y step to optimise the efficacy for the Anti Hair Loss Treatment This shampoo deeply cleanses to improve scalp condition while promoting volume and manageability For best results follow with Anti Hair Loss Leave in Treatment

• Cleanses the scalp to clear pores and prepare scalp for Anti Hair Loss Treatment

• Deep cleanses to improve scalp condition

• Provides refreshing and invigorating sensation for the scalp

• Promotes volume and manageability

• Formulated with Keratin Amino Acids and Vegetable protein to strengthen hair

• Fomulated without SLES

ANTI-HAIR LOSS LEAVE-IN TREATMENT

A fast absorbing, leave in formula that strengthens and re invigorates hair when massaged into scalp, resulting in significant improvement in hair volume and minimized hair breakage It is applied on the scalp, gently massaged and not rinsed out For best results, use entire Anti Hair Loss System

• Strengthens hair to reduce hair loss

• Helps to invigorate scalp when massaged in

• Helps prevent hair breakage

• Improves hair volume/body

• Formulated with Keratin Amino Acids and Vegetable Protein to strengthen hair

• Formulated with Pro Vitamin B5 for moisturisation

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AMERICAN CREW’S DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL EDUCATION, PHOENIX THOMSON

BECOME AN ACE

Here are Phoenix’s top tips for getting the most from any education

Get back into workshops In person, education is priceless We have made virtual education work brilliantly, which has been incredible But there is something so rewarding about having human interaction while learning

Do your homework Always revise the information given and tr y and implement techniques slowly into your ever yday work behind the chair This way these techniques will quickly become the norm, and you will see your work elevated, giving you and your clients a real confidence boost

Learn from each other Follow as many professionals, products, and education brands on social media as possible Their work can be super inspiring and offer limitless learning opportunities

Open your mind Expand your learning outside your chosen rea of expertise For example, if you mainly focus on short air in the salon or shop, learn long hair cutting techniques. You never know when you might need them

Never stop learning. Tr y to engage with the hairdressing and barbering community outside the salon or shop Go to trade shows, expos, and events, and keep attending workshops and classes Building relationships and networking can open new avenues of education for you and your teams

ACE APPROVAL

PRO HAIR met up with Bobby Gordon owner of Fella at his latest addition Fella in Carnaby

With two well established salons in Kent, one in Canterbur y and the other in Folkestone Bobby has returned to his ver y first ‘playground’ Carnaby, London W 1 “This salon is where I ver y first worked, so when the owner told me she was selling up, I knew we had to put our name above the door

With 14 members in his team, Bobby is a keen supporter of the education available from American Crew “I’ve been a fan from the start,” he says, “their education is consistent and totally on trend with what is happening on mens hairdressing. This helps you as a salon owner on the training stance.”

American Crew through and through at each of the three salons apart from the education, why is he such a fan of the brand?

“Again it’s constantly moving with the times there is always something new to offer the client and in keeping with hairstyling at any given moment ”

M E E T T H E A C E

Ian Har rold established his first company in the Nor thwest, Traditions Bar ber Shop, in 1996 when he was just 21 through a grant from The Pr inces Trust In 2003 he diversified fur ther into men’s grooming and opened an appointment based men’s salon called Attitude (www.attitudemenshair.co.uk) which offers a w ide range of ser v ices specifically tailored to the needs of the moder n man.

In 2003 Ian became an Educator for Amer ican Crew and became par t of the Global Allstar Education Team and Lead Educator in the UK in 2004. He has taught the ACED Education in Europe and Amer ica and in 2008 won the Amer ican Crew All Star Educator of the Year award.

Ian what is it that initially attracted you to the brand?

My initial attraction to the brand was the imager y created by the founder Dav id Raccuglia In 1996 the images available to display in a Barbershop were poor and American Crew had on trend images They also created a water based Pomade that was easy to wash out a product that I had never worked w ith before

How did your role as salon ow ner then diversify as educator?

Education had always been of interest to me and I have always developed my team from apprenticeships Unhappy w ith their education at college, I became their tutor and delivered NVQ education. I soon realised the system did not push the learners enough and ‘just enough’ just wasn’t good enough! After under taking the first ever American Crew Method class in London and w itnessing the changes in my ow n work, I knew I wanted to get involved That was the star t of my journey so much so that I v isited the American Crew Academy in the US where I took courses to develop my teaching skills to the standard required by American Crew

What percentage of your time is spent educating? Educating is something I under take weekly w ith my team allocating ever y Tuesday teaching and developing my ow n team Then I’m lucky enough to spend at least 40 days per year on the road for American Crew

How impor tant is constant education in the bar ber ing world?

Education is something I feel is undersold w ithin the Barbering side of the industr y If nothing else it is impor tant to remove yourself from your ever yday env ironment and tr y something new, meet people and challenge yourself. I’m a firm believer in the saying: ‘You don’t know what you don’t know ’

If there was one product you’d have in your kit bag from the Amer ican Crew brand what one would it be?

The one product that is always in my kit bag is American Crew Defining Paste I use this as a base product on wet hair and a finishing product I’m its greatest fan.

What would be your adv ice to salon ow ners to commit to a brand ?

Committing to a brand like Amer ican Crew offers so much more than a shelf full of products. The Amer ican Crew team from the Business Consultants to the members of the Education Team are all invested in suppor ting you to g row a well rounded business Whether that’s technical suppor t w ith cutting education or ways to g row and develop your business

We sit down with AMERICAN CREW, UK Lead Educator Ian Harrold to find out why education is the one