BarberNV Issue 24 by Gallus Media

BARBERNV ISSUE 24

BARBER

Barber Connect Barbering at festivals Danny & Co Barbers

SUMMER 2019

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VALERIO FEDERICO Hair: Valerio Federico Photographer: Pedro Antunes Makeup: Maryna Beskorovayna

Credits Founder Joanne Reid | Editor Matthew McLaughlin | Graphic Designer Cara Scott | Sales & Marketing Manager Kat Heron | Writers Lisa Boyle Front Cover Valerio Federico | Design & Marketing PrintNV | Columnists Chris Foster, Joe Mills, Simon Harvey Thanks Everyone at Barber Connect, Dan Gregory, Amy Wright and Black Lotus, Simon Bones, Charlie Venn, Elsa Larkins and Dapper Fox, Danny Robinson and Kilian Maddison of Danny & Co Barbers, Garry Jackson, Liam Oakes, The Bloody Butcher, Patrick Bryan of The Wet Shaving Academy, Jim Shaw, Diana Carson, Sam Wall, Xavier Cruz, The Fellowship for British Hairdressing, Paul Montgomery, Tony Haresign, Andis, Wahl, Seven Potions, Mills & Hunter, Barbicide and Takara Belmont. Published by Gallus Print & Digital Media, 27 Woodside Place, Glasgow G3 7QL | Email contact@salonnv.co.uk | Tel +44 (0) 141 212 5525 Copyright All work in this publication is copyright BarberNV Magazine and Gallus Print & Digital Media Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. ÂŠ Information and product prices are correct at time of printing. Some products may not be available in all stores.

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VALERIO FEDERICO Hair: Valerio Federico Photographer: Pedro Antunes Makeup: Maryna Beskorovayna Styling: Joanna Tujdowska

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CONTENTS

I S S U E 24

Birdman

Fellowship

Patrick Bryan Shaving

Barber Connect

Old barbers

SHABA

Freelancing

Takara Belmont

Strands for Trans

Barbering at festivals

Thai Square Spa

Black Lotus

CoolSculpting

Dapper Fox

Chris Foster

Danny & Co Barbers

Joe Mills

Products

Simon Harvey

Cameras

#POMPKING showcase

Aftershaves

Instagram showcase

Mills & Hunter

New to e-chair.com

News

Editor’s Comment 2019 has been one of our best and busiest years in the BarberNV office, and we are excited to have finally announced our collaboration with Professional Hairdresser magazine and Pro Hair Live. We will be taking over Pro Barbering Live and we have a lot more in the pipeline, so stay tuned for more updates! The British barbering and music calendar has been jam packed, with Barber Connect in June and festivals galore throughout the summer so far. Check out our rundown of who we spoke to at this year’s incredible Barber Connect.

this with the Thai Square Spa and took a look into the new Coolsculpting treatment.

And naturally, since it is festival season we wanted to showcase the barbers organising pop-up shops. We spoke with Sandymans Chop Shop owner,

Across the pond celebrity barber and stylist Xavier Cruz has co-founded Strands for Trans. A charity initiative which looks to create an interactive map of barber shops and salons that are trans-friendly—even Marc Jacobs got on

Simon Bones and barber Charlie Venn about their experience at Download.

board.

He revealed all to us a few issues ago, but now Danny Robinson and Kilian Maddison have made barbering history—they are the official barbers of Silverstone. Kilian spoke honestly about their F1 weekend and how their motor racing dream could have turned into a nightmare.

There is so much to cover that it’s hard to talk about everything in this issue. If you’re in the market for a new camera or a few tips and tricks from barber-photographers Paul Montgomery and Tony Haresign gave us some expert advice on upping your image game. So relax, recline yourself in the ol’ belmont and enjoy! If you have any feedback, news or collections get in touch with us on social media.

Barber shops aren’t the only places where men are getting their grooming fix and plenty of men are signing themselves up for spa treatments. We explored

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GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE SHABA FINALISTS!

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I N D U S T R Y NEWS JACKS OF LONDON TEAM UP WITH PROSTATE CANCER UK Jacks of London celebrated its 25th anniversary by giving 5-star treatments to staff from Prostate Cancer UK during Men’s Health Week (June 10-16). This marks the beginning of a year-long partnership between the barber franchise and the men’s health charity to raise awareness and funds.

BARBERNV AND PROFESSIONAL HAIRDRESSER TEAM UP FOR PRO BARBERING LIVE

According to experts, prostate cancer is set to become the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK by 2030—which is why these partnerships are so important. Every year 11,000 men in the UK die of prostate cancer, with another 400,000 men living with the disease. Jacks of London’s marketing manager, Emma Lee said, “It’s a great way to start the relationship. Getting those involved with the charity into the barber chairs at our stores is the perfect opportunity for them to chat with our barbers about the disease.” Prostate Cancer UK is helping fund vital research into better diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease, as well as providing support for men and their families. “We are going to team up with our partner American Crew to spread the word and we’ll be selling the charity’s iconic ‘Man of Men’ pin badges,” added Emma. “We are proud that Jacks can team up with a charity that is moving so quickly to eradicate one of the most devastating diseases affecting men.” Jacks of London was founded in 1994 by Sue Whitehead, a salon owner who recognised that most men preferred an

BarberNV and Professional Hairdresser are pleased to announce an exciting collaboration to bring Pro Barbering Live to the Pro Hair Live show in Manchester on February 23-24, 2020.

all-male environment. Now with eight stores, Jacks has gone from strength to strength since opening its first location in Wimbledon. Jon Eserin, associate director of fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK said, “Not only will this year-long partnership raise vital funds for research, but it will also help start conversations about the disease and hopefully encourage more men to be aware of their health. “We recently launched our new campaign, ‘Men, we are with you’, to celebrate everything great about men and highlight the special moments we lose when a man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer, so we look forward to working side by side over the next year to amplify this message.”

BLUEBEARDS REVENGE SUPPORT UNICEF Barber-grade grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge has announced its official partnership with World Barber Day 2019. Last month leading men’s grooming brand offered its support to a global initiative in conjunction with renowned charity UNICEF. Known as World Barber Day, the weeklong celebration takes place between September 9-16 and encourages barbers to join forces to raise vital funds to help protect and educate children all over the world. Nick Gibbens, PR and marketing manager for the Plymouth-based brand, said he was excited to be supporting such a prolific event.

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Together we will enhance and expand the existing barbering element of Pro Hair Live into a dedicated male grooming showcase. Pro Barbering Live will headline the very best brands, the latest techniques and the hottest talent from the world of barbering and male hairdressing. Nicola Shannon, editor of Professional Hairdresser commented, “The excellent reach and respect BarberNV has in the barbering sector perfectly complements ours in hairdressing. “We are hugely excited to be creating this unique event together and look forward to welcoming many new barber visitors to the 2020 show.” Joanne Reid, founder and Editor-in- Chief of BarberNV added, “Our team has attended Pro Hair Live for years and we are equally excited to be joining up with Professional Hairdresser to bring our barbering insight and focus to the show. “We believe whole-heartedly in the real opportunities for combining knowledge, skills and experiences.”

He explained, “This is an opportunity for barbers all over the globe to unite and give back to deprived and underprivileged children. “In the Middle Ages, barbers were not only experts in haircuts and wet shaves, but also pulling teeth, dressing wounds and performing operations. “These barber-surgeons were recognised for far more than just men’s hairstyles and cut-throat shaves, and actually went on to form the first barbers’ organisation in France in 1096. “World Barber Day highlights how each and every barber can make a real and significant difference to the world in just one week.” In 2018, the inaugural World Barber Day took place on September 16. Event co-founders, Hugh and Conor McAllister,

explained the significance of September 16, saying, “The event will still culminate on the special date of September 16, but the extra few days provides barbers and their customers with even more time to donate vital funds for UNICEF.” Barber shops all over the world can support this year’s World Barber Day in a number of different ways, and it all starts by registering their businesses online today. The deadline for registrations is August 23 and it’s completely free to sign up. Once registered, barber shops will receive a complimentary welcome pack that contains promotional materials to help them show their support for World Barber Day.

BBA HALL OF FAME The British Barbers’ Association (BBA) is once again creating a buzz with its prestigious Hall of Fame competition. Launched in 2016, the competition provides the best up-and-coming talent in barbering and men’s hairdressing with a platform to showcase their creativity. Two winners are chosen from 250+ photographic entries every month in the People’s Choice (most votes) and Judge’s Choice categories. The competition has become one of the most popular in the barbering calendar, attracting over 700 votes each month. All the winners are showcased on the BBA site as part of a collection highlighting the creativity of the British barbering industry—establishing the competition as a real hotbed of talent.

Winners also receive a Hall of Fame plaque and a collection of products from the BBA’s exclusive grooming range, as well as an invitation to take part in a live fashion shoot at Salon International with top photographer Tim Collins. This gives the Hall of Fame winners the chance to raise their industry profile while having their work demonstrated to the Salon International audience and clients. The winners will also have their work included in the BBA’s annual Hall of Fame photo shoot collection, providing the most on-trend global forecast of men’s styles and fashions, and showcasing British barbering talent to the rest of the world. For more information and to find out how you can have your talent recognised, go to britishbarbers.com or visit the BBA Facebook page.

NEOCAPE CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER WITH ARMOUR TO BARBER

GOLD DAY RAISES £7K FOR THE HAIRDRESSERS’ CHARITY Hair industry golfers swapped their scissors for clubs to raise almost £7,000 for The Hairdressers’ Charity. Players from a mix of hair salons, manufacturers and distributors donned their golf clubs to support the industry’s official charity for the annual Golf Day fundraiser. The 30 strong group took part in the event at Dalmahoy Golf Course, after it was organised by the charity’s committee member Peter Belcher. To raise funds on the day, which was sponsored by OSMO, golf holes across the course were also sponsored by Peter Belcher, Phillip Rogers, Rainbow Room, Hair and Beauty World, Charlie Miller, UNITE, Creightons, AJC93, Hairdressers Journal International and Alan Howard. “We had a great turn out this year as we continue to raise awareness of The Hairdressers’ Charity and funds for hairdressers in need,” says organiser and charity supporter, Peter Belcher. “It’s a great location to play golf and everyone involved enjoyed both playing whilst raising money for this worthwhile cause.”

helped many soldiers reintegrate through training courses and professional work placements. The organisation has proved to be a lifeline for many, providing a network of practical and emotional support needed to prosper in the barber community.

Luke’s Barbershop owner, Luke Dolan said, “Luke’s Barbershop Stanmore is a real jump into new uncharted waters for us.

One hundred special edition jungle and desert camo style NeoCapes were produced by Thesis as part of the scheme. Every sale of a Camouflage NeoCape generated £10 for the charity—raising more than £1,000.

“After the success of this initiative, we are planning to organise similar events in the future to help raise funds for this amazing organisation.” Armour to Barber aims to assist ex-service personnel transition into civilian life by retraining them as barbers. Since the charity’s inception, Armour to Barber has

The turnout brought together barbers like @dialacut_barbers plus friends and celebrities who enjoyed free trims and treatments into the early hours. Over the weekend, Luke’s extended the free trims and treatments to the public, with new customers travelling from around London just to see the new location.

NeoCape, the water-resistant barbering gown from Thesis Technology, has collaborated with charity Armour to Barber in an initiative to raise funds for ex-service personnel.

Matt Woods, sales and marketing lead for NeoCape said, “We are very proud to collaborate with Armour to Barber and support this worthy cause.

to huge success.

LUKE’S STANMORE CREATES ULTIMATE MALE GROOMING EXPERIENCE Last month, Luke’s Barbershop officially threw open the doors of its Stanmore store, which includes a spa,

“The brand is synonymous with giving the best award-winning bespoke cuts in a comfortable and cool environment, but now with the inclusion of a spa that offers what you’d call beauty treatments, but really are true grooming treatments for men away from the generic salon experience. “It really is ‘a whole new world’ and yes I’m singing that Aladdin style! “We truly believe that men’s barber shops and grooming spas will be the next big thing on our high streets, offering the ultimate safe space for men to treat and pamper themselves after a hard week at work or in preparation for big weekends.”

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MILLS X PRIMARK MANCHESTER High street retailer Primark has announced the opening of a beauty studio and barber shop at its Manchester store. Following the successful opening at Primark’s Birmingham store in April, the MILLS x Primark barber shop will bring high quality barbering to the retail giants’ Manchester store. Fronted by session hairdresser, Joe Mills, the barber shop will offer slick cuts, wet shaves and facials at great prices. Session hairdresser and founder, Joe Mills said, “We are very excited to be bringing our new brand of barbering to Manchester. “Our partnership with Primark ensures that everyone can access highquality, first-class hairdressing and barbering in an innovative and fashionforward environment.

RUSSELL BRISTOW WINS BIG AT WORLD BEARD AND MOUSTACHE CHAMPIONSHIPS Russell Bristow, @dangerruss777 on Instagram, won gold in World Beard and Moustache Championships in Antwerp, Belgium recently. Showing off his wonderfully erect moustache, Russell won in the Dali category at the world’s most prestigious facial hair competition.

“Whether it’s a beard trim or the latest trend-led haircut, our 800 sqft space and highly-trained team makes MILLS x Primark the place for great cuts and service.”

An entry in the Dali is described as, “Slender with the tips curled upward. Hairs growing from beyond the corner of the mouth must be shaved. The tips may not extend above the level of the eyebrows.”

The new services add to Primark Manchester’s enhanced customer experience with three floors of fashion, beauty and food.

And of course, styling products are permitted to sculpt and lock in the ambitious lip warmers.

The new beauty studio, operated by Lachious, covers 1,000 sqft and offers head to toe beauty treatments in a boutique environment with prices starting at just £3.

Russell told BarberNV, “In May 2019 I travelled to Antwerp Belgium to compete in the World Beard and Moustache Championships.

Services include manicures, blow drys, makeup and lash extensions, all of which can be booked online. Primark’s director of new business development, Tim Kelly said, “We are delighted to be launching our new Primark Beauty Studio in Manchester and also bringing our second MILLS x Primark barber shop to the British high street. “Our customers can relax and have fun whilst also enjoying best value services along with our Amazing Fashion at Amazing Prices.”

EAST DURHAM COLLEGE PAIR WIN AT BBA COMPETITION A pair of talented barbers from East Durham College have proven they’ve been sharpening their skills after winning prestigious awards at 2019’s British Barbers Association (BBA) National Student Barber of the Year 2019 competition. Jess Filby, 30, from Hartlepool won first place in the Precision, Creative Cut and Finish Category and Amy Hughes, 31, from Peterlee was awarded third place in the Facial Hair Design category. Both students are studying barbering at East Durham College, under the tutelage of Alison Brightwell, the UK’s first female Grand Master Barber. Ecstatic about her students’ award recognition, Alison said, “Wow what a fantastic result. “Jess, Amy and all my students work so hard throughout the year and for them to be recognised in such a well-renowned competition is amazing. “A huge well done to both Amy and Jess—I’m so proud of you both.”

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“I somehow ended up winning and becoming world champion until 2021 where I have to defend my title in Auckland New Zealand! “It was unbelievable when I won, I was astonished, humbled and overwhelmed with emotion.” The world title was Russell’s 30th top place victory in the five years he’s been competing in these competitions. True moustache royalty, Russell’s competitive victories are quite comprehensive, as he has come in 2nd and 3rd at the last two British championships and repeated wins at Wessex and Oxford to name just a few. Onwards and upwards to New Zealand 2021!

KNOW THE LAW IF YOU EMPLOY A YOUNG PERSON DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, WARNS NHF/NBF Many barber shops will consider taking on a young person during the school holidays, but this can be tricky from a legal point of view. The law treats children and young people different. East Durham College regularly encourages its barbering, hairdressing and beauty students to get involved in competitions like the BBA National Student Barber of the Year. This helps students to put what they’ve learned into practice, gaining them valuable experience and confidence in their abilities. Amy and Jess will be presented with their trophies at the HJ Live North trade show this October. HJ Live is the leading trade show for hair professionals in the North of the UK and is filled with exhibitions, products and is an excellent place for college students to learn more about the industry. East Durham College offers a wide range of hairdressing and barbering courses at its Peterlee campus.

A child is someone who is under the minimum school leaver age, but this can be different across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Children under 14 years of age cannot work unless your local authority allows you to employ 13-year-olds—even then this is only part-time. There are restrictions on the hours and times a child can work, for example, they can work no longer than two hours on a Sunday. NHF/NBF director of membership, Tina Beaumont-Goddard said, “At this time of year we get lots of calls from salon owners wanting advice about employing young people, especially if they’re starting an apprenticeship in September. “There’s a lot of confusion about whether they should be paid the apprenticeship rate or the age-related minimum wage.” If someone is older than the minimum school leaver age, but under 18, this is defined as a young person. There are also restrictions on the hours young people can work, as well as how much time they get for breaks etc. As a minimum, employers must provide them with a written statement of employment, but a proper contract is a much safer option. Tina added, “It’s vital that employers take expert advice because this is one of the key reasons for underpayment, which can lead to big fines, back payments and naming and shaming.”

Fellowship News

The Barber Project gets a shaving masterclass from Master Barbers Last month the Fellowship’s Barber Project headed to the Master Barber’s Shop in Southport for a shaving masterclass. Beards and shaving are big business, with facial hair in 2019 being more commonplace and commercial than ever. According to YouGov research, 42 per cent of men now rock some sort of facial hair with 44 per cent of those choosing to sport a full beard. With the beardy boom, it’s important barbers feel as confident handling facial hair as they do head hair.

This is why the Barber Project received a fully immersive session in shaving and facial hair from the Master Barber’s Shop team. The day kicked off with an introduction to the awardwinning barber business before owners Dan and Robert Rix gave the team a brief history on shaving over the years. From trends to techniques and an overview about product retail for the barbering industry. Dan and Robert then gave the team a shaving presentation and model demonstration, followed by a bream trim, shape and condition on a model with a long beard. After the presentations, it was time for the team to put their new knowledge into practice. In pairs, the team each did a shave on a model, as well as a beard trim, including using the

razor for a shape up. “I got so much out of the day,” says team member Sarah Morrissey. “I have done a little wet shaving before, but this was so much more in-depth and about a full grooming experience for the client. “I also learnt some new tips on how I could improve my technique and get a closer shave. “Beard trimming wasn’t something I’ve done before, so this was really interesting to see—and like most things, it looks much easier than it is! “I feel after a little more practice I would definitely be able to introduce these services into the salon. “I did a shave course about eight years ago and have one client I do regularly,” she continues. “But have never pushed the service as I never felt really confident in it. “Now, I feel totally confident and am going to expand our male grooming services in the salon, and start promoting wet shaving and beard services. “I’m also going to train some team members up in the beard services.”

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B A RB E R CONNECT

The jam-packed networking event, held in Telford International Centre, was attended by some of the barbering industry’s greatest inspirational figures and creative leaders. More than 5,000 barbers made their way around the stalls over two days, networking and picking up tips to help excel their careers even further. “Barbering saved my life,” reveals an emotional Yucel Olmezkaya during a deeply heartfelt chat on day one of this year’s Barber Connect show. The 48-year-old ex-cop is fighting to hold back tears as he opens up about how two suicide attempts led him to embark on the career he loves most. MR. Barber ambassador Yucel, who is formerly of Turkey and now lives in Cambridge, battled mental health demons for years before leaving the force because of severe stress.

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“Barbering didn’t used to be as popular as it is today,” Yucel says. “From 2008 to 2014 I was in the police where I started as a special constable. I had a nervous breakdown and was in a very bad place and suicidal. I’d been offered a job in a barber shop where I started from scratch sweeping the floors. That two months gave me a refresher and it’s been nonstop since then. “It was therapy for me and it saved my life. I’m now at a stage where I can give back my knowledge and I’m teaching MR. Education. I have very successful students, including one who is a Barber of the Year finalist.” His story is similar to that of Dave Diggs, a former prisoner who spent five years behind bars in the United States. The afro-haired mogul turned his life around by trimming fellow inmates’ hair in the cells. “It’s well documented now that before I became a barber, I was in prison for five years,” Dave says, with a refreshing honesty. “This has been used as a tool to motivate barbers all over the world. “Three weeks ago at the Barber Battle in Connecticut, a barber named JK comes up to me and tells me a story. He says that while he was incarcerated in the UK, he used to follow all my steps on YouTube, and him seeing me go through my change, coming through prison to be back in society and becoming a barber,

he wanted to try and follow that blueprint and those footsteps. The fact that I can inspire people and change their lives is something that really has kept me involved in social media and at hair shows. “I have two boys, I coach their football teams, I have two shops now and 30 staff, so it can get real heavy. But the fact is that I inspire too many people and I’ve provided goals for a lot of men and women included. I felt obligated to continue to give people something to work towards.” YouTube vlogger Dave is a barber on the International Education and Style Team for Andis, ambassador for SCurl Luster Products, and the owner of The Barbers Inc barber shop. His multiracial background has made it natural for him to understand, relate to and execute styles and hair trends for all ethnicities. Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, Diggs’ hair industry endeavours have led him across the world. His current clientele includes major actors, musicians and professional athletes, which has elevated him to ‘celebrity barber’ status. Dave continues, “When I went to prison, cutting hair was one of the only things I had. “It was one of the only ways I could hustle up a couple of dollars, or hustle up some hygiene or soup. It was a God-given gift that I ran from and that he forced me to embrace—and I’m

Sipp the Surgeon With a whopping 18,500 followers on Instagram, Frederick Johnson aka Sipp the Surgeon is a barber with a wealth of experience. The straighttalking mentor has worked for more than 20 years in an industry filled with straight razors, clippers and sheers—and even has a trademark style called ‘The Sipp Fade.’

glad he did.” Hard Grind’s youngest team member, Dean Currie, travelled from Dundee to take part in his first ever exhibition. The young barber was excluded from school at the age of 14 and had no idea what his career options were. His life changed when he had his hair cut at the Hard Grind barbers in his hometown. Dean, 19, says, “I was getting my hair cut at Hard Grind and the guy said to me, why don’t you think about cutting hair? I was like, no way. Then I kept thinking about it and decided to go for it. So it’s all thanks to Hard Grind really.” The aesthetic at Hard Grind is typically manly, with tattoos, piercings, ripped denim and cool beards. Dean—who admits his dream client would be superstar Harry Styles—says, “Becoming a barber has given me a better view on life and given me a better future.” International men’s grooming icon Matty Conrad very much falls within a similar category as Hard Grind in terms of his rock and roll style and modern barbering styles. Once dubbed ‘Instagram’s Coolest Barber,’ the award-winning owner of Victory Barber & Brand in Victoria, British Columbia, is both intriguing, witty and surprisingly humble. Matty, who is also a photographer and influencer, had a slightly flustered arrival at the

event after landing just eight minutes before he took to the stage. He says, “I literally got here eight minutes before I had to take the stage but that works for our team because we don’t prep anything, we just show up and just be ourselves. You see a lot of educationists being really stiff and boring but I find it interesting to see people that are natural, human and just be themselves.” This year’s barbering event forecasted longer men’s hairstyles, colour and pompadour looks with texture. According to those in the know, fades are quite literally, fading into the background, with James Dean inspired looks making a comeback. There were over 60 exhibitors, including Wahl’s British Barber of the Year, James Beaumont who created an incredible fantasy look with windswept, medium length tresses and grey colouring. He says, “Winning the award was one of my proudest moments, so I’ve been working with the artistic team this year, who are known worldwide and all talented barbers. “I wanted to show how I work using the Wahl clippers, the benefits I have with using the clippers and being a bit creative with my model. My inspiration behind the model was a bit more fantasy, with creativity and the ability to use the right tools.”

Dad-of-two Frederick lives in Dallas, Texas, but gets his name from where he was born and bred— Mississippi. The 45-yearold started cutting hair in the late 80s after leaving the military six years after joining aged 19. One of his biggest clients is Bishop T.D. Jakes, one of the world's most revered masterminds. Frederick, who has won more than 25 trophies and belts from cutting hair, says, "I never looked at it as a career at first, I'd wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer. When I did my first hair show in Texas I won a $1,000 and I thought that was amazing."

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Captain Fawcett’s Richie Finney Blue-haired Richie Finney is Captain Fawcett’s righthand man. The 62-yearold was representing the delectable range of first-class gentleman’s grooming requisites at this year’s event. Celebrity clients of the brand include the likes of John Petrucci, from heavy metal band Dream Theater, and legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor. Richie says, “Barber Connect is probably the original barber show and it’s the one that all other shows are measured by. “Captain Fawcett is a very personality-led brand and it takes up every minute of my waking day and even some of my sleeping times. It’s a design aesthetic which harks back to a period that may or may not have really existed, the idea of keeping a stiff upper lip regardless. It’s all a bit tongue-in-cheek and I think if you take it too seriously then you might be on the wrong track.”

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With his fuzzy beard, edgy style and hunky physique, the ever-evolving Matty Conrad looks more male model than celeb barber. But the multi-award-winning veteran barber was the man exhibitors and punters most wanted to see take the stage at Barber Connect’s seventh trade event—and not just because of his looks. As well as being the face of his own range of grooming products, Matty is a men’s stylist, barber shop owner and the photographer of all of his own hair campaigns. He was also named ‘The Coolest Barber on Instagram’ by GQ and is in the process of launching his critically acclaimed Victory Barber and Brand line in the UK. “My mum will be so proud,” Matty quips, offering a warm smile. “I came to Barber Connect UK because it’s one of the biggest barber shows in Europe and I had the chance to go on the main stage and share it with some of my friends and find out how we teach hair.” More than 500 shops stock Matty’s Victory Brand products, including his newest release, a Primer salt spray. Barber Connect is the annual hub for all of the industry heavyweights to network, educate, learn and show the barbering world the latest looks and most innovative new products. Seminars were held on two stages; Wahl Stage and International Clubman Pinaud, where the biggest names in male grooming take over and show budding barbers exactly how it’s done. Barbers from every background and experience laid down the foundations

of a great haircut to showcase both modern and classic cutting techniques. The likes of Kevin Luchmun, Frederick Johnson aka Sipp the Surgeon, Dave Diggs and Matty himself were given the warmest of welcomes by fans and industry friends. Matty, who has been voted Canadian Barber of the Year, says, “I’ve been really focused on a different style of education than you see for a lot of people. I’m very much around fundamentals and shape and foundation. And so that transcends into a number of lengths. “Sometimes I find it’s more interesting to see something that I don’t do behind my chair a lot. And so, I look for guys that want a different look, maybe a different vibe that the other guys don’t have. “Coming into this show, I knew the market is very big on those crop hairstyles, very modern-looking stuff, very faded. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to show that stuff and that I would show something a little different. “My own personal style is more rock and roll, a little more rebellious, like riding that motorcycle kind of vibe. Very, fortunately, I found a model that was perfect for that and I find it really important to focus on exemplifying their personality, their style and their vibe.” Joined by some of the most enigmatic and celebrated figures in the barbering world, there were also appearances from the baby-faced duo behind Bull & Co, who have developed a stunning reputation in just four years. Represented by 28-year-old Cal Newsome and 18-year-old Jay Roberts, the pair have already experienced teaching in countries all over the world. Jay started working as a barber at the tender age of 14 and they have both built a fantastic following on Instagram. Cal says, “We’re more like brothers now and we argue like brothers. This is pretty much our hometown so when we got asked to do the international stage here it was a massive honour. We’ve met some of the best of the crop through barbering and being able to educate across the world has been amazing.” Throughout the event, some of social media’s

James Beaumont

biggest barbering stars spoke to BarberNV backstage about the number one trends and products inspiring them this year. Ruger. Team boss Alan Beak, who will be judging the Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards this September in Glasgow, will be looking for the most creative but skilled cutters. Alan says, “I’ve never judged SHABA before and I’m excited because I always like to do something that I’ve not done. I’ve worked with

BarberNV a few times so it’s nice to move onto the next step. “I’ve got a really good following in Scotland and I’ve always had a great reception when I go there, so to be a judge in that area it’s something that’s good for me. “Sometimes I struggle with judging because I don’t like my work being judged, so I try to be as unbiased and impartial as possible. The reason why I cut hair before anything else is because of the people. I want to be the person responsible for making people feel happy and confident in themselves.” Although many barbers are accused of having an ‘ego,’ within the industry, it’s clear to see that the most exceptional players have one thing in common: a passion for what they do. Matthew Brice, from Barber Blades, says, “We were blown away with the support for Barber Connect again. Barbers and educators visited from all over the world to mix with the biggest brands in barbering.” We’ll see you again next year...

Dapper men’s hairdresser James Beaumont believes shape-shifting looks will be big in 2019. His dream client would be Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp and he predicts perms could make a comeback! James says, “The barber world has been booming for about seven years now and the platform of social media has made it explode. “There’s no set current trends at the moment because everyone on social media is pushing out their creations and there’s all different varieties. For example, hairdressing-wise, when Victoria Beckham had a bob cut that was seen as a trend but now we’re seeing more precision cutting, longer hairstyles and details. Everyone is competing in a nice way where variety is massive.”

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CITY COLLECTION

JOSE URRUTIA Hair: Jose Urrutia (@pjurrutia) Photographer: Jose Urrutia Retouch: Javier Villalabeitia (@javiervillalabeitia) Makeup: Peluquería Jose Urrutia Stylist: Peluquería Jose Urrutia Products: Revlon Professional (@revlonprofessional_es)

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SHABA19 | The votes are in and the finalists for this year’s Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards are revving up for our huge event. An unimaginable 67,000 verified votes were cast for the nomination of some of the most talented barbers Scotland has to offer. Now in its ninth year, Scotland’s premier hair, beauty and barbering competition has attracted more than 400 entries from industry professionals across Scotland. Now that submission deadlines are closed SHABA’s team of expert judges will begin poring over images to decide who will come out on top in #SHABA19.

The Judges Excitement will be running high until Sunday, September 8 where any of the finalists could have their names etched into SHABA’s illustrious history books. This year’s SHABA will once again be co-hosted by Josie Smith and Wahl’s global artistic director, Simon Shaw. Also, keep an eye out for details on The Corinthian afterparty, entertainment and special guest announcements—we promise they’re coming soon. For more information please visit scottishhairandbeautyawards.com Good luck to all of the finalists and we’ll see you on September 8.

ERROL DOUGLAS JONATHAN ANDREW

SUZIE MCGILL & DYLAN BRITAIN

PHIL JARMAN

KARINE JACKSON

ADAM SLOAN

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ALAN BEAK

SH A BA Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards IN ASSOCIATION WITH

BARBERNV

SALON

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

8TH SEPTEMBER 2019 | HILTON GRAND BALLROOM, GLASGOW

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SHABA19 | BEST HAIR SALON Craig Boyd Hairdressing, Leven Meraki Hair, Aberdeen Hair Directory, Inverness Hair, Falkirk Dream Hair, Arbroath Petra Salon, Glasgow Medusa, Edinburgh Hair & Body Mechanics, Elgin BEST SALON DESIGN Jungle Hair Room, Irvine A Touch of Class, Wishaw Re3flections Aesthetics, Hair and Beauty, Uddingston Smith & Smith Hair and Beauty Specialists, Erskine McGills Hairdressing, Edinburgh The Salon at No 14, Inverness The Hair Boutique, Renfrew MD Beauty Lounge, Glasgow BEST FEMALE STYLIST Marlene Lamont - Urban Hair & Beauty, Auchinleck Lynsey Maguire - Innovate Hair Salon, Dunfermline Katrina Sloan - Medusa, Edinburgh Gemma Lee Hay - Myles Hairdressing, Edinburgh Tanya Black - Tanya Black Hairdressing, Perth Heather Zavala Barnes - McGills Hairdressing, Edinburgh Christina Thompson - The Little Hair Company, Perth Hazel Ogilvie - Fin & Co, Carnoustie BEST MALE STYLIST Jamie Ray Simpson - Ruby Tuesday, Aberdeen Scott Murray - Urban Hair and Beauty, Auchinleck Paul Paterson - Ishi, Edinburgh Gordon Cruickshank - Hair & Body Mechanics, Elgin Peter Melon - Medusa, Edinburgh Mitchell Williams - Tom Stronoch Hair Salon, Aberdeen Jordan Barrie - Petra Salon, Glasgow John Moffat - Myles Hairdressing, Edinburgh BEST APPRENTICE STYLIST Justin Mackland - Ishoka, Aberdeen Chloe Jack - Emma Wallace Hair Studio, Edinburgh Courtney Vaughan - Tom Stronach Hair Salon, Aberdeen Emeli New - Tanya Black Hairdressing, Perth Leoni Kippen - Wicked, Kilwinning Ellie Thomson - Ishi, Edinburgh Laura Stark - The Little Hair Company, Perth Kelsey McCabe - Roar, Giffnock BEST COLOURIST Peter Mellon - Medusa, Edinburgh Victoria Gifford - Sesh Hairdressing, Edinburgh Leigh Burnett - Ruby Tuesday, Aberdeen Sharee Graham - Spoiled Hairdressing, St Andrews Emma Wallace - Emma Wallace Hair Studio, Edinburgh Hazell Coutts - Slay, Glasgow Pamela Morgan - Animus Hair Nails & Beauty, Edinburgh Fallon Carberry - Blow, Glasgow BEST BLOW DRY Joanne Wilson - The Cutting Rooms by Joanne, Uddingston Jenna Tremarco - Jenna Cooke Hair, Inverness Shannon Mulgrew - Desiree’s Salon, Kirkintilloch Robyn Hunter - McGills Hairdressing, Edinburgh Christie McCord - Dumb Blonde Hair Extensions, Uplawmoor Victoria Paterson - Beauty by Nirvana, Glasgow Abbie Donaldson - Beauty Kaer, Inverbervie Dylan Scott - Freelancer, Ayrshire BEST EXTENSIONIST Marnie Gallacher - Lots of Locks by Marnie, Barrhead George McCrone - Unit 4, Airdrie Alanna Lister - A Lister, Extension & Hair Loss Specialist, Paisley 20 | BarberNV Magazine

The Finalists Jason Meacher - Slay, Glasgow Lisa Gault - Be Beautiful, Glasgow Bracken Millar - Candy Locks, Ayr Elizabeth Graham - EHG Hair Salon, Glasgow James Martin - James Martin Hairdressing, Paisley BEST WEDDING HAIR Ashley Nimmo - Allure Hair & Beauty, Kilmarnock Aimi Clark - Aimi Clark Hair, Blantyre Lisa Ivone - Lisa Ivone Bridal Hair Couture, Uddingston Jennifer Thomson - Jennifer Thomson Hair, Balloch Gemma Taylor - Gemma Taylor Hair, Aberdeen Chloe Ballantine - Hair & Makeup Artistry by Chloe, Perth Nicola Lawson - Alex Thaddeus Hairdressing, Cupar Karen McKinnell - Curl & Blush, Lockerbie BEST BARBER SHOP Frequency Barber, Glasgow Tony’s Gentlemen’s Barbers, Dumbarton Rogues and Rascals, Broxburn Sovereign, Aberdeen Rebel Rebel City, Glasgow Barbarossa Barbers, Edinburgh Orbit Smoke, Edinburgh, Hard Grind, Dundee BEST BARBER Gemma Willock-Smith - Frequency, Glasgow Tony Forrest - Tony’s Gentleman Barbers, Dumbarton Samuel Mathias - Benjamin Barker, Perth Kyle Ross - Sovereign, Aberdeen Andy Dawson - Menspire, Aberdeen Angela Dickson - Orbit Smoke, Edinburgh Rafal Kwiatkowski - Rebel Rebel, Glasgow Mark Shannon - Beardy Beardy, Glasgow Simon Harvey - Rebel Rebel, Glasgow Kamil Jodelka - The Men’s Emporium, Aberdeen Tommie McGuckin - Hard Grind, Dundee BEST APPRENTICE BARBER Cole Howat - Mrs Howat’s Vintage Barbers, Dumfries Martin Desta - Rebel Rebel, Glasgow Emma Patterson - Frequency, Glasgow Blayre Turnbull - Urban Hair & Beauty, Auchinleck Ben Smith - The Barber Under the Bridge, Glasgow Jake Lees - Rogues and Rascals, Broxburn Cameron Dowdles - Orbit Smoke, Edinburgh Abigail Craven - Beautique Hair and Beauty, Aviemore BEST BARBER COLOURIST Tony Murray - Rebel Rebel, Glasgow Megan Stockford - Sovereign, Aberdeen JP Michael MacDonagh - Frequency, Glasgow Sandra Odoh - Beauty by Sands, Dumfries Ian Ross - The Singing Barber, Motherwell Shayla Chalmers - Urban Hair & Beauty, Auchinleck Lynn Reilly – Curley’s Urbane Barbers, Shawlands Joanne Woods - Kings Barbers, Glasgow BEST WET SHAVE Nathan Robb - Sovereign, Aberdeen Matthew O’Rourke - Rebel Rebel Finnieston, Glasgow Daniel Cleavin - The Cleavin Barber Club, Aberdeen Jamie Hamilton - Cutthroat J’s Barber Shop, Hamilton Bruce Baillie - Hombre, Aberdeen Denise Fyvie - The Men’s Emporium, Aberdeen Karina Curley - Curley’s Urbane Barbers, Glasgow Dale Forrest - Beardy Beardy, Glasgow BEST BEAUTY THERAPIST Janine Buchanan - Unit 4, Airdrie Amy McPherson - The Haven Health and Beauty Retreat, Elgin Alice Mackay - Beau Boutique, Clovenfords, Galashiels Debbie Cameron - EnFlique Beauty, Perth

Kerry Mackay - Purity, Fochabers Jennifer Storey - Urban Retreat in the Academy, Cumbernauld Lynsey Robertson – LaRouge Hair & Beauty Lounge, Helensburgh Nicola Thomson - Tanning Rooms, Uddingston BEST BROW ARTIST Claire Benn - Wee Brow Bar, Prestonpans Aimee Hill - Materialistic Brows, Kilmarnock Kelly Souden - The Brow Clinic, Campbeltown Chelsea Mckee - Chelsea’s Brows & Beauty, Barrhead Jodie Howson - Sassy’s, Irvine Rajni Kumari - Simply Brow, Perth Sean Diamond - Forever Diamonds Salon, Prestwick Jo-Dee Gault - Studio MTB Clinic, New Cumnock BEST COSMETIC PRACTITIONER Barry Tunstead - Skulltec Scalp Micro Pigmentation, Paisley Maddison Bryce - Clinic 22, Kilmarnock Claire Bradley - Re3flection Aesthetics Hair & Beauty, Uddingston Laura Bennett - Laura Bennett Permanent Cosmetics, Fife Rachel Bryson - RB Aesthetic & Beauty, Ayr Alison Jappy - FTT Skin Clinics, Inverness Nicola Mackay - NM Aesthetics, Wick Nyki McKenzie - Derma Elite, Musselburgh

Love Those Lashes, Glasgow Frenchy’s Beauty Boutique, Edinburgh The Beauty Business, Glasgow LaRouge Hair & Beauty Lounge, Helensburgh Perfection Wax Boutique & Skin Clinic, Wishaw Beauty Box, Wishaw BEST NAIL BAR Diva Nails, Livingston Pretty Please, Falkirk Nail Diamond, Perth Bellini Nails, Glasgow Dilly Delight, Montrose Sanctuary Hair & Beauty, Stirling Desiree’s Beauty Salon, Kirkintilloch BEST SPA/DAY SPA Skye Serenity Spa, Isle of Skye Westfield Day Spa, Mauchline The Gin Spa, Glasgow Bella Vita, Alloa The Lounge at Chapelton, Stonehaven Animus Hair, Nails & Beauty, Edinburgh Chic Clinique, Glasgow

BEST LASH ARTIST Paula Mackay - The Byre Hair and Beauty, Alness Lauren Graham - The Lash & Glam Studio, Perth Leanne Osborne - All Eyes on Me, Glasgow Robyn McLean - Jess Taylor Lashes and Beauty, Glasgow Julie Dickson - Edge Hair & Beauty, Stonehaven Kate Baxter - The Dolls House, Inverness Shannon Godsell - Torley’s Hair & Beauty Studio, Tranent Zoe Kinear - The Powder Room by Zoe, Inverness

BEST TRAINING SCHOOL Dorota Palicka International Nail Artist and Educator, Fort William Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow Kristina Art, Peterhead Scottish Academy of Beauty & Holistic Therapy, Perth The Lab ‘Loveartbeauty’ Beauty Training, Denny Academy of Clinical Training, Cumbernauld Cindy Mackenzie CMBTA, Wishaw Flawless Glamour, Glasgow

BEST MAKEUP ARTIST Madeleine Hewitt - Madeleine Hewitt Makeup Artist, Inverness Ingrid Peregrina McNabb - Makeup Artist, Edinburgh Erika Marie Ni Barian - Ishi Salon, Edinburgh Bonny Watkins - Bonnys Wonderland, Fort William Louise Ballantine - LUX, Glasgow Murray Owens - Mobile MUA, Ayr Chloe Brogan - Chloe Brogan Make-Up & HD Brows, Kilmarnock Clare Pearson - Clare Pearson Hair and Makeup, Oban

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT Fallon Carberry - Blow Justin Mackland - Ishoka Hair & Beauty Leanne Reilly - Animus, Hair Nails & Beauty Christine Graham - Beauty at the Barn Wee Sally’s Therapeutic Massage My Claws Salon Scott McKinnon, Hairdressing & Beauty Lounge

BEST NAIL ARTIST Dorota Palicka - Dorota Palicka International Nail Artist and Educator, Fort William Jema Baynes - All Things Beauty, Aberdeen Carla Burton - Nu You, Arbroath Jen Seales - Buff, Edinburgh Karen Brown - Sanctuary in the City, Stirling Beata Illes - Pretty Nails by Betty, Falkirk Lauren Alexander - The Dollhouse, Nail Bar and Beauty Salon, Linlithgow Angela Orr - The Pixie Parlour, Penicuik Maria Giordano - Get Tipsy Nails, Kilmarnock BEST SPORTS/MASSAGE Laura Christie - The Haven Health and Beauty Retreat, Elgin Diane Cairney - My Claws Salon, Irvine Kerry McKay - Purity Health & Well Being, Fochabers Katy Wade - The Studio, Aberdeen Robbie Wildgoose - REWlax Sports Body Massage, Aberdeen Esther Marsal - The Lounge at Chapelton, Stonehaven Una Chrystal - Athena Therapies, Glasgow Paula Ainsley - The One Lounge, Glasgow BEST TANNING TECHNICIAN Louise McLucas - About Health & Beauty, Clarkston Madeleine Rhodes - Chelsea’s Brows & Beauty, Barrhead Angela Rooney - BeautyRokz, Prestwick Nicola Thomson - The Tanning Rooms, Uddingston Jordyn Myles - Sassy’s, Irvine Lynsey Lalley - Lulu’s Beauti, Glasgow Susan Todd - Suzy Q’s, Glasgow Jane Dorans - Urban Retreat, Cumbernauld BEST BEAUTY SALON Vogue Hair & Beauty, Ayr The One Lounge, Glasgow

BEST ONLINE RETAILER Classy Nails Inglot Cosmetics Chintys Millionaire Hair HERO HAIR PRODUCT OSMO Kérastase Schwarzkopf Professional Fudge Professional Millionaire Hair Goldwell HERO BEAUTY PRODUCT Inglot Cosmetics Dermalogica Beauty BLVD Salon Systems Bioslimming by Provence Cosmetics Drama Queen Makeup HERO NAIL PRODUCT For Your Nails Only Classy Nails Creative Nail Design (CND) OPI Gellex Chintys HERO TAN PRODUCT Tan MRKT Vita Liberata

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The gender-neutral Best Barber category

SHABA19 | “Anytime that a person makes an issue of the male and female barber split, it’s probably just through fear,” says Tommie McGuckin, a finalist for this year’s first ever gender-neutral Best Barber category. “I think it’s a fear of change or fear of progression. “It doesn’t matter if you’re male, female or neither—as long as you’re picking up the tools and doing the job that we all do then I don’t feel that there’s any need to segregate anybody.” TOMMIE MCGUCKIN, HARD GRIND

The Dundee barber’s wise words come after he was nominated as a finalist for the hotlytipped new unisex content category at this year’s Scottish Hair and Beauty awards. Perhaps the idea of mixing male and females for the one category may have been scoffed at a few years back, however it as now as commonplace as borrowing your boyfriend’s oversized t-shirt for bed. This year two talented females will compete for the coveted title alongside nine men. One of them is the internationally recognised Gemma Willock-Smith, from Frequency, Glasgow, who is delighted with the gender-free concept. Hard Grind’s Tommie McGuckin, 27, has always admired Gemma’s work from afar. He said, “This is my first entry. I’ve been here just over three years now. It was pretty unexpected especially because there are barbers in that category that I look up to such as Simon Harvey and Gemma. “These are people that I look up to so it’s a pretty surreal feeling. If there’s any females that can win then it’s Gemma—she’s proved herself on national levels and for me Gemma is the front runner.”

ANGELA DICKSON, ORBIT SMOKE

This year two talented females will compete for the coveted accolade alongside nine men. One of them is 46-year-old Angela Dickson, from Orbit Smoke in Edinburgh. Angela has been in the trade for more than 27 years with her small business and admits she has faced both sexism and stigma over the years for 22 | BarberNV Magazine

being a female barber. She reveals, “I’m looking at how I’ve had to fight to have a stand in my trade for all these years. I’ve been hit, pulled about and called names—I hope that we can whoop the asses of the men in this category. “It is a really male orientated trade and even though I’m a master now, I still get guys coming into my shop and they’d rather speak to my male apprentices before me—it can be really quite sexist. “I was really quite proud to hear that this year we had a gender-neutral category, although I was a bit unsure about it at first being in my mid-40s. I felt like I was too old for a magazine and that they were going to want 20-year-old female barbers covered in tattoos, rather than a 46-year-old Angela who is covered in tattoos. “Inside I was a bit worried and when I saw who I was up against I thought there was no chance in hell that I’d get into the final. I couldn’t speak and I burst into tears. The females have still got a bloody fight on our hands.”

GEMMA WILLOCK-SMITH, FREQUENCY

Internationally-renowned Gemma WillockSmith, the owner of Frequency, Glasgow, is the second female to be nominated as a finalist. The 33-year-old, originally from London, was perturbed by the fact that females once were never able to enter the same categories as males. Gemma, who won Best Female Barber at SHABA in 2016 and 2017, says, “I’m at a point in my life where I’d rather be pushing the females forward than competing against them. I feel really grateful that I’m in it and I’d rather lose against everybody than lose against half. “This isn’t a weight-lifting competition so I feel women should have always been able to enter the same competitions as men. I just want whoever is best to win it regardless of their gender.”

SIMON HARVEY, REBEL REBEL Rebel Rebel barber and BarberNV columnist

Simon Harvey believes the real winners are those who show the most determination and passion for the trade. He says, “There are just as many good female barbers out there as there are men. It used to be quite predominately a male industry now women are completely over the top of the ranks of guys shaking it, which has made it really exciting. “You can always tell the men who are threatened by this when they claim it’s a man’s club. It’s just about good haircuts and the client.”

KYLE ROSS, SOVEREIGN

Fellow finalist Kyle Ross, from Sovereign Aberdeen, admits he’s fearful of the strong competition for the Barber of the Year crown. He says, “I had a look at the category and everyone that’s in it is extremely talented. Obviously regardless of gender there’s a lot of great competition for one title. “We’re all extremely talented and I think Gemma Willock-Smith has been given a lot of recognition recently because she has a lot of good work. Regardless of gender it’s all about who’s the best in their field.”

ANDY DAWSON, MENSPIRE

Aberdeen competitor Andy Dawson at MENSPIRE barbers agreed, adding, “The art form of cutting hair, whether that be barbering or hairdressing, is not—and should not—be gender specific.

“Until we recognise this, then our fantastic industry cannot grow.” In recent times, the topic of gender-neutral loos and changing rooms has become political. It has led to controversy both outside and within the trans community and has recently sparked debate among parents of schoolchildren across the nation. There has also been a rise in gender-neutral salons which offer prices reflected on the work rather than the sex of the client.

MARK SHANNON, BEARDY BEARDY

Mark Shannon, 24, Kilsyth, from Beardy Beardy, Glasgow, believes the move towards

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gender-neutral and non-binary inclusive attitudes is a step in the right direction. “I think it should always be just barber instead of best male or female. At the end of the day we all cut hair and that’s what it comes down to. It’s great that they’ve made this category gender neutral. He says, “This is the first time I’ve ever went for an award and it wasn’t because it was gender neutral, I just generally felt like it was the time. “I would be utterly stunned if I won but it would be a great achievement. As long as your clients are happy then it doesn’t matter if you’re a guy or a girl. It’s a step in the right direction for the industry.”

P O M P

SI MON HAR VE Y

‘Pomp king’ Simon Harvey was in his 30s when he became a barber shop junior sweeping up hair. He joked about being the world’s ‘oldest’ industry beginner as he struggled to find his calling following a battle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Despite having trained as a hairdresser at TONY&GUY, he hated the ‘bitchy’ industry and spent his 20s in a career haze. His first ever haircut was on a complete stranger who begged him to cut her long mane. It was the ‘AHA’ moment he needed to give him the push to embark on what’s now a highly successful career. Simon, who is joining BarberNV as a columnist, explains, “I’ve always been really insecure and lost, going through depression and anxiety and a lot of mental struggles with ADHD and OCD. I didn’t know what I was going to do but I knew I was always good with my hands. “I spent my whole life trying to find that job that clicked with me. The first job that I ever did was a junior job for TONY&GUY but it just didn’t gel. “Fifteen years later I was out with my friends and a girl asked me what I’d do with her hair. I just started spitballing ideas about this asymmetric pixie crop and crazy restyle. She phoned me a few weeks later and asked me to cut her hair and I said yes, which was so out of character for me because I could barely hold a scissor and comb. But something compelled me to say yes and I still to this day have no idea why I did it. “There must have been something deeper inside me that knew I had to do it. I went on YouTube looking up how to section the hair and things beforehand. She sat down and I started chopping her hair while filled with nerves because she assumed I was this fully fledged stylist. “I was so chuffed with myself and I knew then in my gut it was what I was going to have to do. I called up all the hairdressers that I knew and I became the world’s oldest junior at 30-something sweeping up hair.” Simon, who works at Rebel Rebel in Finnieston, discusses his passion for barbering with a meaningful glint in his eye. Although he may be considered a late bloomer, he has since built a successful career in the industry, scooping the coveted Male Barber of the Year title in 2016 at the Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards.

K I N G ?

The bearded barber is also affectionately known as the ‘Pomp King’ by fans on Instagram after becoming known as a figurehead for the classic sweeping men’s style featured heavily in his collections. He moved to Scotland six years ago and is a finalist this year for #SHABA19’s gender-neutral Best Barber category. Recalling the moment he scooped his award almost three years ago, Simon says, “It was nerve-racking, I’d never entered a competition before and it’s a strange concept to get an award for something that’s never been judged because it’s a very humble job. “I’m back up for it this year and the competition is really high so even if I don’t win it I’m just chuffed to have got to the finals and to be up there with these amazing other barbers. “This has been the biggest thing in my life apart from being a dad. It gave me a sense of direction and I’m so grateful to have found barbering.” The creative has recently launched a tongue-in-cheek competition on Instagram in a bid to find his very own ‘Pomp King’ who will walk away with a cardboard Shreddies crown. He was inspired by his four-year-old daughter who made her own princess crown from cardboard. Our new column contributor Simon says, “I’ve always loved traditional haircuts and the pompadour is my favourite cut. People started calling me the Pomp King on social media and I love it. “I came up with the concept when my four-year-old daughter made this crown out of a cereal box and she’d wear it around the house. I thought it would be really cool to do this competition for a bit of fun. “I love the idea that it’s beyond tacky and there’s so many other passionate pomp makers so I wanted to do something that was a laugh and so we could pass the crown around. For me it’s all about height and attitude because the higher the haircut the more impressive it looks.” He adds, “I just love the look of it because of what it represents in men’s grooming and fashion. The key word is classic.”

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TAKARA BELMONT Y E A R S

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Takara Belmont first arrived in London in 1959 and now, 60 years on it was only fitting this anniversary should see the grand unveiling of the brand’s new-look London showroom. Last month, BarberNV were part of a select gathering of the UK media and industry associations to be invited to Takara Belmont’s London HQ to celebrate such an auspicious birthday, tour the new state-of-theart showroom and indulge in luxury treatments and hairstyling—the centrepiece being the Yume head-spa! Representing the pinnacle of technical innovation, guests were treated to the ultimate VIP experience before finding refreshment in the pop-up cocktail bar. Alongside an elegant flower wall and luxury buffet, the event proved to be a great success, leaving everyone informed, pampered and gastronomically content. Setting the scene, managing director Mr Hoshina extended a warm welcome and expressed his appreciation for the media guests’ continued support. In his speech Mr Hoshina highlighted the significance of the anniversary, touching on the company’s journey and evolution, and Takara Belmont’s major accomplishments that have culminated in the brand’s global position and offering in the 21st century. Cari-Anne Rawlinson, Takara Belmont’s hairdressing marketing executive, says, “We were delighted to welcome our guests and immerse them in a Takara Belmont experience.

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“Their response to the new showroom, the treatments and our equipment was very positive. “We look forward to building on our heritage and introducing more ground-breaking equipment in the future. “The support of our guests and our relationships with the media and key industry organisations is so valuable. “This event gave us an opportunity to thank them and show our gratitude.”

VALERIO FEDERICO Hair: Valerio Federico Photographer: Pedro Antunes Makeup: Maryna Beskorovayna Styling: Joanna Tujdowska

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CUT IN A M O S H

B A R B E R I N G

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CHARLIE VENN

We are bang in the middle of festival season and things are finally hotting up in the UK. As festivals become more popular, they present a unique opportunity for barbers to expose their skills to hordes of music lovers. When you think of the long hair and swirling mosh pits of Download, a barber shop might not be a fixture you would expect to find. But Sandyman Chop Shop owner Simon Bones brought together eight passionate barbers from across the UK for a pop-up barber shop at the world-famous rock and metal festival—sponsored by Reuzel. Charlie Venn, 25, who works at Bearded Bambi’s in Weston-SuperMare, sat down with BarberNV to tell us about his experience of working Download as his first festival pop-up. Like many Charlie did not know what to expect as a barber walking into the UK’s premier heavy music festival, but his assumptions were quickly challenged. “I expected there to be a bit more long hair work like mohawks and maybe some mullets,” explains the classic cut lover. “But I ended up doing quite a few classic cuts. I did a big hillbilly pompadour-mullet, a flattop and a few others. Obviously, crops are really popular right now, but I think I only did one crop the whole time— that was on one of the other barbers in fairness.” He described the festival as surprisingly classic orientated with a few little twists, and though he did his share of short back and sides, one customer definitely stood out. “One customer had a foot and a half tall

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mohawk, and we were trying to get it to stand up. I think six of us had a go at one point. Realistically with something like that you’re meant to straighten hairspray into it and lock it in. We got it up in the end, but it didn’t stay up. I’m pretty sure as soon as he got into a mosh pit it was ruined,” says Charlie laughing. The weather over the weekend, however, did pose a few problems, as metalheads from all over would have travelled to find Donington Park literally swamped. But try as it might the rain and rivers of mud could not put a dampener on the barbers’ collective spirit. “I spent 72 hours in wellies,” explains Charlie. “When I got there Thursday 400 people had just left and gone home.” Not only was the arena like a scene from Takeshi’s Castle, but the weather meant the barber team had to take extra measures to ensure they could work through the showers. “At the barber shop, we ended up having to put the chairs on wooden pallets. I was cutting hair stood on a pallet, the conditions weren’t ideal, but it all made it part of the experience.” You might expect to be cutting and feathering the hair of the world’s rock elite, but as Charlie told us there were separate hair and makeup teams for the performers. Though a few of the WWE performers and fire breathers did stop by for a trim and a beard fix up. Of course, cutting at a festival would not be complete without getting to see—and mosh to—some of the bands for yourself. “Watching Slipknot on Saturday night with the whole gang was pretty cool,” says Charlie. “We were cutting hair all day and we all just went to watch Slipknot together, it was carnage. Just the atmosphere, not really caring about what anyone is doing, just enjoying the moment.” One of the most rewarding aspects for Charlie was getting to meet and form bonds with barbers from all over the UK. “Simon just brought in barbers and we were all super close within 72 hours of meeting. Now I talk to them every day. From a social round up of Download of cutting hair, watching bands, meeting friends I’ve never experienced anything like it.” This will not be the last time Charlie hits up the festival circuit now he’s had a taster. At the end of July Charlie will be back with Simon Bones at Atomic—the thrill a minute 50s weekend. A huge fan of classic styles, Atomic is more his cuppa in terms of style, but we know Charlie would not trade his experience with Simon or the team at Donington Park for the world.

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O R G A N I S I N G

F E S T I VAL POP- UP

SIMON BONES, OWNER OF SANDYMANS CHOP SHOP

Simon Bones, the owner of Sandyman Chop Shop in Exeter and Lyme Regis has been organising festival and event pop-ups for the better part of a decade. A veteran of the festival circuit, Simon has also held pop-ups at Boardmasters and Nass to name a few. Most recently, he set up a barber shop at England’s acclaimed rock and metal festival, Download—sponsored by Reuzel. Download may not be the place you’d expect to find a pop-up barber shop, but Simon has been going strong at the festival since 2015. We sat down with Simon for an honest chat about how he organises the pop-up shops. Simon got his first taste of event pop-ups at Kustom Kulture Blastoff (KKBO) in Spalding in 2013. From there he started working tattoo conventions with Skin Deep magazine (Jazz Publishing), including Tattoo Jam and the Great British Tattoo Show. “I think what you find is when you take something out of context, like a barber at a tattoo convention it’s amazing,” he says. “We had people watching us at the shows and got in tattoo magazines, which meant other people approached us.” Of course, big festival opportunities don’t just fall on your lap. As some of these opportunities came from exposure at his other shows, or like the Download gig, it’s also about knowing someone within the organisation.

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Either way, there’s a lot of hard work and as Simon tells us, you shouldn’t expect to make your riches. “Cutting hair in a muddy field, you aren’t going to make a load of money,” he says. “It’s more about the lifestyle element and the event is a place you want to be anyway—that’s important.” Simon is also quick to point out that for brands, sponsorship is very dependent on this image. If you are approaching brands for sponsorship of your pop-ups, it is important to consider if the event reflects the brand’s image and your own. You wouldn’t see Gucci opening a pop-up at Bloodstock and Simon, who is vegan, wouldn’t work at the Royal Ascot. “Reuzel has sponsored us for a few different events now,” says Simon. “What we found was depending on the show different people want to get involved—if it’s something they can get behind. For Reuzel and the rock ‘n’ roll, outthere lifestyle

they portray, Download and hot rod shows really work for them.” Weather, as unpredictable as it is, and other external factors play a massive role in how busy these ventures are. Simon is frank that music festivals, more so than car shows or tattoo conventions, come with their own, unique set of potential issues to keep in mind. “Festivals are synonymous with people getting pretty drunk and letting loose, and that doesn’t work with cutting hair,” he tells us. “You have to be aware some of the punters, whose hair you’re cutting, could be off their faces. There’s got to be a degree of sensibility, you aren’t going to use a cutthroat razor on someone if they can barely sit up or talk coherently.

“It’s about being in an environment you want to be in, but you have to conduct yourself professionally. Certainly, some barbers that have worked for me have struggled with the concept of being at a festival and working.” We ask Simon, who uses appointment system Booksy, how he manages the crowds of people flocking to his pop-ups. “For rockabilly, hot rod shows like Atomic the people are really into their pomps and quiffs. We get booked up really quickly for those types of shows, so we’re really strict with the booking system and making sure we get everyone’s hair done—it’s a full-on day.” Whereas for Download, as Simon tells us, the weather has a real impact on punter turn out. “If it’s raining the whole time, not a lot of people are bothered about their hair. It’s a little bit freer, but we run a booking system for that too and we normally have between three and four chairs at the bigger shows. At smaller shows, it’s two or maybe even one.” As for the service Simon and his pop-up teams offer, he says, “Making appointments, giving a thorough consultation and making sure we give the best cuts—there’s no 10-minute in-out kinda thing. We charge more than your average, but we give the best service, haircuts and finish. So I make sure the people who work with me are good barbers and share that philosophy.” Having a professional front of house is really important too and Bones is super lucky his partner Victoria (aka Miss Betty Bones) has

taken on this role over the last few years and manages a smile, whatever the weather. Bones is proud to be an ambassador for the Lions Barber Collective—founded by his good friend Tom Chapman who has worked with him at Download. His sponsors, Dickies, VonZipper and Sailor Jerry have also been an amazing support both at shows and in the shops over the years and Simon told us he was incredibly grateful for the brands’ continued support. In addition to the shops and pop-ups, Bones is the South West educator for the Great British Barbering Academy. In his own words, he says, “Being an educator for such an amazing team is an honour, we recognise the

importance of education and are constantly developing our reach, now teaching in colleges, Salon Services and individual salons across the UK, Europe and even as far as India. I am excited about my future with the GBBA!” Simon has a few other events and festivals coming up this summer, but the barber shop owner has also organised a charity skate tour around Cornwall. “We’ve actually got a charity event we’re doing for Surfers Against Sewage and an animal sanctuary called Hugletts Farm that saves animals that are meant to be going to slaughter and Sailor Jerry has donated a lot of stuff for that.”

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LOS REPLICANTES

JOSE GARCIA PELUQUEROS Hair: Jose Garcia, Jose Garcia Peluqueros Photographer: David Arnal Makeup:Isabel García Stylist: Aaron Gil Models: Déjàvu Models Products: Schwarzkopf Professional

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B A R B E R

S H O P

F O C U S

B L A C K L OT US

Black Lotus barber shop is the newest and quite literally the coolest in Stirling, Scotland. In April this year Amy Wright, who is originally from Dunblane, moved from Edinburgh to Stirling to open her first barber shop. Amy described choosing the name for her barber shop as being harder than picking your first child’s name, but she settled on Black Lotus after a chat from her brother and a recent inking. “My brother phoned me up and he had been thinking of names for tattoo studios, and I like names that don’t sound like barber shops—and that week I’d gotten a tattoo of a lotus it just fell into place.” It wasn’t an easy decision to open Black Lotus though, as Amy was torn between settling down and building a business, or continue travelling. Her parents were the deal breaker and Amy started putting plans in place to make her dream shop a reality. Black Lotus is quintessentially modern with

an industrial feel with Amy actively seeking to separate her creation from other shops in the area. In Black Lotus, Amy has created a welcoming atmosphere for her customers to enjoy a beer or two, watch TV and receive a consistently high standard of haircuts. “What I really want from my barber shop is consistency. I do the same system every time I cut hair so every time I cut hair it should be the same as the last. With the appointments I have the time to enjoy what I’m doing rather than feeling rushed and get pushed onto the next customer. “The first week or so I was fairly busy, luckily now I feel like faces are starting to come back every month or few weeks.” Amy, who did a hairdressing apprenticeship, got her first taste of barbering while working as a hairdresser at a US resort. “All the guys asked me to cut their hair and I had a basic idea, but got thrown in at the deep end with a

pair of clippers. Every night I had eight or nine guys waiting on haircuts so I just had to get on with it,” she reveals. “When I came back to Edinburgh, I went straight into a barber shop and that’s when I was able to pick up loads of different techniques and learn a lot more.” Fast forward to February 2019 and Amy is getting ready to open Black Lotus, but her plans are thwarted by a broken collarbone she received while playing football. “I had the keys to the shop but couldn’t open it because I had broken myself, so I ended up opening on April 10 instead. I was stressed because I had got these keys and I couldn’t even open the shop, but it’s worth it now.” After only a few months business, and working six-day weeks, Amy has brought on local barber Peter Bolton, who had brought with him a crowd of new Black Lotus loyals. Amy confessed her gratitude to her family, friends and particularly her mum Joy for all their help and patience. It’s still early days for the Stirling barbers, but Amy has her own products and plans to bring out shop merchandise. Take one look at the shop and its quality, and you’ll see just how bright Black Lotus’ future is. “Even though it’s only been three months it’s already exceeded any expectation I had. Every week I get more and more grateful for people coming in and the direction the shop is going in.” Amy and Black Lotus are thriving with good reason, soon they plan on adding even more treatments to their menu. So, if you are ever in Stirling, make sure to drop by Black Lotus for a trim.

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DA P PE R FOX A HANDSOME businessman grins with delight as the glamorous blonde presents him with a beer and chocolate cake to celebrate his birthday. But this isn’t his wife, girlfriend or even his mother who is surprising him—it’s his favourite barber. In a largely male-dominated environment, talented Elsa Larkins proves the industry is finally shaking its ‘male only’ tag. The former makeup artist first opened her luxury grooming shop two years ago after admitting to starting “from the very bottom.” The 34-year-old has been barbering for 14 years and is the owner of The Dapper Fox in Hampton Wick. Elsa says, “A lot of the guys who come in enjoy just socialising in our shop and they come to chill out and have a whisky and get groomed. It’s a one stop shop where they can have a whisky or just sit on our sofas, it’s a bit like a home. “Everybody leads a busy lifestyle but I wanted to create somewhere where people can forget their work schedules for half an hour or 40 minutes and just take some time for themselves. We have two friends who come in and have a beer or a whisky and they treat it like a meeting place. “It’s a change from the pub and we go beyond for all of our customers

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Elsa Larkins by getting to know them. We get to know about their mental health and what’s really bothering them. We even celebrate their birthdays with them.” Showcasing incredible before and after pictures of a bare shop front transformed into a high-end, sleek hangout spot for the elite, Elsa revealed how her goal was to create an environment for men who need a brief escape from their busy lifestyles. With over 30 years experience between each of her team members, the grooming emporium offers a full range of services from the latest trends to timeless classics through to hot towel shaves. Her devout customers were the ones who helped her design the place, with many offering to put down flooring for her and even help decorate for free. “I used to do women’s hair and I got bored so I tried doing men’s hair and I’ve been doing that ever since,” Elsa explains. “This is my first ever shop and it’s not just skin fades and people covered in tattoos. It’s more of a male grooming shop and a gentleman’s barbers.

“Customers are treated like they are family, they trust us and always come back. I have the best clients—I got the wooden floor for free and one put the electricity in and one put the flooring down. They’ve become not just my clients but my friends as well.” One of Elsa’s most recent punters includes revered architect Adam White, who recently helped The Duchess of Cambridge design the successful Chelsea Flower Show. However, Elsa insists she treats every client—A-lister or not—exactly the same and feels uncomfortable about name dropping celebs who often stop by her shop. “To be quite honest I’m not a big celebrity person,” she says. “I prefer people who are down to earth and I welcome everyone.” The shop also offers father and daughter days for busy dads to bond with their little ones and get groomed at the same time. Two more stores are set to open in the coming months throughout London. Elsa continues, “Men at the moment don’t want to bring their girlfriends there. It’s like a man cave for them to get away from their other halves. “What we do at the moment is father and daughter Saturdays and Sundays so they can bring their little girls and get a haircut. It’s designed to give mums a bit of a break so we can give the women some down time too.”

WORDS BY LISA BOYLE

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Hair: Sam Wall Photography: Marie Harkness Makeup: Lawson Wright Models: Tyne Tees Model Agency Location: Hidden Heights Studio

SAM WALL

CONFLICT Conflict is the latest collection from Gateshead-based barber and educator, Sam Wall. The harrowing lettering scrawled across the models brutally conveys the light and dark of mental health, a topic close to the barber and Lions Barber Collective ambassador’s heart. “I had a bit of a sticky time when I was in my early 20s and I thought the timing was right to release such a collection for me, personally,” he says. “I think the darker models are more powerful than the happier models, it was really difficult to get a happy outcome without using too many words.” Sam compares his creative output to Adele’s discography. He can’t just churn

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out a collection, there has to be an emotional need to create. “This was the first collection I’ve done in a long time. Unless I’m feeling it emotionally, I can’t shoot. Every collection I do is about trying to get my feelings out. That’s why they aren’t very hair orientated—they’re more imagery. “Adele writes a song and people can understand her lyrics,” he explains. “Whereas I express myself in collections. Every collection I do is a story I want to tell—they’re never random. I only want to do collections that mean something to me.” The Conflict collection comes off the back of a lengthy creative block. Creatives will empathise with the pressure to create, but Sam simply couldn’t move past this period of creative paralysis. “Sometimes when you get a creative block it’s hard. That’s why I didn’t shoot for 18 months. I’ve learned to relax and roll with it now because if you try and force creativity you won’t produce your best work. If you’ve got a creative block you need to switch off a bit and let it come to you naturally.” Sam broke past the wall last summer when someone from Recovery 4 Life, a charity Sam works closely with, was in the studio with Marie Harkness. They started to talk about mental health and the idea which would become Conflict blossomed from there. “My inspiration comes from my mood on a day to day basis. It could be anything from dropping a coffee to speaking to someone. Inspiration can be found in everything.”

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SAM WALL

CONFLICT Hair: Sam Wall Photography: Marie Harkness Makeup: Lawson Wright Models: Tyne Tees Model Agency Location: Hidden Heights Studio

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TAKING BARBER POLE POSITION

DAN N Y

C O

B AR B E R S

S I LV E R S T O N E

Lewis Hamilton sped across the track to claim a record sixth British Grand Prix victory, but the racing star wasn’t the only one making history last month. Oldham barbers Kilian Maddison and Danny Robinson, from Danny & Co Barbers, became the first barbers ever to provide petrol heads with a pop-up to get their male grooming fix at the home of British motorsports. The partnership first came about after Danny & Co, Uppermill shop manager Kilian, got into a conversation about a pop-up barber shop he’d seen at the Mexican Grand Prix with a customer who worked for the motorsport giants. Becoming the official barbers of Silverstone may have began as a ‘lucky opportunity’, but the weekend was the result of over six months of hard graft and a truckload of ambition. It was thanks to their industry credentials and reputation they were given their Silverstone starting position. “We got bored of doing hair shows and got a lucky opportunity,” Kilian tells BarberNV. “We met someone in the know, spoke to the right people and took it from there. It took from October to March to get a meeting with someone, there’s so much red tape.” But once the ink had dried the pair set about designing the pop-up shop from scratch with the help of some life-long supporters Composite Wood Company, Quartered Steel, Booksy and Oster. The boys did everything to integrate their brand of barbering with the F1 image, from cutting hair on a winner’s

podium to having a mannequin decked out in a Danny & Co racing suit and helmet, it wasn’t just a barber shop at Silverstone—they were Silverstone’s barbers. They even added some nostalgic touches for the super fans... “F1 got in touch with us to do a special ‘Get the F1 Look’, where it’s all famous moustaches from past drivers and we got a board of them made up. It’s quite unheard of in Formula One, it’s normally quite tight knit with anything to do with the actual

driving side of it.” With the full backing of the world’s richest sport, one of these boards was gleefully presented to the team at Silverstone with the Oldham pair planning to auction their board off for charity—which would make an incredible addition to any F1 fanatics collection. “In terms of putting the feel of the whole event into

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the shop that’s what made it so special. That’s why everyone loved it, everything about it adapted to Formula One. We stood behind a checkered flag, we had a sponsor board, we just made every aspect of the build look place in Formula One.” The British Grand Prix attracts Formula One’s biggest crowds, last year over 140,500 people attend Silverstone to see drivers put the pedal to the metal. This was reflected in just how busy Kilian and Danny were over the weekend, cutting for nearly 12 hours every day they did over 200 haircuts on just two barber chairs. “We got told that on one of the days 70,000 people passed us,” says an elated Kilian. “We were at the barber shop for about 6/7am every morning and working till about

5/6pm at night.” A testament to how much Danny & Co became part of the Silverstone experience was seeing bald punters getting their photos taken on the barbers’ podium and with the Danny & Co branded racing suit! The weekend proved to be a massive success for the duo raking in global contacts to add to their ever-growing arsenal, but success rarely comes without hardship. As Kilian tells BarberNV, it could have gone from the best experience in the world to the worst in a matter of hours. Rain lashed the purpose-built shop and as water collected on the flat roof, health and safety fears threatened to leave the barbers’ spirits soaked through. “When it was all going to shit, I was heartbroken, but Danny managed to keep our spirits high. I tried my hardest and that one thing nearly broke me. I spent all of Thursday with my head in my hands and then Dave McNicholas, who owns the Composite Wood Company came down and saved the day.” Killian says. If it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have had as successful a weekend as it was.” Cutting your teeth is never easy, but every experience is a chance to grow and there were definitely some lessons learned at Silverstone. While the situation could have snowballed

into disaster, thanks to the McGuyver thinking of Danny and Dave the event was saved. Danny mobilised quickly to jerry-rig scaffolding, duct tape and loo roll to make a support for the roof and ensure the pair’s worst fears wouldn’t be realised. “We thought we were prepared for everything, but clearly we weren’t. We definitely learnt a lot and we’ve got loads of ideas for MotoGP. One thing we’ve learned for next year is that we need more chairs. On the first day we did upwards of 50 haircuts. At first, we were doing walk ins but by 10am we decided we had to book appointments and by midday we were fully booked for the Saturday. The atmosphere was electric.” It is an experience Danny and Kilian will never forget, together they made barbering history and a week passing has let Kilian see the funny side of the bumps in the road. “I don’t think it would have made the weekend as good as it was without all the improvising,” says Kilian. “I think it made the weekend and was a massive lesson for us. “It was like a long holiday for me and Danny, just five days in a campervan with me and him—it was like a sitcom.” There wasn’t much escape and

Kilian admits the pair were starting to get cabin fever going to and from the barber shop every day. Likening the experience to a sitcom is pretty apt, as Danny and Kilian made the drive as Max and Paddy from Peter Kay’s hit comedy Pheonix Nights. “It was funny until we got to the services and got out looking like knob heads,” Kilian laughs. The ideas they had for MotoGP already set in motion the lessons they learned from Silverstone, the shop build will feature a retractable roof and glamourous floor lighting. And Kilian can’t help but look forward to 2020’s British Grand Prix. He says, “If it’s this much of a success this year, I can’t imagine how great it’s going to be next year!” Looking full speed ahead to the MotoGP, the pair are holding a competition to give up-and-coming barbers the chance to work with them at the event where you’ll be cutting in the entertainment zone—next to the mainstage. When Danny posted the competition announcement on his Instagram, which received an incredible 100,000+ combined views last month. This would be an unparalleled experience for any young barber looking to break into stage or photographic work and all you have to do is submit three images featuring your best work and a short bio on why you deserve to win to info@dannyandco.co.uk

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PRODUCTENV Y

Editor’s Choice

EDITOR’ S COMMENT We’re delighted to be able to showcase two new ranges in MVRCK, the new brand by barbers for barbers and ‘Lets Ave It’ by barber and educator Sam Wall. They’re both incredibly versatile, we’re sure you’ll all be fans in no time.

Apothecary 87 Dopp Bag Beard Kit The incredible vintage style Dopp Bag from Apothecary 87 filled with your choice of products from its range. Pick your three favourite products from a selection of beard oils and moustache wax, and tailor our Dopp Bag Beard Kit to your exact grooming requirements. £60

Sam Wall That’s Banging Clay Barber and educator extraordinaire, Sam Wall has released his own range of male grooming products. That’s Banging Clay has a firm, dry hold for ultimate control and texture. The ideal clay to complete a natural look with a matte finish and it’s strawberry scented to boot.

apothecary87.co.uk £12.50 mrsamwall.co.uk

Luxemore London The Luxe Raw Beard Set The Luxe Bar Raw from Luxemore London is perfect for cleansing your scalp, face and body. It even doubles up as a shaving bar and is ideal for travel. This set consists of a 100ml oil and a 95g bar of your choosing. All products are vegan friendly and cruelty-free. £25 luxemorelondon.com

Mr Muk Thickening and Texturising Shampoo Shampoo can leave your hair limp... but not this guy. A styling and texturising shampoo that builds volume in the shower, leaving your hair full and lushly textured. More max bulk, leave your conditioner on the shelf. £9.95 Call 02476 661906 for Professional Barber exclusive prices

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PRODUCTENVY

R+Co Cassette Curl Shampoo Play your best hair to date with R+Co’s curl enhancing shampoo. Designed to gently cleanse while maintaining and defining the shape of the curl, Cassette also tames frizz and adds optimal nourishment and shine without creating weight. £27.50 randco.com/uk

MVRCK Skin Tonic The light mist of MVRCK’s Skin Tonic wakes up the skin without drying it out. A blend of cooling menthol, a refreshing agave citrus scent and other soothing ingredients help to calm and hydrate dry skin. The formulation can even be utilised as a stand-alone facial toner before applying aftershave. £15.95 paul-mitchell.co.uk

Patrick’s Skincare FW1 Face Wash Patricks’ new vegan-friendly foaming wash provides deep cleansing while maintaining the skin’s natural moisture balance. Its powerful active ingredients promote skin regeneration, reduce irritations and the antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage. Gentle enough for everyday use. £31 patricksproducts.co.uk

Andis Supra ZR Master the art of your craft with the Andis Supra ZR detachable blade clipper. This premium tool puts power, precision and performance at your fingertips as its razor-sharp blades and powerful rotary motor combine to glide effortlessly through every hair type, wet or dry. Cordless Lithiumpowered technology delivers up to two hours of uninterrupted performance on a single charge, so you can meet every technical demand including fades, sharp lines and precision finishing. £252 andis.com

Seven Potions Hair Styling Clay Sweat, wind, heat, you name it; help your hair stay where you need it to. Ideal for those who live fastpaced lives, the Hair Styling Clay from Seven Potions keeps your locks locked in place, even when the pressure is on. With a mixture of marvellous clays, waxes, butters, oils and essential oils, Seven Potions keeps you reaching for this clay day after day. If you live your life to the full, this is the product for you. £14.97 sevenpotions.com

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PRODUCTENV Y

Grooming

Biocell The Regenerating Facial Mask Sheet masks might make your clients resemble Halloween’s terrifying Michael Myers, but they are the most effective antidote to hungover skin. Swiss anti-ageing skincare brand Biocell has recently launched a range of Hyaluronic Acid sheet masks at high street retailer Beauty Base to help boost dull, dehydrated and spotty complexions. These are perfect for popping on your rough-as-toast clients whilst helping you to have a chuckle at the same time. £6 (per mask) beautybase.com

OSMO Intensive Deep Repair Mask Barbering bestseller Osmo’s Intensive Deep Repair Mask restores moisture and cares for damaged and dry hair. This provides salvation for clients who suffer from over-stressed, heat traumatised, and chemically abused hair. Particularly great for men with permed hair, this is formulated with mega-moisturising hero ingredient; Pataua Oil, extracted from the Amazonian Brazilian palm tree and Keratin Complex for a healthy sheen and smooth, manageable results. £5.40 + VAT osmo.uk.com

Barber PRO Foot peel Cruelty-free brand Barber Pro has launched an innovative new foot peel to ensure clients have softer tootsies after seven days. Simply slip clean feet into the booties and wear for up to 90 minutes and watch as dry, rough skin starts to shed after a few days.

Skin Doctors Ingrow Go

£7.95

£12.99

beautypro.com

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Research has found that 78 per cent of men have experienced some form of irritation as a result of shaving. Using a combination of active ingredients and natural plant extracts, Skin Doctors Ingrow Go works to both prevent and treat stubborn ingrown hairs, razor burn and razor rash. Simply moisten a cotton bud and apply to your clients’ affected areas for some extra gentle on- the-spot exfoliation.

skindoctors.co.uk

A wonderfully soft and flexible paste with a light hold that allows you to style and restyle your clients’ hair as desired. The versatile styling paste also provides texture, separation and a medium shine. For thickness and texture, the product can be applied to damp hair and blow-dried. Does not contain parabens.

Neäl & Wølf Mattifying Paste

PRODUCTENVY

IdHair Elements Xclusive Styling Soft Paste

Create has been specifically designed to give a flexible, medium hold and matte appearance, making it ideal for textured, messy styles. The unique blend of Kaolin, Shea Butter and Beeswax creates a workable paste, which is particularly effective for lighter hair as it won’t darken or dull. £13.75 Trade prices available on request nealandwolf.com

£12.50 idhairuk.com

Lock Stock & Barrel Original Blends Moustache Wax

QMS Medicosmetics Liquid Protein This lightweight serum is designed to prevent moisture loss in the skin while helping to provide a protective shield against ageing free radicals. Recommended for warmer temperatures, the skin strengthening ingredients combined with a lightweight texture makes Liquid Protein ideal to use in the day. £110 qmsmedicosmetics.com

For a preened moustache that would fit well in a Sherlock Holmes movie, this on-the-go stick wax makes facial grooming easy. Containing a solid wax blend of nourishing oils which give strong hold and a natural sheen, it’s perfect for keeping fingers mess-free while maintaining a sharp tash. Simply brush the stick over your client’s moustache or take a small scraping of wax using the front of a fingernail, soften and apply. lockstockandbartrel.com

Murad InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment Launching this month, this high-performance resurfacing treatment is perfect for clients who wish to minimise the look of scar size, depth, texture, thickness and discolouration in eight weeks. This helps to fill pitted scars while also regulating pigment for a healthier-looking complexion, making it perfect for those with post-blemish scarring. £18.96 murad.co.uk

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Furniture & Electrical

PRODUCTENVY

PRODUCTENV Y Takara Belmont The Dainty Strikingly attractive, functional and versatile, the Dainty grooming chair features 360º (lockable) rotation and a reclining backrest to ease your client into the most comforting position for their grooming service. A timeless classic from Takara Belmont’s traditional collection, Dainty also features an adjustable and removable headrest, upholstered padded armrests and a footrest. Coordinate from a range of upholstery colours and customisable options including contrasting piping for a truly distinctive look and upgrade from hydraulic or motorised base options to enhance the overall experience for clients.

Alfa Italia Superleggero The new Superleggero hairdryer from Alfa Italia is leading a quiet revolution thanks to its innovative silencer that helps reduce noise from the powerful 2000w motor. New technologically advanced features include a unique selfcleaning system automatically ejects hair, which is often the cause of mechanical failure. As well as the technology used in the motor mounts ensure it can withstand being dropped and every day use. £79.95 alanhoward.com

£1,150-£1,185 takarahairdressing.co.uk

Andis The Must-Have Barber Combo Kit Andis combines two of their most popular tools to present the ultimate Barber Combo Kit. Featuring the USPro clipper and 230v T-Outliner trimmer, these tools combine to deliver power; strength and precision from start to finish. Revered for reliability and high-speed power, the adjustable blade USPro powers through wet or dry hair adjusting from #000 to #1 in one smooth motion, whilst the cool and quiet T-Outliner delivers precision finishing for outlining, fading and shaving.

Wahl 100 Year Anniversary Clipper Bonus Pack

£90 + VAT

£180

andis.com or call SPUK on 01635 279824

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Wahl’s most powerful bulk remover and tapering clipper, the 100 Year Anniversary Clipper Bonus Pack is your chance to own a piece of barbering history. The gorgeous full aluminium housing gives the clipper a sturdy with a robust grip for precision feel and control. These cordless clippers have a 70-minute run time from just a 70-minute charge, so you won’t be waiting all day for charge. This limited-edition bumper pack is available for one year only, so don’t miss out. Includes free premium combs worth £32.99.

barberblades.co.uk

Equipment

PRODUCTENVY

PRODUCTENV Y Yasaka 7”

Manufactured with ATS314 Hitachi Metals Steel ATS314 a special material created especially for hairdressing scissors. All classic levelset and offset scissor handles are replaceable allowing purchase of backup/substitute blades. Yasaka was introduced to the West by the visionary, Geri Cusenza, founder of Sebastian International, over 30 years ago. Unique in their two-part design, each shear is a combination of Japanese forging techniques, modern machining methods, and traditional hand-craftsmanship.

Denman D14 Classic Styling Beech Wood Brush The small Denman styling brush is reimagined in FSC Certified Sustainably Sourced Beechwood. The uniquely sculpted pins deliver the ultimate in controlled styling and natural curl definition. Its compact size means it’s perfect to take with you on the go.

£125 + VAT yoiscissors.co.uk

£10 denmanbrush.com

Kobe Slim Neck Brush This narrow profile neck brush is perfect for precise brushing. The smooth, wooden handle looks great and the super-soft, extra-long bristles will brush away even the most stubborn stray hairs while ensuring client comfort. The Slim neck Brush is 18cm tall with a 9.5cm bristle length. £3.40 + VAT coolblades.co.uk

eBlade T1000 With eBlade scissors, your hand will be in a relaxed position switching grips like you’re in a martial arts film. The convex T1000 is the perfect tool for precision cutting, as its premium VG-10 steel blades are crafted by a Japanese master scissorsmith. The T1000 is a gamechanger, featuring two-finger stabilising bar, weight calibration leverage handle and multi-grip technology. Available in 5.5” and 7”. £450 ebladescissors.com

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NIGHTCRAWLERS

TONY HARESIGN Hair: Tony Haresign Photography: Matt Marcus Makeup: Nikole Migl

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W I T H

CAMERAS P A U L

M O N T G O M E R Y

WORDS BY LISA BOYLE

PAUL’S TOP TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Research how to take pictures perfectly before investing in a pricey camera “It’s all about mastering the skills first.” Invest in a beauty dish “I use that to take a lot of photos. It’s like a big round dome light with a diffuser round the front of it that I use like a wireless strobe flash to shoot through it. I’d then use a backlight to separate the subject from the back wall.” Use natural light or place your client near a window “Natural light is always better than artificial. Move towards the window and find a flat wall without any mess in the background.” Don’t make it just about the hair “It’s about finding the balance of getting just enough hair in it to show people what you’ve done and showing a bit of the character as well so it’s not just an inanimate object.” Download high quality editing apps “Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are the best apps for editing and changing the lighting of photographs, especially if you’re using your camera.” Don’t take pictures of the clients in the chair “You can’t always control what’s going on in the background and it can often detract from the picture if there’s someone sweeping up or if there’s a mess in the background.” Spend more money on the lens than the camera body “The best portrait lenses are 50mm or 85mm. An 85mm is better for portrait shots. If I’m spending money on camera equipment, I’m spending more money on the lens and less money on the camera body. Glass lenses are the thing that takes the good photo.” 52 | BarberNV Magazine

Photographs by Paul Mongomery

et’s face it; if you aren’t showcasing your barbering work in the best way possible, you always run the risk of losing out to competitors. Although most people use their mobile phones nowadays to take snaps of their work, an increasing number of professionals are investing in high-end equipment to ensure they achieve the perfect Instagram shot. The rise in barber photographers such as Matty Conrad and Paul Montgomery means that today, there’s a lot more rivals when it comes to perfecting client photos. And if you want to make your business look as professional as possible, increase the chances of being featured in a magazine or simply boost your social media following, it’s definitely worth learning some handy photography skills. This month Glasgow-based Rum Barber and photographer Paul Montgomery has revealed some of his top tips on taking the perfect picture to boost your business profile. Paul, who has had many of his barber collections featured as editorials within magazines, believes it all comes down to honing your skills as a photographer before splurging thousands of pounds on equipment. The 43-year-old says, “I’ve been working in the industry for more than 20 years but I’ve been dabbling in professional photography for the past three years. “When I first started, I didn’t really know much about photography at all but I knew it would be something that would be relatively

useful for the shop. “I tried my best to learn as much as I could so that I could take photographs on an impromptu basis rather than spending a fortune getting photographers in. “I’m mostly self-taught from reading books on photography and watching YouTube videos. “There was a lot of trial and error for the first year. At the start it was about getting good Instagram shots but lately I’ve been really going for it, coming in on a Sunday and actually doing shoots with backdrops and lighting to do stuff that’s magazine worthy.” Paul suggests aspiring photographers should decide what sort of look they want to achieve first before turning to Youtube. “I’m a very visual learner,” Paul explains. “If you want dramatic lighting with half the face in shadow and half the face in light, then you should research that and then learn to develop your own style of work. “I have things that I repeatedly do now and I’ve learned a lot of that out of specifically having an idea, researching that idea, chasing it down and then copying what they do. “I use a Canon 5D Mark IV, but I’d say that there’s no kind of equipment that means you take the best pictures. “Having a good camera enables you to take better pictures but it all comes down to learning the skill and nailing the technical aspect of taking the picture with your phone first before you even contemplate spending a fortune on a camera.”

CAMERAS FOR BEGINNERS Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II This is an ultra-slim, connected smartphone companion that will help barbers effortlessly capture professional-style stills. The G9 X Mark II’s diminutive proportions mean the zoom range is modest compared to other 1.0-inch sensor-based rivals, with a 3x optical zoom ranging from 28-84mm. Despite its compact size, compelling, smooth Full HD movies are a breeze thanks to its 5 axis Advanced Dynamic Image Stabilisation and dedicated shooting functions. And with a host of creative features, once you’ve accomplished your artistic ambitions, you can effortlessly share them with the world across a wireless connection of your choice, including Bluetooth. It combines enthusiast-friendly manual control with heavily touchscreen-driven operation, and costs £379. The perfect compact camera for beginners. store.canon.co.uk

OLYMPUS PEN E-PL9 The PEN E-PL9 is perfect for first-time buyers who’ve outgrown a smartphone and just want a camera that reliably captures sharp images and can be shared via wifi. This can be linked automatically to your mobile, making uploading client selfies just as easy as it is on your mobile phone. Use the fill-in flash option to flatter a subject’s face. Flash can freeze movement when the overall situation is too dark to allow a faster shutter speed or it can highlight a subject in a night scene. The E-PL9 lets you control the amount of flash precisely to get the effect you want and becomes a real photo-saver.

RRP £579.99 - olympus.co.uk BEST FOR PROS Canon EOS M50 Small and amazingly light, this modern classic packs the latest photo and video technology into a stylish design that fits in your hand.

This versatile mirrorless camera features 4K video, A Vari-Angle touchscreen, 24.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 8 for making unforgettable photos with beautiful colour and detail. RRP £889.99 - store.canon.co.uk EQUIPMENT Profoto Off Camera Flash Beauty Dish This camera flash beauty dish is a smaller, collapsible and more portable version of the classic Profoto Softlight Reflector. There are two available versions with either a white or silver interior and it is supplied with a deflector plate, an optional diffusor to further soften the light and a handy carry bag. Designed specifically for on-location photography within the barber shop, the OCF Beauty Dish is compact, lightweight and easy to use. £179 - wexphotovideo.com Neewer 75W (600W Equivalent ) 5500K Camera Photo Ring Fluorescent Flash Light Bragged about by YouTube vloggers, this Neewer ring light will ensure your clients’ photos are brighter and far more flattering. This has a 4 inch ring fluorescent flash light and a reinforced flexible arm which will move freely and never droop. RRP £42 - amazon.co.uk “For those who are into photography already and have a starter camera, I would then suggest an upgrade of the EOS M50 or the EOS 80D.” - Paul Montgomery

Tony Haresign:

“Starting as an apprentice at the age of 15, I have been involved in the hair and photography industry for more than 30 years. “I eventually opened Esquire Barbershop in 2011, to offer men a high end, quality experience along with an excellent haircut, shave or beard shape up. Outwith the barber shop, my real passion, and how I continue to push my artistic boundaries is by producing collections, for hair and fashion magazines. “This allows me to collaborate with other creatives to create work which can inspire others to recreate these styles or to try their own versions I worked as a photographer for around 10 years, shooting mainly bands, artists and entertainers, so got a really good grounding in all aspects of portraiture and hair work and how to achieve the perfect shot. “Despite having an array of professional photographic gear I tend to use my Huawei P20 Pro phone, as this is fitted with the state of the art camera with a Leica lens and allows you to completely control the aperture and shutter speeds, just like pro cameras. “I will probably upgrade soon to the P30 Pro. A good investment is a pop-up banner with the shop logo either high up or low down. “Also, a ring light is another great addition to your photographic armoury. To produce the images for my collections, I always use a team, consisting of photographer, makeup artist, stylist and assistant, me on hair and usually someone shooting behind the scenes photos and video too. This way, it allows everyone to concentrate on their own job, and do it to the best of their ability, and a bunch of content for your socials. As with anything, practice makes perfect, so the more photos you take, the more your photography will improve. “Watch some YouTube tutorials, read some books or ask to assist on a shoot with someone to widen your knowledge and ultimately to produce your best images.”

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A F T E R S H AV E S What makes a great aftershave? You might think of the luxury of the full experience; the celebrity endorsement, the packaging and the ever-so-slick marketing campaigns. Manly scents don’t have to be confined to the big-league ouds and scents—the likes of your Creed Aventus, Tom Ford and Gucci—there’s plenty of male grooming and barbering brands delivering fantastic fragrances. The BarberNV team have gathered up a few of our favourite aftershaves and hair tonics to showcase here.

Ted Baker

TRAVEL TONIC Combining a fascination for the alchemy of aroma with the world’s most sought-after elements, Ted Baker’s gentlemen’s tonics come in a 25ml travel flask which is ideal for men on the go. Each distinguished fragrance is available in three unique editions and they are all refillable. £28 tedbaker.com

Yardley London

GENTLEMAN URBANE

Yardley Gentleman Urbane is a modern, sophisticated fragrance. A flamboyant, dynamic fragrance with a blend of bergamot and lavender on top, followed by masculine notes of thyme and tarragon, settling into a rich dry down of sandalwood, patchouli and musk. £19.99 yardleylondon.co.uk

The Bluebeards Revenge

CUBAN BLEND HAIR TONIC

Przemyslawka

WODA KOLOŃSKA

Przemyslawka is a cult brand which has been produced in Poland since 1919. Characterised by the fresh and light aroma of citrus with delicate herbal notes fixed that ring with a balsamic chord. Przemyslawka is a fragrance which conjures up the uncompromising approach to life of the pre-war gentleman. 22 ZL przemyslawka.pl

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The Bluebeards Revenge Classic Blend Hair Tonic is a versatile product providing a healthy natural looking shine. Designed for all hair types, use as a cutting lotion or to break down product. £9.99 bluebeards-revenge.co.uk

MI LL S & HUNT ER B E A R D

There are plenty of beard oils on the market nowadays, but few offer the same service, scent and quality as Mills & Hunter by Handsome Jack’s owner Alex Mills. Mills & Hunter currently has six fragrances on the shelves, OPIUM and CREED—both available in 30ml (£15) and 50ml (£20) bottles. The oud-esque OPIUM’s sweet and spicy notes boast an impressive wear time, which is as distinct at the end of the day as it is the start. Bestseller CREED, which as the name suggests, conjures a bold sense of heritage and history. You can also choose from Rum, Tobacco & Vanilla and Rum & Vanilla. Mills & Hunter’s signature, hand-crafted blend deeply softens your beard bristles, prevents itchiness and deeply moisturises the skin underneath. The 100 per cent organic hemp and grapeseed oil is a massive factor in the quality of the Mills & Hunter formula.

O I L

Alex wanted Mills & Hunter to be very personal, something you can feel in every fibre of the brand. The very name comes from his grandfathers on both sides of the family tree. As an avid animal lover and as a homage to his beloved pet rabbit Walt, Mills & Hunter’s assurance they do not test on animals. These personal touches extend far beyond Mills & Hunter’s branding. If you have a desired scent, fear not, Mills & Hunter can craft it for you. To order a unique to you beard oil you can message Mills & Hunter and you can choose from four or five sample fragrances. Or for a more handson experience you can sit in and test the formula as it is mixed before your eyes. Past concoctions, such as the chocolate, rum and lime scents have proven to be a massive hit for Alex, who is always keen formulate new and whacky custom musks. We’ve become increasingly aware of our environmental impact in every aspect of our lives. Recognising this Mills & Hunter will refill and re-sticker your empty bottles. As an added incentive the 50ml skull bottles,

normally priced at £20, can be refilled at a 40 per cent discount! If you want to give your customers something special, or wreath your own beard in luxury unleashed, you can buy Mills & Hunter direct from Handsome Jack’s salons. Alternatively, you can message them on Facebook or Instagram. facebook.com/handsomejacksglasgow Instagram: @millsandhunter

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BIRDMAN WORDS BY LISA BOYLE

BIRDMAN’S TOP THREE PRODUCTS TO USE ON CLIENTS

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Not quite; the man swooping the barbering industry is none other than Birdman. And he’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers. Birdman’s real name is Boudewijn Jurrianns and he’s a 34-year-old who owns the prolific Amsterdam Dandy located in Haarlem, a city just outside of Amsterdam in the northwest Netherlands beside the beach. He has been running his free-spirited barber shop for two years after being inspired by dandyism, a concept that has been around for centuries in a myriad of forms and styles. It comes as a new wave of dandyism has hit the streets, combining a bespoke tailored lifestyle, with rugged edges, reaching back to a time where crafts and manual labour were in their heyday. The style is taking the barber industry by storm, with a number of new wave stylists sporting laidback jeans with a dress shirt, waistcoat and bow tie. “Not only am I a big fan of wearing suits; I love heritage clothing,” admits a well-bearded Boudewijn. “I love the old Levi’s adverts and old movie posters trying to bring that style to the current age.” Boudewijn himself has an unfalteringly edgy look and is known to his clients as ‘Birdman,’ after being given the nickname in high school thanks to his uncanny resemblance to NBA star Chris Andersen, who is also called Birdman. “I used to play beach handball on a high European level and when we played the preliminaries for the Champions League, this Spanish player walked up to me and said I looked like Birdman,” Boudewijn explains. “I had no clue who he was talking about, but apparently NBA star Chris Andersen and I share some similarities. “My real name is Boudewijn, which is a very 56 | BarberNV Magazine

old Flemish name, but that was hard for my expat colleagues to pronounce. “Birdman became the easier option and now I frequently hear my nickname more than my real name.” He adds, “That was right around the time when I needed to go to the Chamber of Commerce to open my own business, so I quickly adapted my new nickname and it also became my Instagram handle.” Having worked in the hospitality industry for around ten years, the talented barber was inspired to take a career route before his 40th birthday. His first haircut was a shave behind the bar he was working at and that spurred him to follow his dream. Boudewijn says, “I started barbering as a way to get out of hospitality; having worked well over 10 years behind the bar I figured this would not suit me past my 40th birthday. “The now well renowned barber shop Cut Throat opened up in Amsterdam in 2014 with a barber and coffee concept, where I soon started working the coffee bar and from there it was an easy decision to get into barbering, seeing all the world class haircuts and shaves coming out of there. “James, one of the owners, got me from behind the bar and had me shave his associate Tom and that’s where my apprenticeship started. “If I hadn’t been a barber, I would probably be a cocktail bartender and possibly a parttime alcoholic.” Interestingly, most of Boudewijn’s relatives work in careers that are a far cry from his own. Both of his parents are archaeologists and his brother has a Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence. However Boudewijn’s sister works for the Amsterdam Archives and just recently discovered during research that their greatgreat-great-grandfather owned a barber shop back in the late 1800s in Amsterdam. Perhaps his creative talent is in his DNA. However, one thing Boudewijn wants people

“I am a huge fan of the Redken Brews line, with in particular the Thickening Pomade, which helps to achieve a fuller look on thinning hair. “A gamechanger for a lot of men. I also love their Outplay Texture Pomade as an all-round styling product. “The Skin and Beard Oil is my go-to for grooming beards, or using it as a shave gel for contours.”

to realise is that, just because someone works in a creative industry like barbering, it doesn’t mean they are any less driven than those working in traditional careers such as medicine or law. Boudewijn’s goal for the future is to eventually become a global artist for Redken and to open up another barber shop. On a private level, he’d love to become a father. He says, “The way I educate is simple and straight forward, with a humorous note. If we can’t have some banter while we cut hair, then what’s the point? “I’d love to see a shift in the way people look at people working in trades. It still has a stigma of lower and higher education, where we could call it practically or theoretically educated. “If we all become lawyers, doctors or brokers, who is gonna fix a leaking sink, a faulty electrical outlet, or cut your hair?”

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P A T R I C K

B R Y A N

S H AV I N G

It would be an understatement to say that straight razor shaves have soared in popularity in recent years. But, for centuries the cut-throat razor, alongside the red, blue and white pole, has been synonymous with the barbering profession. Barbers should be as confident in their abilities with a straight razor as they are with scissor over comb. We chatted to wet shaving educator, Patrick Bryan, who fully understands this. Patrick isn’t a barber, his background is as a masseur. But since his 20s he has been enamoured by the wet shave. So much so, that when he recognised the decline in shaves he sought out a French master in the UK to pass on his knowledge. Now, fifteen years later, Patrick, through his company the Wet Shaving Academy, teaches barbers everything he knows about iconic, luxury service. BNV: How would you recommend barbers put together their shaving menus? PB: The problem is everyone is focused on price and it gets to be a race to the bottom. I always ask people if they think people value their services on cost alone. Sometimes if you don’t let customers know what they’re getting, or how long they should expect to be that’s the only comparison they’ve got. There will always be people nervous of things that are too cheap—and you’ve got to give them a reason to come to you. BNV: Do you offer a functional shave or a luxury shave? PB: Within a shave menu you can put lots of other things on there, not just a hot towel shave. I teach cold towel shaves, which is using ice cold water and towels. it’s a different experience but it’s good for guys with sensitive skin who might not necessarily come in for a hot towel shave because they know their skin is going to get irritated. But if you just put ‘cold shave’ on a menu, it doesn’t tell a guy with sensitive skin that it is going to be good for him. If you’re going to be offering head shaves put that on there, beard lineups and even beard removals—the beard fashion has to end somewhere. I’d much rather I was the one doing it than a guy doing it himself with a pair of scissors at home. BNV: What defines a luxury shave to you? PB: It’s the bits you add into the shave. I think the reason we’ve had the shave revival in this country is because guys are much better travelled these days. Quite often, guys will have had their first shave in Turkey where you get what I call a ‘full service shave’ and they’ll remember that. I think it’s the theatre of it, it’s a very visual thing and it’s very traditional. Guys like that timeless appeal, the smell of the lather, the

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hot towels and the straight razor. I think every guy who comes in has a mental checklist of everything he associates with a cutthroat shave and as long as you tick most of those boxes, he’s going to walk away happy. If there’s no demand for it barbers aren’t going to keep offering it or learning how to do it. I think things did start to change when people started to travel more, guys became more image conscious. What I think killed shaving off was the late 60s/ early 70s when they were allowed to look unkempt and hippyish. I think even going back before the late 60s shaving wasn’t an everyday thing. You go back to Victorian times very few guys could afford the price of a razor or maintaining it, so they’d go along to the barber shop for their weekly shave. We’ve lost at least one or even two generations of barbers who were doing it as apprentices and able to pass their knowledge onto new guys coming into the shops. BNV: What is the difference from shaving at home?

PB: Most guys don’t tend to get much out of the experience of shaving at home. Going to a barber shop is a very pleasurable experience. There’s an element of the facial in there as well, so you’re going to be improving the quality of the skin. For men prone to things like folliculitis, ingrown hairs and razor rash it can be a better experience, and if the barber is knowledgeable enough, they can give advice on how to

The variables when giving a shave: • Your skill as a barber • Equipment • The guy sat in the chair For more information on courses, and for more shaving articles please visit wetshavingacademy.com

prevent some of the problems caused themselves when they shave. BNV: What are some things you look out for? PB: I tend to do consultations informally, so verbally rather than a written consent form. Always check if they have any areas that are particularly problematic for them when they

shave themselves. You can normally tell because you’ll see the redness or scarring they’ve caused, but you do need to be aware of things like that. Find out the direction the hair grows, and if shaving causes irritation only go with or across the grain rather than against it. Slowing down is probably the number one advice I give to guys and to really stretch the skin. If you go too quickly it pulls and tugs at the hairs rather than cutting them cleanly, so that’s two easy pieces of advice to give guys. Normally lookingalong the collar line, that’s the area most guys are going to be suffering from any of the common shaving problems. Look out for any lumps or bumps on the skin whether it is spots, scars, moles or things like that—quite often guys will always be catching those. Look at the density of the beard and the direction of growth. If you have an area like under the chin where hair can grow in different directions, that’s likely to be an area of sensitivity. BNV: What is the secret to a great shave? PB: The secret to doing a good shave is having the confidence to do a good shave and that comes through numbers. You’re never going to make everyone who comes in look 12-years-old again. What you have to aim for, at minimum, is a better shave than the guy can do himself. If you think it’s hard for you as a professional

using the best equipment, think how it is for the guy who doesn’t have a lot of skill and isn’t using great equipment. I think it’s very hard for barbers who are great at cutting hair to being the new kid on the block again. Although shaving is part of barbering, just because you can pick up a pair of scissors doesn’t mean that picking up a razor isn’t a big step outside your comfort zone and you need to reassure people it’s alright to be a novice again.

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AGE IS JUST A NUMBER WORDS BY LISA BOYLE

Ageism and sexism within the hair and beauty industry is still rampant, despite efforts being made to include men and women from every age, colour and background. But at this year’s autumn/winter 2019 runway shows, there was the surprising presence of grey-haired models strutting down the catwalk—much to the elation of onlookers. The likes of 50-year-old Christy Turlington and 69-year-old Pat Cleveland proved age was no object as they stomped alongside models of less than half their age. And there’s also an untapped market beginning to evolve, in the form of hunky male models over fifty. We spoke to Garry Jackson, a barber, model and grandfather-of-two who is championing age inclusivity by his own rights and refuses to believe ageism exists. At the age of 52 he became a model. Less than a year later, the silver fox was fronting a fashion campaign for high street retailer TK Maxx. Now aged 56, he’s about to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of his famed shop, Garry’s Barbers, in Holywood, Belfast. And Garry Jackson isn’t about to slow down anytime soon. Just last week he was rocking it out with his beloved wife at a Pete Doherty rock concert. “I’ve never experienced ageism within the industry,” Garry says. “I’m at my happiest now and I’m loving life at the minute. “My daughter and grandchildren think it’s hilarious that I’m a model. “I don’t take it too seriously. I see it is an advertisement for the barber shop.” Age diversity is a big topic at the moment, with a lot more agencies being open to casting models who might be considered ‘mature.’ And with his slick grey hair, perfectly groomed beard and a charming confidence which comes with age, Garry is the perfect fit. “Nobody looked at me sideways until I grew a beard,” Garry laughs, modestly. “But when I did, I was approached by a model agency and asked to do some work. I thought to myself, how hard could it be? “I did some modelling for Belfast Fashion Week when they decided for the first time to have models over 50. “Then two years ago, I did a big advertisement for Victoria Square which is Belfast’s big shopping centre and it was there for the whole month of August. “There was big 20ft high images in the shopping centre of me—it was very surreal.” Garry started out his career at a barber shop named The Continental in Victoria Street, Belfast, which was opened in 1964. A passion for the art of barbering helped mould Garry Jackson into a master and advocate of his traditional craft. Ever since, he has been devoted to the trade from a young age, from practicing on his friends, to being considered as an expert in his field. “This is our 30th anniversary of the shop this year,” an excited Gary reveals. “We opened in November 1989.

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“We brought out some t-shirts and our crew got emojis made for us all to celebrate. We even took two billboards out in our local town saying ‘thank you Holywood for 30 years,’ with all of our characters. “I can say with my hand on my heart that I look forward to going to work every day. “It’s like selling ice cream—I make people feel better about themselves, and that’s what I enjoy. “The customers that started coming here 30 years ago are now bringing their wee boys— who are now bringing their wee boys to get their hair cut. To me, it’s all about community and that’s what makes me tick.” Garry’s friendly and energetic nature is almost infectious and it’s clear to see why his customer base remains so loyal to him. But one thing that he remains peeved about is the ‘casual’ attitude some millennials are beginning to showcase when it comes to finding a job in barbering. The grandfather-of-two reveals he’s been sent random Instagram messages through his business account with job-hunting youngsters asking, ‘yo bro, any jobs going?’— much to his dismay. “I get all these random messages now from kids on Instagram and that to me is just bizarre, I don’t get that,” Garry sighs. “That’s not the way I would go about looking for a job. “I think you have to pay your dues in any job. It all just seems very casual now.” In 2015, Garry joined the national UK Movember campaign which has progressed from being a cancer awareness event to also promoting good mental health in men. As a result, Garry and his team actively run events each year promoting men’s health in their local area. Just last year, the married dad was given the bombshell diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by his GP. ADHD is a medical condition that impacts a person’s attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control. But instead of letting it get him down, Garry, being his usual positive self, shrugged it off and decided to turn it into an achievement. Clearly unaffected by the news, Garry says, “I think that ADHD can be a blessing or a curse and I think I’ve learned how to put that into my creativity of cutting hair and also with social media, which I do all myself. “Apparently over half of the young men in jail have got ADHD and it hasn’t been addressed or treated.

“It’s very easy to go down a very negative route. My brain just never stops and it’s always ticking over but I see it as a great positive. “I always like to focus on men’s mental health so it’s something I’d like to raise awareness of in future.” He continues, “People come to me for advice because they respect me and because of my age but to be honest I don’t see age as an object. “I’ll still be partying with my wife and going to rock gigs no matter how old I am.”

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HOW TO GO FREELANCE W I T H

D A N

G R E G O R Y

WORDS BY LISA BOYLE

The number of people going freelance today has risen by 31 per cent, with one of the top career choices being a barber or hairstylist. Simply Business revealed the figures in a recent survey, showing that the number of people going into hair styling careers has soared year by year by 159 per cent. The figures show how the face of the UK business landscape is constantly changing, with increasing amounts of people looking for a freelance lifestyle.

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Self-employed celebrity men’s stylist Dan Gregory believes a large part of the appeal is down to having more freedom and the fact that self-employed barbers and stylists can earn up to 40 per cent more money by flying solo. Dan, who has been named GQ Magazines Best Barber in London along with ES magazine’s Best Gentlemen’s hairdresser, says, “I’ve been freelance throughout more of my career than I have been employed. I had a business for five years and I was freelance then so it’s been about seven years that I’ve worked for myself now. “I closed my business after a lease ran out and I’ve got a really big clientele so my argument was that I can either work somewhere and give them half of my cut, before VAT, or I can go self-employed. “That’s when I came across the Hunter Collective through a site called We Work, which is a hot desk place which has all your drinks included, entertainment space and restaurants as well. They only charge a flat fee per hour for your hair and you pay a membership.

“Being freelance gives me the opportunity to work wherever I want, when I want and have a work life balance, which you don’t really get with employers.” The dad-of-three went solo in 2010 and set himself a target of what he had to earn per week, whilst being able to balance activities such as going to the gym, meeting friends or spending time with his family. “When I was employed, even if I had no clients in, I had to work until 8 or 9pm at night which didn’t make sense,” Braun grooming ambassador Dan admits. “I wanted to work smarter and harder. “If you’re employed by someone you can’t really work for someone else. Now that I’m freelance, I can pick and choose if I want to work with a hair product or clipper brand like I do now. “It frees you to be able to work with other parts of the industry and you get to travel lots more as well. Working in the hair industry brings you a lot of satisfaction, you get paid straight away and most people don’t want to sit behind a desk anymore.” Providing small business insurance to over

500,000 self-employed people, Simply Business’s data says the increase is being driven by industries that traditionally rely on freelance support as well as a range of emerging professions. The research, released to mark National Freelancers Day 2019 last month, also revealed a growing trend of individuals looking to turn existing hobbies into businesses as greater numbers of people look to embrace a freelance way of working. Jalaal Tudge, owner of his firm Barber Jalaal in Birmingham, West Midlands, has been working freelance as a barber from the age of 19, predominantly working with Afro

Dan’s top tips for going freelance Make sure you work hard “I used to always look at who the busiest person was in the shop that I worked in and I would aim to be busier than them. While you’re young, work as much as you can and work with everybody you possibly can.” Always remember that the client comes first “I always try to be flexible and work when the clients need me because if you give them loyalty then they’ll always give you loyalty back.”

Caribbean hair and then moving into Asian and European styles after five years. He worked as a self-employed barber within various barber shops from August 2008 until September 2018. Jalaal says, “I decided to work as a freelance barber to gain experience and knowledge, that would enable me to open my own business and run it successfully. “I took a rather non-traditional route through barbering, as I did not attend barber college and achieve any qualifications in the professional. “Rather I studied Art & Design and after completing my Diploma I realised I had a

Never stop learning “As soon as you think you’re the best at something you kind of fail because there’s always something out there new and important. I still watch the guys at Menspire online. Don’t ever write off selfdevelopment.” Try out an app called Sage “This does all your bookkeeping; it can help you do your payroll if you end up hiring.” Download Receipt Bank “This app allows you to take a photo of your receipts and it will break it all down for you

similar passion for barbering. I saw and still see barbering as another art form that enables me to express myself through creativity.” Bea Montoya, from Simply Business, comments, “Freelancers contribute so much to our economy—both through their own work, and by empowering other businesses to succeed. Our data highlights the stark increase in the number of people turning their hobbies into their livelihood. It’s truly great to see so many people pursuing their passions, whilst also driving the success of countless other businesses.”

and put it into individual folders.” Use Quickbooks “This is a great bookkeeping app which keeps track of VAT.” Stay organised “Always manage your tax and national insurance and be realistic as well.” Budget for holidays “If you want to take two weeks off in July make sure you budget for it and put it into a savings account to cover your bills while you’re away.”

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STRANDS FOR TRANS F U T U R E

For a transgender person, there’s no such thing as a simple haircut—even a quick shape up can quickly turn to discrimination. Strands for Trans is an initiative launched during Pride month which aims to end this discrimination in barber shops and hair salons. The campaign is a collaborative effort between Barba Men’s Grooming Boutique owner and multi-award-winning barber, Xavier Cruz and Terri & Sandy co-executive director Sandy Greenberg. Xavier has over three decades of experience in the hair industry and has seen his work published in the likes of GQ, Men’s Fitness and Oyster. Every business that registers with Strands for Trans is added to a map on their website— acting as a guide of safe havens across the world. The campaign kicked off with heartwrenching firsthand accounts of discrimination Strands for Trans rallies against. Xavier tells BarberNV, “Trans discrimination in barber shops and salons has been going for a while. We came across cases in the news but nothing was being done about it. “We began getting registrations across the nation and within the hair industry, it started getting attention—stylists, barbers and shop owners began talking about the issue. We received great and not so great responses. But

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A C C E P T A N C E

the good outweighed the bad.” In addition to appearing on the Strands for Trans map, businesses will also receive a barber pole window sticker inspired by the trans-flag to mark their shop as a safe haven. Barba also created a custom look inspired by the transflag colours for people to rock during Pride Month.

“The trans-community has an option now. There are folks driving six hours to get a haircut because they found a registered salon on the map.” Strands for Trans has received so much

traction even American fashion designer Marc Jacobs has gotten involved. Marc found himself moved by the story of two trans individuals who opened up about their experience of rejection. Marc’s husband, who is friends with Xavier, heard about the initiative and asked to be part of it, which proved to be a big boost to the campaign. “He (Marc) rocked strands of pink white and blue for several months. The new hairstyle made it to a few red-carpet events and magazine covers!” So far over 600 barber shops and salons have joined the increasingly global movement. United States is no longer the only country making their mark, as salons and barber shops from Canada, Mexico, the UK, Netherlands, Finland, Czechia and Australia have joined the cause with 50 new registrations every week. “The responses have been so powerful,” says Xavier. “We get emails thanking us for creating the campaign. These messages give us hope. When an army of love comes together, powerful things happen.” Looking to the future Xavier says they have only touched the surface and the next chapter of the campaign is already in the works. To sign up and for more information please visit strandsfortrans.com

KYLE ROSS

HANZ DE FUKO @kyle_ross_sovereign @anthonymayeslondon @liamoakesphoto @dfmarin

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ADAM

CALLAGHAN Hair, styling and concept: Adam O’Callaghan Photography: Mark Guiry Makeup: Laurence Keating Models: Rory Horgan, Michael Olden, Graham O’Mahony Location: Kopper Hair Salon

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THE RISE IN M E N ’ S S PA S WORDS BY LISA BOYLE

“We’re all going on a spa day!” squealed an elated Anton Danyluk, one of the hunky male contestants on this year’s reality show Love Island. His giddy reaction upon hearing that ‘the boys’ were going for a spot of pampering might come as much less of a surprise in this day and age, thanks to a growing gaggle of guys hitting up the spas on a regular basis. In fact, even the manliest of blokes on the popular ITV telly show near enough wet themselves with excitement at the prospect of indulging in a spot of male bonding through enjoying a facial, sauna and steam room together. Despite having been once notoriously seen as ‘girly,’ the number of men investing in their appearance has soared. Increasing appearance awareness on social media and shifts in men’s fashion trends are major driving factors, anticipated to boost the demand for men’s grooming products. One place that’s been attracting an influx of beauty-conscious male customers is the premium gentleman’s spa at Thai Square Spa, which has established itself since it opened its doors during 2010. Now within the city of Westminster, the lavish spa occupies a historical and spacious site at 25 Northumberland Avenue. Housed within a beautifully converted Victorian Turkish bath,

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between two historic landmarks; Trafalgar Square and the Thames Embankment; Thai Square Spa brings the traditional and deluxe Thai spa experience to the heart of London. The venue offers gentleman’s packages such as their Wellbeing Time Out for the modern man who wants to relax, as well as a Recharge energising treatment. One of the spa’s most popular male grooming treatments includes the Jet Lag Recovery Package, which helps counteract the effects of long-haul travel with a re-energising, feel-good package. Guests’ feet are first cleansed using a Siamese Sole Tea Foot Bath before the body is treated to a thorough exfoliation using a unique, iMantara Refining

Body Polish. Men are then treated to a full body massage using a Renewed Energy aromatherapy oil; helping to release tension, stimulate the circulation and soothe tired muscles to bring the body back into the perfect state of balance. At Thai Square Spa, the facilities are firstclass and extensive with five Thai massage treatment rooms, six ritual massage rooms and one vast VIP Suite room, making the self-care movement for men easy. Thai Square Spa manager Wallika Clark says, “Traditionally, male clients would come for massage therapy to relieve pain. Now however, I see a shift and they come for health reasons. They want to unwind from a busy day and destress.” With the global male grooming product market predicted to grow with approximately 5.44 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from this year to 2027, it proves that the increase in male-specific grooming products is still very much an emerging and successful market. Television is also proving to have a huge impact on men’s grooming interests, with the likes of Love Island showcasing contestants Anton Danyluk and Michael Griffiths’ nightly cleansing and moisturising routines on the screen. Data collected by leading health, beauty and wellness booking app Mindbody reveals the total amount of money men spend on beauty treatments per year is £3,366.35, with haircuts, massages, teeth whitening and spa days at the top of the list. Jim Shaw, owner and director of men’s grooming Oasis Essensuals Men, believes men now want the full experience when they’re visiting a barber shop or grooming room. He says, “Men are definitely becoming less ashamed to pamper themselves, the 21st Century man is more aware and selfconscious of their appearance. Men no longer want to just visit the salon for a haircut, they want the full experience—a haircut, beard shaped, eyebrows trimmed, manicures and many even for a facial. “I think men with demanding jobs are part of the male clientele that attend spa days, whereby they visit to have some ‘me time’ and to de-stress. On social media there is a rise of men sharing their beauty regime, and I think this plays a role in more men becoming comfortable to increase their beauty regime and attend salons and spas for services and treatments.” Men are increasingly becoming more conscious of impacts that can lead to early death, such as quitting smoking, eating right, exercising and improving their mental health. The deaths of famous male actors and reality stars are bringing attention to

this and men are starting to look after themselves in order to prolong their lives. Men’s grooming expert Mark Smith, who is the owner of popularly read blog ‘The Spa Man’ and a regular contributor for the likes of Vogue and Tatler since 2007, believes the number of barbers cropping up with day spas is helping to banish the stigma of male grooming. Mark, who has written about men’s grooming for more than 20 years, says, “There has been a growing trend for barber shops or barber stations and services to introduce the spa space. I first saw it in Germany and there’s a few a number of places in the UK. “By doing things like a traditional wet shave and a haircut followed by a day spa treatment like a cleanse or an eye mask softens the edge and it’s a very clever way for spas to introduce men to treatments. Rugby teams and football teams all go on spa days and it’s no longer seen as a girly thing. “Eighty per cent of all spa treatments are massage and men like a good sports or deep tissue massage and once they realise the benefits of it for relaxing or mental health, it demystifies it and they’re more inclined to rebook. Love Island has an effect because it’s about guys looking good and grooming themselves and breaking down the barriers of taking care of yourself.”

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DIANA CARSON

CONGRESS

Fashion and music go hand in hand and Diana Carson’s newest men’s collection, CONGRESS, features members of the Glasgow bands Walt Disco and The Ninth Wave who create strong, stylish and streetwise images.

Diana is a Glasgow-based hairstylist and educator working at Scotland’s Rainbow Room International, as well as being a member of Wahl’s style team. Despite primarily having worked on women’s salons, Diana admits she has always found her niche in men’s hair. “I find men a wee bit more intriguing and different to me,” she reveals. “When you say barbering, everyone just thinks skin fades. “Barbering is very fast and technical and a lot of your main barbering hairdressers are very well educated, so there is a very big skill in it so I want showcase a lot of different variations of men’s hairdressing.” Diana has worked with a number of famous musicians throughout her career. Rainbow Room International were at the forefront of the hair of rock and pop royalty at former festival T in the Park for many years and at the inaugural TRNSMT festival last year. An avid fan of live music, Diana admits it’s a relationship that works as she says, “It just kind of happened. You know, I like to go to gigs, I like music and I guess our paths just crossed. I do hair, they do music, I get to go to festivals and gigs and they get good haircuts. “Usually you just meet people and think, ‘we should do some pictures’ and it just goes from there. “Most of the boys are really down for it because they get to come get their hair done when they like and they quite like doing it for pictures. Everyone

wants Instagram pictures now.” Gender is an aspect of society and fashion in particular which is being everskewed and CONGRESS shows off a softer edge to masculine style. Diana notes that men are taking aspects of the feminine in their looks, but women weren’t necessarily taking the same influence. And that it is not part of the far-flung future, she thinks, that we’ll see gender categories completely gone. “For our art team collection, I really wanted to push for there being a man in our shoot amongst the girls, because there will come a point in British hairdressing where there’s not a men’s collection and a women’s collection; I think it will mix and someone will cross it over,” she says. “I think even if you talk about it, there’s still a stigma so it’s better if it just happens. I think you’ll see some of that this year.” We are told never to judge a book by its cover but the style we choose has always been used a reflection of our personality. With fashion becoming more and more avant-garde, even at a street level, hair was always bound to follow. While this is clearly the case, Diana always tries to keep even statement styles as wearable as possible. She explains, “I get a lot of guys who come in and want to be really extreme and I always say, let’s do a version of that so it still looks beautiful. “Hair needs to look attractive, there’s shock value but it just verges on getting a bit weird and you want them to look like a good version of themselves. “If they want to look cool and extreme you can still have that but down right weird you’re verging onto that scale of pure madness. I do want it looking authentic with it still being their image but a bit more tailored.” In September, Diana is putting on a men’s show at Glasgow’s SWG3, a fittingly rock n roll venue, for RRI’s assistants. “We’re going to have probably eight to ten men walking, it’ll be a bit like Rainbow Room’s men’s fashion week. We have three classes and we have our young stylists just ready to leave the academy, they’ll do their show and I’ll do my thing just for fun. “Most of what I do is for fun, even with CONGRESS. It just happened that we shot that and got a few people together who wanted to collaborate and Stuart just got the studio. We put them into CONGRESS because they were just there sitting.” Next year, Diana hopes to enter the British Hairdressing Awards (BHAs) men’s categories, a challenge she has been building towards whilst carving her niche. “I feel like I’ve been building up over the years. I do a lot of men’s images, a lot more than I really post. I suppose deep down I’ve been angling myself to get into that.” BarberNV Magazine | 71

COOLSCULPTING WORDS BY LISA BOYLE

It will no longer come as a surprise that there are more men today considering cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery to enhance their appearance than ever before. According to the most recent research by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 1.3 million cosmetic procedures were performed on men in 2017 alone. Men having Botox, hair transplants, veneers and non-surgical nose treatments have particularly been on the rise in recent years. Now there’s a groundbreaking new fatfreezing treatment men are going crazy for, claims Dr Awfa Paulina, the medical director of Clinica Medica in Glasgow, Scotland. “More men are having the Coolsculpting treatment than any other aesthetic treatment,” Dr Paulina claims. “Although there has also been an increase in anti-wrinkle injections for men.” In 2015, men accounted for 18 per cent of international non-surgical fat-reduction procedures, higher than the cosmetic surgery average for men, which is 14 per cent. Historically, body contouring treatments have involved often dangerous types of surgery such as liposuction. However today, thanks to modern technology, there are more and more non-invasive body contouring treatments that can help people get the body shape they want with minimal recovery time. The new procedure that’s causing a frenzy is CoolSculpting, a non-invasive, no needle, no scalpel, no scar alternative to liposuction. It is derived from the 1970s, when American scientists first observed small dimples in the cheeks of children who loved ice-lollies, known as popsicles in the USA. The phenomenon, dubbed ‘popsicle panniculitis’ demonstrated that excessive exposure to cold could reduce fat cells naturally and eliminate them from the body. Forty years on, Drs Manstein and Anderson from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, were inspired by those ice-lollies to invent a proprietary, patented, non-invasive fat removal known as Cryolipolyis®11. This has since been named CoolSculpting, a fatfreezing procedure which claims to reduce the number of fat cells in multiple treatment areas by up to 27 per cent after six months.

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The key areas of concern for men include the stomach, flanks—aka ‘love handles,’ double chin area and underneath the arms. A spokeswoman from the brand says, “CoolSculpting uses cryolipolysis, a patented cooling technology, to take advantage of fat cells’ natural vulnerability to the cold by freezing them until they die and are naturally eliminated by the body. The cooling applicators work to target specific areas of fat cells so cells outside of the target treatment area are not harmed. “The applicators are equipped with gel pads which closely monitor the temperature so the procedure is as comfortable as possible. Once the procedure is complete, the area is massaged to help break down the fat so it can be passed from the body naturally.” According to Coolsculpting UK, more than

seven million treatment cycles are being used worldwide. Pulse Light Clinics are experts for CoolSculpting in the UK. Their senior technician Lucy Dawe says, “CoolSculpting between men and women is 50-50 in terms of the clients we get at Pulse Light Clinic. The most popular areas for men, definitely the chin and the flanks area, also known as love handles. As well, the third most popular would be abdomen. “Result wise a lot of men would put the effort into exercise more afterwards, we found that this stimulates more the lymphatic system, helping give us better results. Some of our best results has been on the chin area. It’s 20-35 per cent fat reduction per treatment but sometime we get male clients that get more than 35 per cent fat reduction.”

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THE BLOODY

BUTCHER Hair: The Bloody Butcher Photography: Jelle Mollema Photography Model: Janus, barber at Schorem Haarsnijder & Barbier 74 | BarberNV Magazine

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// Column

CHRIS FOSTER

The M Word: Why you could be losing without knowing it So you want to grow your business, maybe you want to grow your clientele. Maybe you and the people around you haven’t achieved what you hoped, or the work you’re doing isn’t fulfilling enough. If this is the case you might have a marketing problem! “I’m just a barber; I’m no marketeer,” I hear you say! But are you? Without realising, we market ourselves every single day. We send messages into the world letting everyone know exactly what we are about, what our values are and how we view the world. The very minute we decide to go on Facebook, Instagram or any social media platform and create a personal profile, we are marketers. Marketing is in everything... from what we buy to how we spend our time. Somebody has crafted a message to make us think and behave in a certain way. Most people seem to care more about running a hype show just to get a little bigger. They’re fixated on how many online followers they have. I suggest, instead, they should be asking how can they help their market? Think about the big hairdressing or barbering brands that inspire you. What is it about them you like? Why were you attracted to them? Was it their imagery, their community or brand colours? A question you should always ask yourself is, “how can I stand out from the crowd?” Unfortunately, too many new barbers try to stand out from a crowd before even knowing who’s in that crowd. It’s time to do some research to discover who the authority figures and influencers are in your space. In this world of abundance, you need to stop thinking of these people you find as competitors, but rather potential friends and colleagues with whom you could work and collaborate with. You cannot do this alone and the more value you can provide to help and serve others in this space, the more likely you are to succeed. It’s not going to market itself! You may be the most skillful barber out there, but if no one knows how magnificent you are, you will struggle to get the recognition and the financial rewards you desire. Effective marketing relies on empathy and services. Let me break this down and take this back to basics with the three Rs in marketing to build a profile.

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REPUTATION To build a good reputation, I believe you need to go back to your core values. These core values are the building blocks of a good reputation. Once you know what your core values are, you live your life according to them. Once you’re known for that, it’s easy for people to know that this is the guy that does… and this is the girl that does… reputation is key! REPETITION You need to be showing up regularly. Most people do not do this. They might come on Facebook or they might share something, but they’re not consistent. People need to know you are consistently showing up and sharing your core values. Try scheduling your posts to help with consistency. Brands are not going to work with somebody who isn’t consistent. People want consistency. RELEVANCE Is the information you are sharing relevant to your audience? To be relevant is to connect with your audience. It means you deeply understand the people and brands around you, which in turn will be based on your core values. This is how you build a rock-solid profile using the three Rs. Success is like a wheel,

you have the reputation, you build on success and then success builds a greater reputation. Your reputation is that you are showing up and sharing content relevant to your market, this ensures the wheel of success keeps turning. Please get in contact on my Foss Academy Facebook page if you would like any advice on the topics above. As a profile coach I am here to help you succeed in this wonderful industry.

WORDS BY CHRIS FOSTER

// Column

JOE MILLS

Tips for launching a barber shop Launching any business can be nerve-wracking, but in the current climate there are more challenges than ever—as well as some wonderful opportunities! Joe Mills, the owner of The Lounge and Joe and Co in London’s Soho and MILLS in the world’s biggest Primark in Birmingham, offers his 30 years of experience on opening a barber shop. Many barbers have a dream of owning their own business and there’s no better time than now. The high street may be facing its own challenges, but with that also comes opportunities. The advantage of a high street location is there will always be footfall and that needs to be considered when finding a location. There are more opportunities as there are vacant shops so deals can be done with landlords. The high street is the hub of the community and a barber shop embodies that ethos. There are various things you need to consider—the key is always the numbers. Make sure your business plan is robust and you know exactly what you need to take to make it add up. Can you add more chairs if you need to? What’s the layout like? What’s the competition in the area? Take time to put together your pricing, as you don’t want to undercharge or overcharge, so do your research. Find out what people are prepared to pay and also what services they want. Ask as many guys as you can for feedback and then see if it is what you thought. I spent some time on a night out with a friend asking loads of random guys how much they spend and how often so he had the information for his new shop. It was the opposite of what he thought and it changed the way his business model worked. Then you need to think about whether you are going to employ a team or have a

self-employed model. Either way, this needs to be thoroughly worked out and you need to make sure your contracts and HR are robust. So you’ve got the location, what about the name? Do you put your name above the door or is it a brand? This is down to personal choice and where you are planning on taking the business. Do you see it being one store or many? Do you want your own product line as well? I have both—one store with a unique brand name and other brands that are linked to my name and they work for different reasons. For example, MILLS was always about a bigger picture business model and the name worked well on the design and branding. It’s worth speaking to a decent graphic designer and brainstorming ideas to see what fits best. Then check no one else is using it and the website and social media names are available. Then go for it and good luck! TOP TIPS FOR A NEW BUSINESS • Be prepared for a lot of work. • Make sure you have people to advise you. • A good business bank manager and accountant will be your best friends as they

will help the numbers work. • It’s about planning and what you are looking to achieve and then mapping it out as best as you can. • There is no fast track to success. TOP TIPS FOR AN EXPANDING BUSINESS • Make sure it’s not ego driven and you can manage the expansion. • Having a team around you to support you is key as you will be pushed and pulled between the businesses. I couldn’t do what I do without support on multiple levels. • Make sure you have the funds in place and also the cash flow to help if things don’t work out straight away.  Find out more about Joe Mills at joemills.net Instagram: @joemillshair @joeandcosoho @theloungesohohair

WORDS BY JOE MILLS

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// Column

SIMON HARVEY

You could be the next Pomp King?

It’s a tradition for traditions to change, but why will traditional hairstyles never die? In my opinion, it’s down to these two words— Maintainability and Suitability. MAINTAINABILITY It’s been a running joke within barbering for decades… looking good for that one day of the month thanks to the barber’s wizardry of cutting and blow-drying. Versus the other 30 days of Trump hair—unable to sit still and constantly giving real-time wind direction reports. If your patron doesn’t have the skill set to maintain a style that we’ve created then we’ve only done half our job. Getting a haircut is no different to purchasing a vacuum cleaner. It should come with a manual on how to use it (verbally that is, an actual manual in seven languages might be overkill). Education from the barber to his or her patron is key for him to replicate and maintain the style within his home grooming routine. SUITABILITY Firstly, we need to look at what the hair’s relationship is with the face. It’s the most versatile frame that can enhance facial features, hide minor imperfections and shout out at the top of its lungs “FUCK YEAH! THIS IS ME!” Sadly, I’m balding, so mine whispers... oh look over there, a squirrel! But let’s not go into that. I’m often asked why I love the classic haircuts so much. For me, they’re the perfect combination of maintainability and suitably. They open up the face, making the wearer more approachable, more confident and classy. The whole nature of the styles are to do with leaving the length so he or she can manage home styling with ease. The pompadour, for

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example, has enough length so the wearer can style the hair back the way when blow-drying to create volume, attitude and flow. We’re living in strange times right now… hairstyles throughout history have always been a status symbol of power, wealth and attraction. These days sadly, the powerful have shit haircuts and are about as attractive as syphilis. Fortunately, nobody is asking for a ‘Boris’. Barbering is an amazingly exciting industry. It’s social evolution. Men can still be men with a hairdryer! Men can be pampered! Frank Zapper famously once said... Interviewer: So Frank, you have long hair. Does that make you a woman? Frank Zappa: You have a wooden leg. Does that make you a table?

WORDS SIMON HARVEY

#POMPKING Showcase

Use the hashtag #pompking and tag @barbernvmagazine in your pics for the chance to win the coveted Shreddies Crown.

@mickeycutshair @ stachious_clay

@wolf__life__

@th eh ellrazor

@ barberoftheclan

@mr_walter_barber_shop

@harbarber

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@patrikbrowne

@johnkeeganhair

INSTAGRAM Showcase Tag @barbernvmagazine to feature your work in our next issue!

@whiteythebarber

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@corneliucrihan

@madylenn @nickleehair

@magnabarber

@tbarber__

@just.jacob_ @brad_threads_hair BarberNV Magazine | 81

NEW TO E-CHAIR.COM CARLOS & CO Royston | Letchworth

50/50 profit split

Carlos & Co have two chairs to rent in both their locations of Royston and Letchworth. This great opportunity has arisen for an experienced barber at the top of their game who wants to build their business within two of the most successful barber shops in the country. With access to ongoing training, seminars, and the industry’s biggest trade shows. Contact: jarmans2015@yahoo.com

MECHE Paisley

£100 (per week)

MECHE, Paisley are growing their team and are on the hunt for an excellent barber, hairdresser, MUA, and aesthetics professional/tattooartist/beauty therapist/sports-therapist. The ideal candidate will be selfemployed, with a good client base. They are a modern new family-based hair and beauty Salon based in the centre of Paisley. “Quality is paramount to us, and our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We are always looking improve on skills ensuring customers benefit from the best and most up-to-date treatments from us.” Contact: 07894 858 970

ROSS CARTER BARBERSHOP Falkirk

Negotiable

The Ross Carter Barbershop, Falkirk has been in business for 18-years, and recently opened a second shop and academy. They are looking for barbers that want to grow their clientele and enjoy ongoing education and business support. RC Barbershop and academy offers any barber the best of both worlds, combining education and a clientele base that has support of a salon with a large female base to be able to target their partners. Contact: 07891 507 388

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10BARBERING Glasgow City Centre

£300 (per week)

10Barbering is based in a super city centre location in Glasgow with excellent passing trade. The position would suit an experienced barber who wants to be their own boss and manage their own diary. Contact Zak: 07555 115 285

THE SOCIAL London

£120 (per day)

The Social is at the forefront of changing how the hair industry thinks. Creating a world lifestyle studio in true collaborative fashion, based in London and the Lake District encouraging the flexible work ethos of the ‘freelancer’ community. They embrace your sporadic movements and let you take control of your own time, money, and opportunities. With five chairs available or the whole salon and/or the Social Studio, photo studio. Three hair or makeup chairs and two barber chairs. Contact: ky@kycut.co.uk

HIDDEN HEIGHTS STUDIO Gateshead

£120 (per week)

A hidden railway arch in the up and coming area of Bridges Quarter, Gateshead. Just a short walk from Newcastle City Centre. Hidden Heights offers an inspiring workplace allowing you and your brand to grow independently. Founded almost five-years-ago it was among first of its kind. It enables forward-thinking individuals in the creative fields of photograph hair, barber, and MUA’s a collaborative space to create. Embracing the freelance community. Contact: info@hiddenheightsstudio.com

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// LIAM OAKES

IN THE CHAIR

EACH ISSUE BARBERNV BRING YOU SHORT INTERVIEWS WITH SOME OF T H E B E S T I N T H E I N D U S T R Y. ALL SPONSORED BY E-CHAIR.COM.

Barbering photographer Liam Oakes was the man who shot the first ever cover edition for BarberNV. His work has been published worldwide in a variety of publications and his images can regularly be seen gracing the front covers of the UK’s leading barbering magazines. Alongside his photography work he also creates engaging video content for fashion brands, barber shops and local businesses. BNV: How did you carve out your barbering photography career? LO: I originally started working with men’s grooming brand Apothecary 87 and BarberNV used one of our images for the very first front cover. I was on a retainer doing a couple of shoots every month and as the business grew they took me on as a full-time photographer. I ended up being their lead photographer and social media manager for two or three years altogether. I ended up making up all my contacts through the barbering industry within that brand. Doing hair portraits is something I’ve found I’ve really enjoyed. BNV: What’s the best part of your job? LO: There’s a lot more freedom working for myself now—apart from looking after my little boy. Any jobs that come in I just go and photograph them and I’ll do editing for a few days. It’s mostly working from home. BNV: What would you consider your biggest

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achievements so far? LO: It would probably be shooting the 100 years of Wahl campaign which was this year. Wahl have been around for 100 years and they asked me to come down and do a twoday shoot for them. It’s such an iconic brand so to be asked to shoot the 100 year campaign is pretty big. BNV: What are your top tips for aspiring barber photographers out there? LO: Just keep practicing really. Photograph as much as you can photograph. Look online for tutorials and tips and photograph things that you enjoy photographing—don’t go chasing the money. BNV: Where do you get your inspiration from for shoots? LO: I usually ask the barber what sort of feel they want to go for. Then I build my lighting around the look that they want.

BNV: Which photograph of yours makes you most proud? LO: I think it’s honestly the first front cover I ever shot for BarberNV magazine. I can’t say it’s a lucky image, but it worked amazing and to see my first front cover in print was quite good. BNV: Plans for the future? LO: I’d like to expand into the hairdressing side of things because I think there’s a lot more to be explored. I also want to do some more video work. I can’t imagine doing anything different.