BarberNV Issue 26

D E C /J A N 2 0 2 0 / 2 1

26

Jim Shaw &

Daisy Carter

BHA Awards Finalist

NEWS

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PRODUCTS

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F E AT U R E S D E C /J A N 2 0 2 0 / 2 1

26

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EVENTS

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E D U CAT I O N

A collection by Alex Beltrán

F.A.M.E

2ND PLACE AT AIPP AWARDS 2019–2020

PHOTOGRAPHY

David Arnal HAIR

Alex Beltrรกn @ Barber Beltrรกn HAIR & MUA

Barber Beltrรกn PRODUCTS

Slick Gorilla & American Crew

A collection by Ashley Gamble

CHAMELEON

PHOTOGRAPHY

Richard Miles HAIR

Rory Mason & Ashley Gamble

A collection by Paco Lรณpez

GINGER

PHOTOGRAPHY

David Arnal HAIR

Paco Lรณpez @ The Barber Shop by Paco Lรณpez MUA

Paco Lรณpez STYLIST

Visori Fashionart

Jim Shaw & Daisy Carter

LINEAR

MEN’S HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR FINALIST @ BHA AWARDS 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY

Tony Le Britton HAIR

Jim Shaw & Daisy Carter MUA

Roseanna Velin STYLIST

Jim Shaw

INSPIRATION

In this collection the diverse styles show a multitude of skill and technique. The collection celebrates classic and contemporary men’s hairdressing, with the styling and lighting used creating a real emphasis on the hair.

A collection by OSMO Creative Team

STRANGER THINGS

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jen Baker HAIR

Justin Carr, Tom Baxter & Myles Lewis @ OSMO Creative Team STYLIST

Joey Bevan

A collection by

RUFFIANS

PHOTOGRAPHY

Denis Robinson HAIR

Maxwell Oakley @ Ruffians

La Barberia de Gràcia

SQUAD COLLECTION

PHOTOGRAPHY

Sergi Jasanada HAIR

Jordi Pérez @ La Barberia de Gràcia MUA

La Barberia de Gràcia STYLIST

Angel Cabezuelo

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Barbering has had an incredible 2019, and so has BarberNV—just see our new look.

Thank you to Jim Shaw and Daisy Carter for the incredible cover leading us handsomely into the new year.

Putting yourself out there can be hard—we’ve said it before. That’s why we spoke with Tony Haresign about his new collection Holi High, and why it’s important for barbers to put together collections. We also sat down with Natalia Bruschi about her career as a go– to celebrity male stylist, and how to build your editorial portfolio. BarberNV columnist Chris Foster also gives us his expertise on putting together quality shoots.

Our latest stop on the BarberNV world tour is Hong Kong and Taiwan, where we caught up with some of the best barbers and barbershops the region has to offer. Where’s next? You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled to find out.

Adam Sloan and MHFED have been doing some travelling of their own, offering incredible support and accreditation to aspiring barbers in India. Check out his diary on the India trip on page 78, and we catch up with HD Cutz to find out why his trip to the Jamaica changed his perspective on barbering and his purpose.

2020 is just days away now and BarberNV is keen to know what your business, personal or career goals for the next decade. Are you looking to start a brand? Open a shop? Take on the fashion world? Tell us by emailing matthew@salonnv.co.uk.

From everyone on the BarberNV team, we wish you all a merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year.

MM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

22

NEWS Industry updates & from the Fellowship

26

BARBERS AGAINST BLADES

30

COWENS BARBERSURE

32

TONY HARESIGN

36

TOM CHAPMAN

40

DUKE JOHN

42

BARBERSHOP FOCUS

46

BARBEROLOGY

48

NATALIA BRUSCHI

51

HONG KONG & TAIWAN

58

PRODUCT ENVY

64

OFF CUT

51

HONG KONG & TAIWAN

74

JOE&JOEY

78

MHFED DIARIES

81

EDUCATION & TRAINING

84

INSTAGRAM SHOWCASE

86

E–CHAIR & IN THE CHAIR

BARBERNV ISSUE 26

Founder | Joanne Reid

Tel | +44 (0) 141 212 5525

Editor | Matthew McLaughlin

Copyright | All work in this publication

Graphic Design | Gary Kwok

is copyright of BarberNV Magazine and

Sales & Marketing Manager | Kat Heron

Gallus Print & Digital Media Ltd. No part

Assistant Writer | Siobhan Macdonald

of this magazine may be reproduced

Columnists | Chris Foster, Joe

without the permission of the publisher.

Mills & Simon Harvey Published by | Gallus Print & Digital Media, 1st

© Information and product prices are

Floor, 27 Woodside Place, Glasgow G3 7QL

correct at time of printing. Some products

Email | contact@salonnv.co.uk

may not be available in all stores.

22

Industry Updates LONDON

JOE MILLS OPENS HIS CONCEPT YARDSALE SHOP

S

ession stylist and salon owner, Joe Mills, has opened his second Joe and Co store on the site of his first in Soho, London.

Next door to the current Joe and Co barbershop, The Yardsale at Joe and Co is a brand new lifestyle concept store, bringing Joe’s love of barbering, fashion and music under one roof.

The barbershop features three barber’s chairs with a hand–picked team offering the latest on–trend cuts with the experience that Joe and Co are renowned for.

Clients also have an amazing selection of vinyl to browse through—from classic soul to jazz reissues to original copies of rare albums and 12” singles.

Joe will also be showcasing a curated selection of second–hand vintage pieces from labels and brands such as Comme des Garcon, Margiela, Prada Sport, YSL, Gucci, Club Monaco and Ralph Lauren.

“Many of the vinyl and vintage clothes are from my private collection and others we have brought in especially for this concept.

“We will change the designer/style every two weeks so every time a client comes to the salon there is something new for them to see—this keeps it fresh and interesting.

“Prices vary from £20 to £100s, keeping it accessible and coveted. We will also offer the space as a popup for fashion brands to showcase their clothes and accessories.

“Our playlist will be personally chosen by myself and we have two decks for clients to listen to vinyl before they buy them.

“Barbershops are the community hub on high streets and with different offerings, we can make their visit a truly multi–dimensional experience.”

■ Find out more about Joe Mills at joemills.net, theloungesoho.co.uk, joeandco.net, and on Instagram @ joemillshair @joeandcosoho and @theloungesohohair.

UK

RUFFIANS WIN WAHL PROFESSIONAL BEST BRITISH BARBERSHOP TROPHY FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW Ruffians won a prestigious national competition, run by Wahl Professional and was presented with the trophy at Salon International, the annual marquee event of the global professional hairdressing industry, held at London’s Excel Centre.

Despite being up against some of the biggest names in the industry, Ruffians managed to take home the trophy.

Wahl Professional’s marketing manager, Chris Barleycorn, said, “The Wahl Barbershop of the Year is a hugely coveted award, as the calibre of shops that are entered every year is so high.

“The judges consider every aspect of the business, including quality of hairdressing, customer experience, interior and branding.”

Wahl’s global artistic director, Simon Shaw, who presented the award to Ruffians on the Wahl Professional stage at Salon International added, “I was delighted to hand the Wahl Barbershop of the Year trophy to Ruffians for the second time.

“The quality and integrity shown by Ruffians should be an inspiration to other shops on how to run their business.”

Ruffians co–founder and MD Andrew Cannon, said, “To win once felt good, to win again the very next year feels absolutely amazing!

“Our shop teams work so hard and this is a great reward for their tireless efforts.

“Would I be pushing my luck if I said I wanted to make it a hat–trick next year?”

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BARRIE STEPHEN AND SID SOTTUNG IN NEW BARBERING COLLABORATION

MIDLANDS

L

eicester hairdresser and entrepreneur Barrie Stephen is expanding his business portfolio in a partnership with internationally– renowned barber Sid Sottung.

The collaboration between the city’s most decorated hairdresser and the American–born barber icon will create Sid Sottung Barber Shop to bring world–class barbering to Leicester.

Sid Sottung brings three decades of hairdressing experience to the new men’s grooming space which will be on Hotel Street in Leicester city centre.

The new Sid Sottung Barber Shop in Leicester will also be a base for his high calibre education.

Barrie Stephen has been in the industry for thirty years and recently won Salon Business’ Ultimate Salon of the Year accolade and Business Person of the Year 2019 at the Nachural Awards.

He launched his Barrie Stephen Hair business 23 years ago in Anstey and has since grown his start–up company into a five–salon strong business including a training academy and Barbers Lounge spread across the county, in Ashby, Anstey, Narborough and Leicester city centre.

Sid Sottung Barber Shop will be opening at 6B Hotel Street, whilst BStyled, a boutique arm of Barrie’s business which was founded in 2015, will merge with Barrie Stephen Hair.

Barrie Stephen said, “Sid Sottung is already an

MALE GROOMING REVIVAL Male grooming has undergone a revival in recent years and is a huge part of the hairdressing business sector.

Men now make up one in five salon customers, with over half (55 per cent) of all hair professionals declaring a growth in male clients.

Despite these strong results, however, 45 per cent of salons still don’t offer male grooming services.

These findings suggest that many industry professionals are missing out on a compelling opportunity to both expand their business offering and acquire new customers.

Currently, over 287,000 people work within the hairdressing, barbering and beauty industries, contributing over £7bn to the UK economy.

STATISTICS FROM DATAPAD.CO / ILLUSTRATION FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

integral part of Barrie Stephen Hair’s growth.

“Over the last four years, Sid has trained up all our Barbers Lounge stylists, helping us skill up and provide amazing male grooming.

“I am so excited to be partnering with such an internationally–recognised expert to bring world–class barbering to the heart of Leicester.

“We are consolidating and bringing all our BStyled customers into the King Street salon so that the new Sottung Barber Shop venture can really fly and have space to flourish.”

On the collaboration, Sid Sottung said, “Both Barrie and I have the same energy and drive to make things happen. Our new concept will combine all the excellence of men’s barbering, attention to detail styling, traditional wet shaving and beard design with a great attitude.

“Men can come and feel like a man without all the macho vibes—it’ll be comfortable yet creative.”

■ Sottung Barber Shop will open in December with a team of five barbers from Leicestershire.

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FELLOWSHIP PROJECT: MAN OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS BARBERING MASTERCLASS WITH THE COMPANY OF MASTER BARBERS, 2019

Following a successful debut year, the Fellowship for British Hairdressing is bringing its men’s hairdressing team back for 2020.

Initially launched as the Barber Project, the new–look programme is now called PROJECT: Man and promises to include even more insight and expertise into men’s hairdressing, barbering and shaving.

The 2019 team enjoyed an incredible year of mentoring and expertise from a diverse lineup of guest mentors including Edward Hemmings from Alan D (founding team leader), Matt Gavin from Ruffians, Johnny Shanahan from Barber Barber, Andrea Raymond from Wahl, Dan and Robert Rix from The Company of Master Barbers and Hayden Cassidy from Andis.

As well as the enviable role call of educators, the group benefited from the expertise of team leader, Jonathan Andrew.

Topics covered over the 12–month period include switching from hairdressering to barbering, barbering trends, long and short cuts, clipper work, blends and skin fades, beard grooming and shaping and working with diverse textures.

The team also gained insight into photoshoots and stage presentation skills, with a debut appearance as a team live at Salon International.

PROJECT: Man 2020 will include a similar calendar of mentoring days and opportunities, perfect for furthering technical skills, gaining confidence and boosting salon business.

Team leader Jonathan Andrew says, “I am honoured to become project leader for PROJECT: Man. “Men’s hair is something I am very passionate about and there are countless incredible avenues to explore from the salon to the stage.

“This is going to be a jam–packed year full of things I only wish I could have had when I was starting out.”

Keep an eye out for the full team announcement coming soon.

■ Applications close on Friday, November 22, 2019.

Barbicide - No pretender Every client, every time

WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP?

The Fellowship for British Hairdressing was founded in 1946 as the Fellowship of Hair Artists of Great Britain and over the years has grown in stature and now covers many areas of the professional hairdressing industry.

We are an independent, non–political organisation run by our members, for our members focussing on promoting artistic and creative quality, and providing support for future hairdressing talent keen to make their own mark in the industry. Fellowship membership is the gateway to so many opportunities, our members love to share ideas with like–minded people and this is just a very brief overview of what membership can bring you, your team and your brand.

Kudos

of belonging to the most creative hairdressing organisation in the UK Promotion of your brand through Fellowship social media Inspirational workshops on both practical and business Regional Hair & Vision events with practical demonstrations of the latest trends and techniques Opportunities to present on Fellowship stages, from Members’ Nights, Colour Nights to major industry exhibitions nationwide Access to Fellowship teams: F.A.M.E. Team, ClubStar Art Team, Colour Project, Project X & Barber Project Networking events, mingle with the very best in the industry Visit fellowshiphair.com to find out more.

MEET THE BARBERS TACKLING KNIFE CRIME HEAD ON

In a post–male grooming world, barbers are using their status in the community to push for societal change.

One such barber, fed up seeing the almost constant barrage of news on the increase in knife crime across the UK, founded Barbers Against Blades, a new barber–centric knife amnesty charity.

ILLUSTRATION FROM SHUTTERSTOCK / PHOTOS FROM BARBERS AGAINST BLADES

I feel at the moment, this is our country’s main problem. Brexit is insignificant compared to knife crime. There was a 15–year–old lad killed the other day, it only gets two seconds on the news and then it’s gone.

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B

arbers Against Blades, which launched earlier this year, is a charity campaigning for barbers to help combat and raise awareness of knife crime. The organisation was founded by David White, the owner of Lock Stock and Barber in South Petherton, Somerset.

“I’ve got a real concern about knife crime. It’s touched me in a way that I would say it hasn’t most people.

“I feel at the moment, this is our country’s main problem. Brexit is insignificant compared to knife crime.

There was a 15–year–old lad killed the other day, it only gets two seconds on the news and then it’s gone.

“I think we’ve gradually become desensitised and it’s happening everywhere, not only in London. One morning I was watching Good Morning Britain, and there was a couple of experts talking about knife crime and the need for stronger punishments.

“Alex Beresford, the weatherman, piped up and said that he disagreed, and a solution needs to come from the youth community. And that these projects need to get in the heads of vulnerable young people before they even pick up a knife.”

It was just days after this that the GMB co–presenter’s cousin was stabbed to death in South London. As much as the news may have you believe, knife crime isn’t only a problem in London, as only 32 per cent of offences involving knives happens in the capital—a fact David is keen to point out.

“I was at a networking event, introducing Barbers Against Blades and people were naïve to what was happening in their communities. People say, ‘It’s not happening around here, why are you doing it?’ You think it’s just in London?

It’s not.”

In the 12 months leading up to June 2019, knife crime across the UK rose a staggering seven per cent—according to the latest Office of National Statistics figures. Official sources also show that between April 2018 and March 2019, over 43,000 offences involving knives were reported by police forces in England and Wales, with Scottish police confiscating 2,364 knives last year.

People say, ‘It’s not happening around here, why are you doing it?’

You think it’s just in London? It’s not.

David wholly believes in the power of community initiatives like the one Alex Beresford spoke about. That’s why he set up #FadeTheBlade as Barbers Against Blades’ first initiative. #FadeTheBlade offers youngsters a safe space to discuss their situations—whether they’re knife related or otherwise—and anonymously deposit offensive weapons, which will then be handed into the local police to be disposed of safely.

“For every knife handed in, it’s a potential life saved,” he tells BarberNV. How does it work, you ask? If someone books into your barbershop asking for a #FadeTheBlade appointment, this will tell you that your client needs support in a non–judgemental environment. From this moment, you as a barber can do your part to help make the streets and the lives of the country’s young people safer.

David already has barbers up and down the country registering to be part of Barbers Against Blades and do their bit. Since launching earlier this year, the campaign has already seen victories, with people handing in knives or other offensive weapons. The first of these victories was from Blackpool barber Theo Petrocelli, who runs the Lucky 13 barbershop in Lytham. And most recently, Boslowick Barbers set up a knife amnesty box in their Falmouth shop.

David understands the need for movements like his Barbers Against Blades to be preventative and reach young people before they consider carrying a blade. David, who has recently completed his first youth group talk, told the kids, “Wherever you see our logo you can talk to a barber...”

As success starts to flood in for Barbers Against Blades, it is becoming more difficult for one man to manage a movement. This is why David is looking for more and more barbers to join and help the charity’s fight to blunt knife crime.

Until now, Barbers Against Blades has existed with generous donations made by David’s customers, such as office space and other help to get the charity out there.

However, to push the charity to the next level and help as many as possible; David and Maddy began putting their own money towards financing the project.

29 SERVICES

Barbers Against Blades x Fresh Heads Barbers Against Blades have announced on their social media, a “We’ve had great feedback and we’ve reached out all over the country. I’m asking barbers who want to be a part of this to donate one haircut and some money per month—there’s potential to raise a lot of money.”

Recognising the immense amount of good he and other barbers can do, David told BarberNV, he hopes even more barbershops who sign up will start their own community projects—with the potential for Barbers Against Blades to help fund them.

“It’s growing and with where we want to take this, I need support because I can’t cut myself into four pieces—it’s just me and my wife at the moment, and I’m only a little barber. The more barbers that help us, the more we can come together and do good.”

Moving forward, David wants to use the platform he has to bring even more visibility to the charity.

Next year, Barbers Against Blades taking part in a massive Takara Belmont sponsored fundraiser—to be announced in January 2020—and they hope lots of barbers up and down the country get involved.

■ For more information or to get involved, please visit barbersagainstblades.co.uk [from left] Barbers Against Blades paraphernalia, as modelled by founder David White and wife Madeleine; White’s barbershop in Lytham

PHOTOS FROM BARBERS AGAINST BLADES

pledge by men’s grooming brand Fresh Heads—get in touch with Fresh Heads about their Hair Tonics range and the brand will make a donation to the charity. A great collaboration for a worthy cause.

■ Visit freshheadshairtonics.co.uk, email sales@ freshheadshairtonics.co.uk or call 07484 759 323/01621 772188 for more information and do your bit for Barbers Against Blades.

GIVE YOUR SHOP THE BEST PROTECTION WITH BARBERSURE Paul Chaplin, CEO of Cowens Group chats with BarberNV magazine about how it’s new offering, BarberSure, will give barbershop owners and freelancers peace of mind.

Since January 2019, Chartered insurance broker Cowens have worked in partnership with the British Barbers Association (BBA) to develop a bespoke insurance product for barbers, and fully support the industry.

On their partnership, Jackie Holian of the BBA says, “Having an insurance partner who understands the industry and the different pressures of owning a barbershop or being self–employed is invaluable when it comes to making sure you’ve got the right level of cover.”

BarberSure provides all the policies barbers and business owners legally require in order to work, including public and products liability (including treatment insurance), employer’s liability and building and contents insurance. However, BarberSure offers more than the traditional ‘off the shelf’ policies to barbers, and it does all of this while keeping costs low.

Paul Chaplin (pictured above getting a trim from BBA’s Gary Machin) says, “We’ve spent a lot of time creating a unique product. BarberSure has products you can’t get off the shelf or are very difficult to get. Extensions like terminal ends, denial of access, or loss of attraction are hard to get from off the shelf products.”

Knowing the right cover for you and your business is difficult, but important, as you should not underestimate the level of policy you may require. Understanding this, BarberSure works directly with your business to offer one of the best insurance schemes available to barbers.

“You’re buying more than cover with BarberSure.

You are buying high–quality advice,” explains Paul.

“What we sell is advice with BarberSure ensuring that the product fully meets the needs of the barbers.

“We don’t sell barbers an off the shelf product, we take time to understand their needs and we introduce to them products appropriate for them.”

If you’re an experienced self–employed barber, you will get Public and Products Liability at either £1m, £2m or £5m and Treatment Risk as standard.

On top of this, there’s an option to include All Risks Cover anywhere in the UK on Equipment, Money Cover as standard and the option to include Personal Accident Cover in the event of injury.

While barbershop cover includes all of the above areas of cover but additionally includes Cover available for Contents, Stock, Business Interruption and Employer’s Liability.

The non–standard policies BarberSure offers include Business Interruption, which means you are covered if there is an accidental failure of supply. For example, if your electricity was cut at the terminal ends because of and for example, storm damage to cables or accidental damage to pipes.

BarberSure also offers Loss of Attraction—a product you won’t find with most insurance schemes. Loss of Attraction is designed to cover your barbershop in the event of an incident, at a different location within a one–mile radius that damages your business.

And finally, Denial of Access cover.

This extension protects you against interruptions to your business, should access to your premises be prevented or restricted due to nearby damage. For example, if debris from a fire prevented safe access to your barbershop.

■ Call 0300 303 4101 or visit www. barbersure.co.uk to find out how BarberSure can safeguard you and your business, so you can do what you do with no worries.

Custom designed insurance cover for both barbers and their premises.

Developed for you, in association with the British Barbers Association.

Call today for a quote: Freephone 0300 303 4101 or Text us: 07921 370 113 Follow us cowensbarbersure barbersure

www.barbersure.co.uk

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES

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H

ow can you push the boundaries of your craft, and satisfy creative pangs? Creating and shooting collections is just one way of upping your barber game. A solid collection portfolio could see you joining the fashion or editorial world, or it could be an outlet for your artistic flair, and a chance to collaborate with other creative talents.

BUILDING YOUR IDEA

For each collection you do, you’ll develop a different and exciting approach, depending on how the inspiration has found you. For example, if you want to show off a particular style, the concept will greatly influence how images develop. This was the case for Tony’s Holi Festival inspired shoot.

“Inspiration comes from all over, cool clients, city streets, nightclubs... I like to try and recreate things I’ve experienced and put an angle on that hair–wise.”

From first seeing images of the festival in the National Geographic and his customers images, this sparked a wave of inspiration. But it wasn’t until other customers told him about Ibiza paint parties that the concept for Holi High was born.

To get from the initial idea to the images you see lovingly printed in our pages, Tony takes his time. He meditates on concepts, letting them ruminate until they flow like water.

“I’ve got one of these things, they’re quite rare right now. It’s called a pencil. I tend to use it to write it down [he says laughing]. I then go to Pinterest to put a mood board together and scour Instagram looking for stuff I might want it to look or feel like, even images I don’t want the collection to look like.”

Now you have your ideas together, it’s game on.

CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS

Putting together a top collection requires collaboration, and your best tool to attract other creatives, without a shadow of a doubt, is Instagram.

“Give value before you ask for something—that’s really important. If you say, for example, you’ll sort out the models, makeup artist and the location, they’re a lot more likely to take you up on something like that.

“This is the same with the models themselves. I mainly work with professionals from agencies, so we tend to select models specifically for the shoot and concept. If we want jawlines, we’ll select jawlines.”

It’s also important to be aware of what models are comfortable doing. In the case of the Holi High shoot, some models wouldn’t work with body paint. This means you’ll need to ask the agency for models prepared to do that kind of work.

“When you’re using professional models, a lot of them won’t allow you to colour their hair. This was an amazing way of using colour everywhere, but they could get rid of it after the shoot. It was quite an intense shoot, there was paint everywhere and some people just aren’t up for that.”

On the collaborative process, collection makeup artist,

35

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL

TONY’S TOP COLLECTION TIPS 1 PREPARING YOUR IDEAS:

Using Pinterest, screenshots or a notebook to collect inspiration for your concept development.

2 CHOOSE YOUR MODELS WISELY:

Models can make or break a shoot.

Sometimes your coolest looking client, is not your best choice for a model. When they’re in front of a camera, models become model, but your client might turn into a mouse.

They need to be able to perform in front of the camera properly.

3 DM, DM, DM...: Instagram is the best tool to get any

reach, you DM someone and it’s going right to them. You message someone and they’ll message you back, especially if you’re adding value first.

4 BE PREPARED: Make sure

you have everything you need (and more) on the day. That sounds like a schoolboy thing, but you can’t go back and get it once you’re on location.

5 HAVE FUN WHILE YOU CREATE & COLLABORATE: Make sure everyone gets copies of the final images once they’re available.

Paula Preston says, “Collaborating with other professionals is beneficial not only to your shoot but to your skillset—together, your ideas can produce some unexpected results and amazing images.”

Although Tony himself has worked for many years as a photographer, he prefers to focus his efforts on hair during shoots.

“I find it’s better to have individuals specialising on that one thing rather than trying to multitask anything. Lots of people can do it, like Kevin Luchmun and Robert Braid for example, but I’ve found focusing on the hair is where I excel.”

For this collection Tony utilised renowned photographer, Matt Brown who tells us, “Collaboration is so important to my practice. It’s the way I can try new things, have fun and work with people who are doing their craft. To me this is what photography and art is all about— being given the opportunity to create something amazing with a great team.”

LOCATION

Shooting outside on location is unpredictable, especially in British weather. Tony tells BarberNV that it can be too light, dark or windy, but in a studio, all of that can be controlled, and more, IMAGES COURTESY OF TONY HARESIGN

which is exactly what you need when shooting hair.

FINER DETAILS

Having an assistant to help you on location can save valuable time and energy.

“If you’re 50ft away from the comb you’ve left on the side, it ruins your flow.

Having an assistant will also help direct you when teasing hair or things like that.

They can also do some video work on the shoot for you to use on your Instagram and other socials.”

Tony’s assistant, Fraser Laing, tells us, “Collaboration is essential for any barber.

It lets two creative minds intermix and create something unique.

“Collaboration also opens up doors you didn’t know existed, learning from each other, sharing new interesting techniques and most importantly, gaining a new contact to work with for future projects.”

It also helps to have that extra set of eyes when you’re sifting through the finer details of your looks. A photographer won’t be looking for the same standouts as a dedicated hair assistant after all.

It’s also beneficial for your photographer to have his camera tethered to a laptop, so you can pick out the finer details.

Inspiration comes from all over, cool clients, city streets, nightclubs... I like to try and recreate things I’ve experienced and put an angle on that hair–wise.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Matt Brown MAKEUP

Paula Preston HAIR

Tony Haresign ASSISTANT

Fraser Laing PRODUCTS

Quartered Steel Scissors, Electric London & Wahl Clippers

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Tom Chapman, barber extraordinaire and Lions Barber Collective founder is also the global barber director for Keune.

He will be managing the barbering and men’s hairdressing education for the brand in 80 countries.

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL

SHOOTING WITH STYLE

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T

om took the inspiration for this shoot from different music genres, giving appreciation to the different styles that came from the grunge, rock and roll and pop– punk genres. For the campaign, he was asked to create six different looks from three models with three different lengths of hair.

Each model was given two distinct looks by using the new range of Keune products, and longtime brand favourites to show off the versatility of not only the new launch, but all of Keune’s catalogue.

“It was quite interesting to look at what I wanted to do, how I was going to do it, and how I was going to create this look for the new products because that was the main thing and changing it into a different look with an older product on the same cut. So, showing the versatility of the product range and the haircuts.”

Tom was given guidance on what they wanted from the shoot images. They chose long hair, volume and bangs or a fringe.

This allowed Tom to pick the different eras of music which would inspire each of the six styles.

“For volume I went more towards rockabilly/rock n roll with a modern pomp. For the fringe, I thought about what was socially acceptable and came up with a mod style—not the Davey Havoc devil lock unfortunately—and then for the longer hair we went kinda grunge.

“With the mod rocker we turn it into a quiff with a pop–punk vibe. The longer look is very much 90s grunge, so we straightened it out, greased it up for a sort of Kurt Cobain look.”

When you’re shaping an idea for a shoot this big it’s hard to know whether or not what your producing is relevant worldwide. Even a seasoned veteran like Tom had to take time to consider how each looks translate.

“There’s always this thought of, ‘Am I going down the right path?’ These images are going to representing the brand in over 80 countries. Do I want to go extreme with something that is on–trend in the UK, but if you go to Switzerland or Iran or Mexico, is it going to be relevant there? You have to think about the global appeal.”

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There’s always this thought of ‘am I going down the right path?’ These images are going to be representing the brand in over 80 countries.

Tom and Keune have embarked on a massive project, and as such the entire shoot was also filmed to be used as global promotional material.

This might put some people off, but Tom is no stranger to the camera.

Thanks to his incredible work with the Lions Barber Collective, he has had plenty of media training and time in front of the camera.

“When you know what you’re doing and it’s well planned I don’t think there’s much to worry about.”

Before the go–ahead was given Keune asked to see full mock ups of the styles that would grace the final shoot, and be the global face of Keune’s new range. Tom, with his TONI&GUY background is well educated in patterns and sectioning technique, was more than comfortable.

“All that kind of step by step stuff was from my inception as a hairdresser to what I’m doing now as a barber. It was very much second nature. I had to sketch out all the haircuts and create the steps before I even did the haircuts. So, it was sent over to be approved before I even touched the hair.”

Recently, Tom alongside his work with the Lions Barber Collective, Tom is also trying to get mental health into the UK hair and barbering curriculum with VTCT. This would help cement the legacy he is building with the LBC and ensure future generations of barbers can help create safe spaces for men in need.

“My little boy said to me today, ‘Pops, why do you have to work so hard.’ and I said, ‘I’m working so hard so that you don’t have to work so hard.’ That’s the masterplan, whether it pays off, ask me again in a few years’ time.

“I have two young boys and hopefully by the time they’re in their teens mental health isn’t going to be something they have to worry about.

It’s something they can discuss openly and there’s more peer support and things like that.”

Tom is spending the rest of 2019 doing talks up and down the UK on behalf of the Lions Barber Collective, as well as doing voiceover work for a documentary due to come out on Amazon Prime early next year [2020].

IMAGES COURTESY OF TOM CHAPMAN

LOOK FOR THE DUKE You might be wondering how masterful American barbering made its way to the streets of Graz, Austria.

Well, Alexander Prasser, known by his alias of Duke John, has been cutting timeless Americana styles since the ripe age of 12.

“We were in the rockabilly and psychobilly scene, and here in Graz, there was no ‘hairdresser’ who could cut our hair.

Thanks to big riffs and bigger hair, Alexander fell in love with barbering. The focus, the precision work and the idea of perfecting your skill with each cut—every aspect of the craft thrilled the Duke.

“I’ve always been involved in the culture of barbershops because it’s all about accuracy, precision and community.

After my time at TONI&GUY, I went back to my roots and specialised in what I can identify with—classic barbering—and decided to open Duke John’s Barbershop.

“There’s something reassuring about developing your skills every day. Our crew shows that you’re not only there to work with your hands or your head, but it’s also a whole attitude to life—to do things slowly, thoughtfully and thoroughly. As we like to say in Austria, ‘It’s better to do things smart once, than bad twice’.”

Barbering for the Duke is more than his crew—it’s everyone involved in making the barbershop a real community. The Duke has brought traditional barbering to the heart of Graz, creating a social hub for well–coiffed fellas. As the scent of pomade and hair tonic fills the air, hard–working patrons can relax after a long day with a glass of whisky, rum or a locally–brewed beer, and of course a world–class cut.

“Of course, you can get your hair cut somewhere else, but for a real men’s health culture, you need a centre.

Fortunately, Duke John’s has been this. That’s where our motto comes from, ‘let your hair shine like your heart’. It goes beyond just the service you come in the door for.”

Recently, Alexander has collaborated with Austrian photographer and close friend, Stefan Leitner to create a set of 44 posters. The panorama shots show off Duke John’s unique personality and why it has become such an alluring hub of male grooming in the Styrian capital.

“We also had the opportunity to display the shots on a massive billboard for a free artistic project nearby, and

Find out more about Duke John’s Barbershop at DUKE–JOHNS.AT and on Instagram @DUKEJOHNS_ BARBERSHOP_GRAZ

[from top] panorama photo of Duke John’s; image of billboard in town

then it was clear that we wanted to create something larger than life.”

And larger than life it is. To achieve the striking images from Duke John’s collection, Alexander and Stefan meticulously planned out every detail of the shoot.

“Stefan and I planned everything in the store. It was all quite complicated; first, we drew a sketch, then we designed a 3D model, the light and the individual poses of the barbers and customers were planned precisely.

“As a crew, we had a lot of fun and got to bring some of our customers in the photo with us. To assemble and finish

IMAGES COURTESY OF STEFAN LEITNER PHOTOGRAPHY

In one long night, we photographed everything piece by piece. We wanted to make sure that everything would be perfect and monitored each shot with the outfits, light and even makeup at all the time.

everything, Stefan had to do about 50 hours of editing. There was no easy way, but the finished product speaks for itself and looks incredible. Nothing represents the shop better—it’s like you’re standing there yourself.”

Duke John’s is a second home for men—a place of classic cuts, shaves, beer and conversation—all curtailed by its dedication to noble craftsmanship.

Alexander and Stefan set out to show this to the world, and as you can see through their painstaking attention to detail—and of course the final images—the results are very plain to see.

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Barbershop Focus

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

GOOD OLD SOUL BARBERSHOP, BADEN, AUSTRIA Husband and wife team Florian and Mara Zizkovsky’s dream of Good Old Soul Barbershop came from a doodle on a pizzeria napkin, but eventually let to opening their own uniquely designed and wellloved shop. They spoke to Siobhan McDonald about their Baden barbershop.

“He [Florian] took a napkin and a pencil and drew what our shop could look like. Last year, we saw that a beautiful building in Baden was for sale, we gave it a look and we both knew it was perfect for us. We weren’t so happy in our jobs and so it was the perfect timing. So, we took our chance and it was the best thing we did. It is also one of the oldest buildings in the city and has a great story.”

After taking a chance on the building last year, Florian and Mara both put their skills to good use. Florian has been a barber for four years now, developing his skills through his devotion and passion.

The Good Old Soul Barbershop is designed to take you back in time and allow you to relax in an old–fashioned barbershop. With inspiration stemming from the 1920s to rock and roll memorabilia, it’s hard to find somewhere quite like this.

“We both love antique furniture and old things, and we knew that our shop had to look like a 20s barbershop in London. Flo and I collect all kinds of stuff, from used Slipknot drumsticks, collector’s editions of our favourite games and old barber stuff from around the world.

“It’s like time–travelling back to the 20s, where you can enjoy classic service with a glass of whiskey and after that you can explore old, original things like straight razors from 1910 or our Koken barber chair from 1898 and other things we have collected.”

The couple were met with overwhelming excitement and encouragement from their local community where they opened up for business.

“They published our opening in the local newspaper. The building was empty for 12 years, so people got excited that something was happening.”

After losing her motivation and passion for being a graphic designer, Mara wasn’t happy in her job before the Good Old Soul. Starting a business with her husband Florian allowed her to regain her drive towards the job by doing the graphic design for the business.

“Now with the shop, I wanted to try [graphic design] again and I enjoy it more than ever!

And it makes me really happy that Flo and I LOCATION found a job that we love.”

Florian has been barbering for four years Annagasse 27 so has acquired a list of products and items he 2500 Baden couldn’t live without during for his work.

Austria If you’re in Austria, and want to take a wander to a time long–gone, pop into Good Old Number of barbers: 1 Soul and soak up its rich heritage for yourself.

IMAGES COURTESY OF GOOD OLD SOUL BARBERSHOP

LOVELY JUBBLY

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BOND’S GENTLEMAN’S BARBERS, WAREHAM

Wareham is an historic market town in Dorset and the location of the latest Bond’s Gentleman’s Barbers.

BarberNV caught up with shop co–owner, and educator Lee Dixon about bringing Bond’s to his hometown.

IMAGES COURTESY OF LEE DIXON

49 North Street Wareham, Dorset Number of barbers: 3

EQUIPMENT & INTERIORS

Since opening in July this year, Bond’s Wareham has been busy. Thanks to the close–knit community, and Lee being a homegrown talent, word spread fast, putting bums on seats.

“It’s a little bit like Hot Fuzz. Everyone knows everyone.

I’ve gone back there, opened up the shop and everyone’s coming in to have a catch up and a haircut. It’s just grown so quick.”

Lee has been working with Mike [Taylor, Bond’s owner] for two years, after taking his NVQ levels 2 and 3 with the Bond’s grand master barber. Since then Lee has taken every opportunity afforded by his hard work.

“I’ve always wanted to open up in my hometown. I think my career was leading up to opening the shop. It was something I always wanted to do, but I didn’t think I would do it so quick. But I think it’s the best decision I’ve ever made, getting onboard with Mike. He’s given me a lot of opportunities, that I’ve definitely taken.”

Bond’s Wareham shares much of the same DNA as the locations in the Bond’s portfolio. Lee has moulded the shop around being a friendly, and chilled environment anyone can jump into. Keeping the shop interactive by making everyone inclusive in the craic, but also a space where patrons can just come and relax.

“It’s open to everyone—it’s not a niche thing. We want the old boys in, we want youngsters, and the kids. No matter who you are, you’ve got a place in this barbershop.”

The interiors are a mashup of an old school gentleman’s barbershop, and a more modern establishment. There are all the furnishings you would expect from a traditional barbershop; comfy chesterfields, and dark wood furniture

LOCATION

and flooring. However, where all Bond’s shops differ is in their accents. The little individual identity the shops take on from their co–owners’ personality.

“Mike says we want the shops to have a running theme but have each owner’s personality in it. It’s Mike’s brand and we’ve bought into it completely believing in Bond’s.

“We like it to be a gentleman’s barbershop, but quite random. I’m a massive Oasis and Stone Roses fan, so there’s vinyl, there’s movie posters on the wall and there’s even a signed photo of the Only Fools and Horses actors.

“Me and my mate are massive geeks for Only Fools and Horses. We went to a convention and met some of the cast, and I got this replica of the Jolly Boys’ Outing poster and I got Boycie and Marlene and Mickey Pearce to sign it. That’s pride of place in my shop.”

Starting off with Lee as the lone barber, in five months Bond’s Wareham has added another barber, and Lee has taken an apprentice under his wing.

On top of running the Wareham shop, Lee is an eager educator for the Great British Barbering Academy, and Mike Taylor Education. Often touring UK colleges and trade shows sharing his skillset and knowledge with the next generation of barbers.

“The thing about working with Mike is I’ve learned from some of the best in the industry. He didn’t just chuck me in it, I worked alongside him for a long time. He mentored me on how to educate and get yourself across.

“As well, working with the Great British Barbering Academy, there’s some many amazing educators that I can learn from. Being the youngest educator, I’m just soaking up their experience and I can’t get enough of it.”

A collection by Lee Dixon

THE SINS OF MAN

PHOTOGRAPHY

Daniel Pitts HAIR

Lee Dixon @the_peaty_barber LOCATION

Sanctum, Southampton

46

BRAID WINNER

BIGGEST TRENDS AW19 Adam Gore, the founder and director of the award–winning Birmingham–based, Barberology reveals to BarberNV the hottest men’s style trends of AW19.

BRAID WINNER

Long hair is in again for AW19—but the way it’s being worn has had a seasonal update. It’s the finer details that define a new trend and update a style, and this season, the key to on–trend lengths is uniqueness—long hair should boast an achingly individual quality.

At Christopher Raeburn, long styles were crafted into intricate French braids and woven with colourful ribbons, while at Iceberg long hair extensions were straightened to within an inch of their lives and paired with ski–wear inspired headbands. The length of the locks remains the same as last season, but the way these cuts are styled and the vibe they exude is totally different.

What unites these looks is the styling—while for the last few seasons long hair has been worn nonchalant, carefree and effortless, this season it’s all about carefully stylised lengths. Street–style inspired the long dreads piled high against an undercut, witnessed at Saul Nash’s AW19 LFWM offering, which was my favourite take on this trend.

In fact, we created a very similar version in salon, which is bang on–trend this season and has been a hit with our clients with Afro hair.

47 HEART–THROB HAIR WINNER

BABY BANGS WINNER

HAIR

HEART–THROB HAIR

This season, designers have had a love affair with hair full of touch–me waves and tactile texture—in fact, the trend has been dubbed ‘heart–throb hair’, thanks to its effect of making people want to run their fingers through it.

Check out E.Tautz and Band of Outsiders for visual references—it’s an evolution of last season’s 90s styles. A cut that sat between the shoulders and chin and was full of glossy waves and tumbling tresses—defined by lustrous locks it had an almost feminine quality.

This season it takes on a more masculine edge, with styles worn shorter and choppier, but no less lustrous and touchy–feely. We created a similar look at Barberology recently [pictured]. The key to styling this trend is to focus on creating a soft, natural texture, using minimal product and products that have an almost intangible feel and finish.

BABY BANGS

London Fashion Week Men is a good barometer of the styles our trend–savvy clients will be requesting over the coming months. Take man bangs, for example, this

season, it’s all about Cottweiler’s floppy 90s side fringe.

To take this trend from the catwalk to the barbershop floor, cut and shape a side sweep and side–part deeply, for an instant seasonal upgrade on your client’s current look.

As an alternative to the floppy fringe, encourage your on–trend clients to try the cut our clients are buzzing over right now—baby bangs.

They first entered our style subconscious last season, thanks to Fendi’s high fashion blunt–fringe–heavy SS19 show, but it’s in recent months that we’ve seen a steady trickle–down effect.

E. Tautz and Xander Zhou both showcased baby bangs at LFWM this season—the unmissable cut has been all over Instagram and Pinterest, and baby bangs are now fast becoming a hotly–requested look by our Barberology clients.

We created this extreme baby bangs cut (pictured) to show how strong and current this trend is. The key to nailing this look is in the bluntness and the length of the fringe—it should sit at least two inches above the brows, and even higher if the client has a deep forehead. Keep a little length on the crown and the sides significantly shorter for maximum contrast.

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GROOMING STARS Natalia Bruschi’s celebrity clientele includes such heavy hitters as Ben Affleck, Ben Stiller, Bradley Cooper, Edward Norton, Daniel Craig, Benicio Del Toro, Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and many others. And Natalia’s work has featured in leading publications such as GQ, Esquire and Vanity Fair to name a few.

B

efore Natalia Bruschi started her career as a celebrity male groomer, she worked as a freelance makeup artist, building her books in Milan, Italy. After moving back stateside and earning her cosmetology license with the Vidal Sassoon Academy, Natalia auditioned for a place at Fred Segal in Santa Monica and joined her agency—where her career began with none other than Colin Farrell.

“It was when Colin Farrell first started hitting it big, and he was doing a lot of back to back movies. I was working with him non-stop for a year and a half, and that was my first big break in Hollywood and entertainment.”

When Natalia changed agencies, she started working with silver screen funny man, Ben Stiller.

“I would consider Ben Stiller the person that locked in men’s grooming for me. My agent said I was going to have to choose between doing men’s and women’s hair.

But I didn’t want to get pigeon-holed and fought it for a long time.

“After a few years with Ben Stiller, I got really busy working with Ben Affleck and before I knew it, several years had gone by and my portfolio was all men. I couldn’t even go back to working with women, with my freelance work, because I would have to start from scratch. Although I didn’t choose this path, it sort of chose me... it’s been such a blessing and I’m so grateful.”

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NATALIA’S CAREER HIGHLIGHT Natalia’s career highlight was styling Brad Pitt’s hair for the cover story for the Fall 2016 edition of T Magazine and shooting with photographer, Craig McDean.

“One of the editors reached out and booked me. It was gratifying because they sought me out. “I was a huge fan of Brad Pitt growing up and he was on my wish list. It was a very rare occasion to work with him because he doesn’t do a lot of editorial. “

We asked Natalia how she has built her career, in terms of her enviable editorial output. It took Natalia 10 years to build her portfolio and told BarberNV that this was the ultimate goal when she started.

“When I first moved to LA, I had brought back a tiny book from living in Milan, but it was very helpful in getting signed on with an agency.

“In the very beginning, I had to work for free and shoot a ton of photoshoots with photographers and models who were also building their books—we were all starving artists. We would do spec shoots for the art and our portfolios.

“I would say to start shooting and collaborating and get to know how to work in an editorial environment.

There is a certain etiquette you have to learn, but that comes with experience. The more experience you have when you’re coming up gives you the practice you need to work in a professional setting.”

Hair editorial is all about detail, as Natalia tells us it’s always advantageous to work with a monitor where possible. This is so any detail can be fine-tuned, “Sometimes you don’t have the luxury if you’re on a lower

budget shoot.

“Practice and shoot in your own time and hopefully one of the photographers you work with will get their first editorial and have you do the hair. “ If you want to be an editorial stylist, you can find a hairstylist whose work you like, see if you can start assisting them and then branch off to do your own work.

Together that will culminate into a career—your hard work will pay off.”

You would think that with such an incredible career to date that there wouldn’t be much left for Natalia to do, but as she tells BarberNV, there are still heights to climb.

“I would love to do another movie. I did Night at the Museum 3 and I had so much fun. It was a five-month shoot and such a great production and experience. I had one job, and that was to do Ben Stiller’s hair, set the look and keep the continuity. Movies are kind of like commercials, but much longer and on a much larger scale.

“I had to move to another country, but I felt like I was part of a family. We were all working on this project and in the end, you always have that. It’s a big body of work you’ve all worked on together—I loved that.”

HAIR

When I got on set it was such a beautiful collaboration, and I was pinching myself the whole time.”

Collections by

VIVENNE HOWE

PHOTOGRAPHY

Vivienne Howe HAIR

Vivienne Howe @the_barberfly

HONG KONG & TAIWAN

The next stops on BarberNV’s around–the–barbering–world tour are Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the bustling populations mean there’s a lot of diversity between the barbershops. This is true of the barbering industries as much as it is anything else.

From the old school rockabilly cuts to ubiquitous modern styles, this region has a lot to boast about—and this is without touching the gorgeous and utterly unique interiors.

Hong Kong population 7.44 million Taiwan population 23.7 million ILLUSTRATION FROM SHUTTERSTOCK

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CUT FROM A DIFFERENT CLOTH SELVEDGE BARBERS, HK

E

d Muller and a team in Italy launched Selvedge Grooming back in 2016. At the time Selvedge Grooming worked very closely with one of the first urban barbershops in Hong Kong, Era Barbers. Ed alongside Hamish Gilanos, the manager of Era Barbers organised events to educate the Hong Kong media about barbershop culture and raise funds for men’s health.

“Over drinks one casual evening, the idea of building a ‘home’ for the grooming brand came up. One thing led to another and eventually, Selvedge Grooming acquired Era Barbers and rebranded.

“We tore the entire place down and renovated it in just 12 days. Then we grew our team from three to seven barbers within a year and a half.”

The Selvedge duo have worked hard to elevate the barbershop culture in Hong Kong. Seeing shops produce an abundance of old school style cuts, Ed and Hamish focused less on fading into the foreground and towards what they saw as neglected—scissors cuts and ultimately favouring contemporary barbering techniques.

Hamish says, “Not so long ago, barbers had a stigma of being the go–to place for a fast haircut. If men were seeking out a decent haircut, they would go to unisex salons instead.”

Surrounded by an oasis of old school shops, Selvedge stands out as a minimalist’s paradise. Despite the image you might have in your head, Selvedge is a very rugged, industrial space. Where rough concrete melts into exposed brickwork and zones of green plants peppering the shop floor to create a modern and airy concept fitting of the brand’s philosophy.

“Selvedge Barbers is an extension of the grooming range, so the philosophy of Selvedge Grooming was translated into a more tangible form.

“We wanted to create a laidback and comfortable environment for our clients. We don’t believe in snobbery and hyper luxury. All we wish to deliver is a consistent and reliable experience—like a pair of selvedge denim.”

While some customers are always hunting for the perfect fade, as the Selvedge boys tell us, a slick fade just isn’t enough anymore.

IMAGES COURTESY OF SELVEDGE BARBERS

“You need the scissor skills to match.

Education is more accessible and barbers can’t get away with taking shortcuts (excuse the pun) because they are only as good as your last haircut.

“Barbering to us is about listening to our clients, offering advice and approaching our work with a quality and consistent customer service. We want a sense of pride with what we send out, as we are fully aware of the competitiveness of the industry.”

Through rolling news coverage, the eyes of the world have been on Hong Kong’s mass protests throughout 2019.

Luckily, despite the mounting political turmoil, Selvedge has only seen a few cancellations—though it was tough for the team getting into work. The pair credited the dedication of their team for all their efforts in accommodating clients during this time—just another part of giving a consistent and reliable experience.

Looking forward, Ed and Hamish want to take the team even further, even branching out into pastures new.

“We have been looking around, so hopefully, we can find something great we can recreate something as amazing as what we have here in Hong Kong.”

We can’t wait to see where Selvedge choose to leave their unique stamp next.

Selvedge Barbershop 36 Pottinger Street Central, Hong Kong (+852) 2577 3080 hello@selvedgebarbers.com

Staff: 8

SELVEDGE PRODUCTS A straight–forward daily routine by Selvedge Grooming, Italy for the well–kempt and smart gentleman, offers top flight grooming solutions based on comfort and functionality.

The range of easy–to–use products, which gave Selvedge Barbershop its name, has been featured in the likes of GQ and HYPEBEAST—to name a few.

Visit selvedgegrooming. com to see the full range.

THE STRAY CAT STRUT COOL CATS BARBERSHOP, TAIWAN

I

n the space of nearly five years, Cool Cats has become a go–to spot for Taiwanese dudes who want their fix of greasy pomps and psychobilly locks.

Aesthetically and spiritually, Cool Cats embodies founder, Kaiser ‘Kai’ Huang’s love of every Americana.

First opening in 2015, Cool Cats aimed to be utterly different from the more commercial salons. With his shop, Kai wanted to create an atmosphere where patrons could feel at home without any sort of retail pressure.

“We all get along like friends, so if you come into our store no one will try to sell you products. You can just shoot the breeze with us or quietly relax... We will only find ways to let you go out handsomely.”

Cutting hair is a major part of Kai’s life, as is his cool rockabilly aesthetic and he wants to share that with every soul that graces Cool Cats.

Like so many before him, Kai started his career, not in the barbershop but the salon. Finding his way of doing things way out of place in a salon environment, he made the decisive switch to barbering.

“I found barbershops on the internet and knowing people are living their life like this I knew I wanted that.

I decided to switch to barbering and stepped into my first barbershop, Aunties, where I learned with Aunt Guo.” Recognising the difference between the barbershop and the salon, Kai began visiting many barbers and taking advice from each master he came across—even travelling outside of Taiwan to fully master his craft.

“I started to go abroad to find someone who also loves rockabilly to see how they manage their hair. Discussing the style of a person who loves the culture may not be

as complete as a general barber, but it is a very soulful one. That’s the route I want to pursue.”

Kai describes the Taiwanese culture as being one of a kind. Pulling influence from Japan, Spain and the Netherlands, the melting pot experience is as true of the country’s barber culture as it is of wider society.

“We have several factions in haircutting, such as the traditional Taiwan–style barber, the western culture barber and Japanese styles. You can learn a variety of techniques here and most are willing to learn different methods.”

In recent years, people have been gravitating more and more toward the barbershop. Uniquely, stylists who have seen this trend and have started opening what Kai dubs, the ‘salon barbershop’.

“This always makes the public confused. We continue the revival of barber culture in Taiwan and let more people know about barbers.

“The style we like is not very mainstream, but we have always insisted on it. Most people still coast along with the mainstream to please the public.

“Stick to what you’re truly interested in, have no fear and don’t let the outside world change you.”

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ONE STOP GROOMING SHOP

A

Attire House Haberdashery & Barbershop Unit A, 4/F Duke Wellington House, 14–24 Wellington Street Central, Hong Kong (+852) 2619 9007

The Attire House barbershop also offers men an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban living, with its highly skilled barbers—Seoul veteran Roy Jeong, and head barber Yan—who specialise in a diligent and unhurried style of barbering.

They offer slick haircuts, wet shaves and even facial massages, clients can also relax with a cool gin and tonic or a post– appointment cigar.

The barbering philosophy Attire House puts forward is one of attentiveness, and a desire to deliver the best possible customer experience and this involves placing importance on client consultations, which Brandon believes is a frequent oversight in modern grooming.

When asked what makes the Hong Kong barber scene special, Brandon tells us, “Gentlemen in Hong Kong are becoming more discerning in recent years.

There seems to be a revival of barber culture and many are tired of queuing in hair salons for trendy haircuts—instead they prefer reliable, traditional and neat barbering techniques and services.”

Attire House certainly offers an idyllic experience for its discerning gentleman clientele and the barbershop is just one aspect of this cosy grooming space.

• For styling, Attire House uses the luxury New York grooming brand JS Sloane, and scented shaving lathers sourced from Taylor of Old Bond Street.

SPECIAL FEATURES

info@attire–house.com

lover of the classic, gentleman aesthetic since his boarding school days in the UK, Attire House founder, Brandon Chau created the ultimate urban retreat. The brand’s sartorial heaven was designed by Japanese architect Jin Hadaka, and offers everything you could desire, all under one impeccable roof.

Hong Kong is a vibrant city, and it’s where Brandon Chau calls his home. In 2016, Brandon had the idea to open a menswear shop for the holistic gentleman, with a barbershop, cocktail bar and humidor, where the modern gent can connect with the environment. Attire House is a unique establishment offering a cosy grooming space for the discerning, modern man.

“I created Attire House to offer a place where a gentleman could relax and take his time to pick his tailoring, visit his barbers, sip a cocktail and smoke a cigar in a place of close proximity.”

Attire House HK

Craftsmanship Barbershop No. 156 Section 2 Keelung Road Da’an District Taipei City Taiwan 106 (+886) 2 2732 5299 taiwanbarbers@ gmail.com

Staff: 8

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Haircraft Carriers Craftsmanship Barbershop, Taiwan

M

these visits are what inspired David and his wife to take the plunge in the city and open a new shop there.

The inspiration behind Craftmanship comes from more than wanting a change in scenery—it’s the appreciation of talented barbers.

“We also wanted to build a place with a great team of barbers, that’s why we chose to call the shop Craftsmanship because it’s a celebration of barbers working together. After three years, I believe we have achieved this and it is one of the greatest satisfactions when I see our team working so well together.

“As I’d already been working with a great team of barbers in Hualien, we knew that we wanted to celebrate the fact that Taiwan has great barbers, so we named the shop Craftsmanship.”

Being a barber is a distinctive process requiring a lot of different skills tailored to ensure customers are always happy.

David’s philosophy reflects his dedication to providing customers with the best service and experience.

“My philosophy for barbering is that it’s all about the customer. Each gentleman that sits in the chair has a story. His life, work, family, hobbies, all play a part in his haircut. It’s about getting to know the client and always delivering consistent work that the customer can rely on.”

SPECIAL FEATURES

anaging director of Craftmanship Barbershop Daniel Bullivant, 31, has been working in barbershops for 18 years, and was just 13–years old when he first stepped inside a barbershop.

He started by sweeping floors and making tea before undertaking his apprenticeship at 16. Daniel’s knowledge and long career in barbering has allowed him to create a barbershop experience perfectly tailored to Taiwan.

“It’s a place for the modern man to go to look sharp, and also to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. A place to recharge and become a new person after a fresh cut. It’s a place where the barbers are dedicated to their craft and have a passion that drives their customer service. We also provide a glass of Highland Park whisky!”

The barbering scene in Taiwan is consistently growing.

Every year, more events are being organised, allowing barbers to learn new styles and skills as well as enter competitions. With a growing crop of talented barbers continually emerging, it keeps the scene fresh.

“I think the barbering scene in Taiwan is unique because it’s new to the stylist and the clients—before, the only options were local traditional barbershops or trendy hair salons, there was never the middle classy ground that we have now.

“Both the client and the barber are interested and dedicated to this new scene. I believe that the Taiwanese have a real talent for hairdressing and barbering, such great passion and skill.”

Craftmanship Barbershop is unlike any other, with people travelling from the more populous urban areas to Hualien—a city on the more remote East coast of Taiwan—just to visit David’s original venture, Cutting Edge Barbershop. Cutting Edge is still open now, but

Product Envy

EDITOR’S CHOICE This month’s best products includes a brand–new offering from Balance, a barber brand offering a new organic beard oil, among other great products from great brands.

UPPERCUT DELUXE Solid Cologne—Cedar and Spice

Solid Cologne is a strong– smelling and long–lasting alternative to normal cologne. Apply in the morning for a long– lasting scent and reapply whenever you need to impress throughout the day. and night.

£17.00 uppercutdeluxe.com

SEVEN POTIONS Beard Grooming Set Woodland Harmony

Consisting of Beard Oil, Beard Shampoo and Beard Brush.

This kit is for the bearded gent who’s looking for the ultimate beard care kit, whether it’s for your own grooming routine or a thoughtful gift for a loved one. This set contains everything you need from stubble to yeard (beard and year) and beyond.

£39.97 sevenpotions.com

REBEL—A BRUSH LIKE NO OTHER

Edgy. Unique. Iconic. The REBEL Brush is all about style on your terms. Join the REBELution.

■

■

directions for effective detangling, smooth brushing, grooming and healthy scalp massage.

■

Antibacterial for healthy hair and scalp.

■

Water resistant for use on

■

■

Multi–Flex Active Blade bristles flex in opposing

wet hair and in the shower.

Heat resistant (up to 120°C) for use with a hairdryer.

Available in four studded chrome finishes Stands up. Display—don’t hide away!

£7.48+VAT (trade price)/£17.95 RRP For trade and wholesale enquire contact sales@ tangleangel.com and follow us on Instagram @rebel_ta for the latest news and updates.

BALANCE MALE GROOMING Balance Beard Oil The antioxidants and Vitamin E in Balance’s Beard Oil help the hair grow healthier by boosting cell production.

Many regrowth clinics use this oil to help with hair retention. Vitamin E helps the oil repair the damage caused by overuse of chemicals and dyes.

A certified organic product, its light, nutty scent indicates the oil has not been refined. No additives or perfumes have been used to remove real nutrients— EcoCert Certified.

■ Suitable for all skin and hair types ■ Helps with beard dandruff prevention WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT? Let’s face it – we’re all busy people. In every person’s hectic schedule there needs to be a time out. A time out where we can just relax, reflect and focus on ourselves and that’s exactly what Balance is all about. We believe it’s imperative for every person to maintain their health and appearance to develop and grow as people. Hence the brand name Balance

■ Helps with beard scalp damage and brittle beard hairs ■ A pre– and post–shaving product ■ Great for dry skin conditions ■ Promotes healing and anti–acne properties by balancing skin’s moisture ■ Non–greasy & fast absorbing ■ Eliminates frizz for soft & shiny beard ■ Alcohol–free and silicone–free ■ Vegan friendly and animal cruelty–free ■ UV–protective glass bottle to prolong life of product.

£24.99 balanceproducts.co.uk

– to keep you performing at your best.

This is also why the Director of the company has travelled 2000 miles to bring you refined Argan oil. It’s quite miraculous how Argan Kernels are grown from trees in only one area of the world which lives for more than 200 years. After being cold pressed by fair waged locals in Morocco’s Sous Valley, our luxury oil goes through vigorous checks before it reaches you with guaranteed purity.

NEOCAPE Unigown Pinstripe

We pride ourselves on firm morals and a commitment to deliver you the highest quality product so we ensured our oil is EcoCert certified. We also believe it’s important to be transparent with our customers and what better way to do that by establishing pure 100% organic oil as our first product. No additives, no unidentifiable and unpronounceable ingredients, no fragrances and certainly no doubt in the oils results.

CLIPA INC Clipa Backpack

The Pinstripe Unigown is perfect for barbers or salons, featuring the brand’s neoprene seal that prevents hair or water going down the neck.

Industry demand has led to our new stylish Pinstripe. The white fabric reflects the light, optimising visibility for your detailed work. While the fine pinstripes provide an added element of style.

The patented Clipa Backpack is the ultimate barber and stylist backpack. The features of this heavy–duty Denier polyester backpack include three padded interior pouches for corded clippers, four additional interior padded pouches for cordless clippers, three separate internal sections with various size pouches to carry hair brushes, combs, scissors, mirror and razor blades and extra back and shoulder strap padding for maximum carrying comfort.

£27.95 neocape.co.uk

£149.99 clipabrand.com

BUD & TENDER Filter–Pure CBD Cannabidiol

Cannabis

Oil

1000mg

Razor sharp businesses are starting to stock the Bud & Tender premium CBD Cannabis Oil yo add value to their service. Rated excellent on Trustpilot, Bud & Tender research and produce this high quality CBD Cannabis Oil in England and it is rated by the Evening Standard as one of the best 0ils in the UK. ■ Gorgeous fresh fruity floral taste ■ 100% natural & 100% UK legal and ideal for athletes

£80.00 budandtender.com

Product Envy

HAIR

REUZEL Matte Styling Paste

Reuzel Matte Styling Paste has a medium hold that adds texture for a variety of hair lengths. And since it’s water soluble, it’ll rinse out like it was never there. So when a girl runs her fingers through your hair, she can, you know, actually run her fingers through it.

The very best products for your whole hair care regimen, from wash right through to styling—this month’s feature product comes from the Devil’s Hair Co.

£13.99 reuzel.co.uk

MUK Fat Muk Volumiser

Add maximum volume and shine to your hair, while also thickening and strengthening fine, limp hair all with one product.

Fat Muk Volumiser helps create fullness and texture by expanding the hair shaft and when applied liberally to towel dried roots will provide lift and all over volume. Humidity resistant, the alpine mist fragranced volumiser is suitable for all hair types, including dry and damaged hair.

£11.95 mukhairuk.com

FLY NO. 1 Pomade Strong Hold

A pomade should do three things well. It should last all day, wash out easily, and most importantly, make you look good. Fly No. 1 with its subtle vanilla and sandalwood aroma, ticks all the boxes, while moisturising your hair throughout the day.

$18.00 flybarbershop.com

THE DEVIL’S HAIR CO Devil’s Hair Dust Volumising Styling Powder

Formulated by a barber in the UK, the Devils Hair Co products are the result of a lifetime of barber knowledge put into the products he would like to use himself. Tested extensively on real world clients to perfect the formula, the branding is on point and the products speak for themselves. The Devil’s Hair Dust is full to the brim and makes an excellent piece to have in your barbering tool kit.

£6.00 thedevilshairco.com

Iain Davis, the founder of the Devil’s Hair Co and owner of All Stars Barbershop & Tattoo Studio (Chichester), has been cutting hair for around 30 years and has used a lot of products throughout his time. Feeling dictated to by the big brands, Iain founded Devil’s Hair Co because he wanted his own range that he could believe in.

“I sold other company’s products before and I felt a bit shallow. If you don’t believe in selling something it’s a bit of a hard one to live with.

It’s been a slow evolution—it took me 30 years to get where I am with the product. It’s been a lot of testing and rather than buying off–the–shelf products just to stick the sticker on them... I spent three months getting the coconut smell right. I spent the time refining it, so I believe in it.

We’ve got a couple of barbers now, through Instagram, using the product and to me that is testament. I feel accredited because other barbers are using it.”

DEVIL’S DUST The name and branding for Devil’s Dust is very tongue–in–cheek and plays very much into Iain’s personality and sense of humour.

“I take full responsibility for the name and ideas around it! The headliner is, ‘not just for the weekend’, a play on, ‘something for the weekend’. We don’t want to take ourselves so seriously. Everything we want to be is about sly smiles and a little bit of a chuckle, and enjoy what we do because barbershops are great environments to be happy in.

It’s a massive learning curve and I’ll forever be evolving the product range and even the products themselves—a rolling stone gathers no moss. It takes something to put yourself out there, not just the determination but the acceptance of what you’ve done.

If I can make someone smile, or make them happy—that’s the nature of our game isn’t it?”

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Product Envy

EQUIPMENT & TOOLS All the best hardware, hand–picked by our team.

OLYMP Modell 3100

A product of pure, quality German engineering. The Modell 3100 is more stylish than the run of the mill classic barber chair. For your more discerning clients and in some delicious fabrics rather than black. They literally last forever.

£2,499.00 albertewandesign.com

CALIBRE GROOMING Texture Carbon Fibre Comb

A specialised carbon fibre comb, moulded into a uniquely designed shape to maximise style and texture while minimising static and hair breakage. Let your tools express your identity by getting the comb engraved to reflect you and your style.

£35.00 calibregroomingco.com

ANDIS Cordless Master

WAHL Stealth Beretto Clipper Kit

The Limited Edition Stealth Beretto Clipper is designed for fine tapering and quicker cutting, the premium lightweight design provides you with balance and control. The innovative carbon–coated Diamond Blade is 40 times more durable than the standard blade and the Speed Comb is designed for creating flat tops, tapering and clipper over comb.

£109.99 wahl.co.uk

Fans of the Andis Master will know all about the iconic styling of this clipper.

The Master Cordless is built around a high–speed rotary motor that runs at 7,200 strokes per minute and can cut wet or dry for effortless bulk removal. With a rugged yet lightweight chassis and durable lithium ion battery that’ll run for 90 minutes!

£250.00 andis.com

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Product Envy

BEARD, MOUSTACHE & SKIN Check out our pick of products to pamper your beard, lip, skin and chin.

CAPTAIN FAWCETT Rufus Hound’s Triumphant Beard Oil (50ml)

The Captain’s collaboration with actor, comedian and good egg, Rufus Hound has given us a splendid beard oil. A heady perfume with top notes of bergamot, lime and yang, mid notes of blackcurrant, clove and galbanum supported by earthier sandalwood, ambergris and musk notes.

Dare we say this is one of the Captain’s finest concoctions? Yes, we do.

£36.00 captainfawcett.com

SELVEDGE GROOMING Men’s Facial Scrub

Wonderfully formulated with pumice stone and free from microbeads, Selvedge’s Facial Scrub gently removes grime, sebum and dirt, all while aiding the removal of ingrown hairs and unclogging pores.

€17.90 selvedgegrooming.com

CORPORE SANCTUM The BaseX: Collagen Booster Essence

Korean skincare trends have shaped the global industry in a profound way. Over the years, K–beauty brands have been conquering the hearts of grooming aficionados all over the world—Corpore Sanctum is one of them.

Introduce this intensive serum to your nighttime skincare regime to reveal healthier skin. Using a blend of skin–loving oils, vitamins and oleic acid, the potent formula encourages the renewal of skin cells by restoring essential fatty acids for a seriously good–looking skin.

£9.99 corporesanctum.com

THE BLUEBEARDS REVENGE Doubloon Synthetic Shaving Brush

It’s now post–Movember, so if you’re planning to shave off your soup strainer, The Bluebeards Revenge Doubloon Synthetic Shaving Brush is the perfect first step into the world of traditional wet shaving. Its vegan– friendly bristles make whipping up lathers effortless.

£9.99 bluebeards–revenge.co.uk

A Visual Cutting & Styling Process by OFF–CUT Barbers

CLASSIC PULLBACK

PHOTOGRAPHY

Danny Abbott (co–founder of OFF–CUT) HAIR

Oscar Artini @oscarartini PRODUCTS

Uppercut Deluxe Pomade MODEL

Guy Jones (founder of Vague Skate Magazine) @vagueskatemag

66

CHRIS FOSTER

on

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS “Chris, do I need to do a photo shoot? It’s so expensive, I don’t know how to do it, why would I do it in the first place?”

These are questions I am constantly being asked as a career coach.

Allow me to tell you the reason I believe you should consider doing a photo shoot. Imagine if Beyonce or Mick Jagger didn’t share their passion, voices or energy, and only sang in the shower or at family events. Nobody would hear their amazing vocals and experience their magical performances.

However, this is what happens to most hair professionals every single day. Our skills and passions are kept behind the chair—only making an impact on our clientele or the people we work with. Imagine, the amounts of people we can touch if we create and capture images to inspire others. We work in a creative industry, people need to see what we can create. It’s like being a baker and not baking, or being an athlete and not doing track and field.

Hair professionals are not exercising their gifts and sharing it with the world, because they either don’t know how to do a photo shoot, they feel it’s too expensive, or they don’t think it’s important. By understanding how photo shoots work, it will allow you to potentially share your creativity from beyond the chair.

Once you’ve got your final retouched images, you need to make sure they have a lifespan. You want your images to reach the widest audience possible both nationally and internationally. You might want to invest in PR to get the collection out there after all you want to be known and recognised for the work that you produce.

I hope these tips will help you as you plan your next collection. The work you produce is your calling card, it’s your professional record and it’s your product.

CHRIS’S TOP STRATEGIES TO GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR PHOTO SHOOT ■ Understand the fundamentals of how to communicate your ideas with your photographer.

Firstly, develop your concept through research.

Look at things that inspire you. Is it from a movie, something you see as you walk down the street? Some of my best ideas come to me whilst walking down the streets of London. Start building your mood board. Pinterest is a great tool for researching a particular concept and building and a place to create your mood board.

■ You need to focus on your creative philosophy and what your signature style is. Once you’ve identified that, this is what’s going to differentiate you from everybody else. Many people post pictures of haircuts on social media done in their salon and it’s the same as everyone else’s. You need to think, what can I do that’s going to push my creative philosophy? Dare to be different!

■ Focus on your budget. It’s easy to say, ‘I can’t afford it’, but those words will sabotage your success. You can be resourceful even if you don’t have resources. Budgets are important, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. Think about collaborating with other creative professionals to share the cost. There are always people who need to create regular collections through photo shoots.

■ Practice, check and prepare. I suggest practicing the cut and styling before the shoot. This makes it easier on shoot day cut and prep easier. If you have multiple looks, practice and prep as much as possible, it makes a massive difference to your success.

■ Choose your team wisely; there is no room for passengers. Find great models and work with great makeup artists. Often you can arrange for the shoot to be conducted as a test. A test is when makeup artists, photographers and stylists work together for free for mutual benefits of the photo shoot.

IMAGES COURTESY OF CHRIS FOSTER

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Would you like my direct support and help to put together your next photo shoot?

Do you want your next shoot to give you the best results to build your next collection?

Well, I would like to offer you the opportunity to enter an exclusive competition to win a FREE photo shoot with full one–to–one coaching support from myself. The prize for this competiton is worth over £2,000 with photographer, Andy Kruczek and myself..

This programme is called Xposure Live and will take place in Birmingham next year 2020.

So, to have your chance to win this exclusive competition email info@hairbychrisfoster. com, with XPOSURE LIVE as the subject line and you will be entered into the prize draw.

The winner will be announced in my next BarberNV column.

[left] Various images from a Chris Foster photo shoot.

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SIMON HARVEY on

WHAT CAME FIRST —THE SCISSOR OR THE COMB?

Crazy quiz time: What year did Robert Hinchliffe mass produce scissors?

As far back as 5,500 B.C. those clever bastards, the ancient Egyptians, not being content with inventing everything useful such as maths, medicine and writing; came up with a game– changer. Some say it was the Dyson of its day… the comb. China was the first to popularise the comb as a status symbol worn as an ornate piece in women’s hair and made from expensive materials such as ivory, tortoiseshell and turquoise. The comb’s primary function was to smooth out unruly hair by separating individual strands with its multiple parallel teeth.

Fast forward a few thousand years, and the eloquent comb was weaponised. ‘Scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should,’ and thus the flick comb was forged.

To date, the most expensive comb on the market is The Tomas Veres Pantheon Comb Collection— prices start at €1,100! Or you could just buy one for £1.99 at Sally’s. Right we’re moving onto scissors next, brace yourselves…

[Googles interesting facts on scissors] Stay with me guys we’re on the home straight.

Despite popular belief, Leonardo da Vinci didn’t invent scissors. Historians believe scissors were invented in the Middle East as long as 3,000–4,000 years ago. The ingenious Egyptians were at it again and created a scissor–like device around 1,500 B.C. While a pair of scissors more like our modern scissors with a cross–blade or pivoted design was developed by the ancient Romans around 100 A.D. The first mass–produced scissors came about in 1761 when English manufacturer Robert Hinchliffe, adapted the design so it could be built in a factory. Hinchliffe was also the first to make scissors out of steel.

Comb–bining (b’dum–tisch) these tools together you get a beautiful technique known as scissors– over–comb, a manual approach to blending— barbering unplugged. Fun fact: Did you know that the plural of scissors is… scissors.

ILLUSTRATION FROM SHUTTERSTOCK / PHOTO COURTESY OF SIMON HARVEY

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JOE MILLS on

WORKING WITH A BIG BRAND

T

he world of barbering is facing challenges it’s never seen before—from online stores, declining high streets and never–ending red tape. But look further afield than your four walls and there are amazing opportunities outside the usual sphere.

The key is to know what you want to do and how you can go about it. Brands outside the industry are looking for partners and the creative impact we can bring, so it’s always worth a conversation.

The advantages are, you have the support and clout of working with a corporate entity. People see you in a different light, from a business perspective, which is good when you are trying to get things moving. The downsides are, you are playing with the big boys, so make sure you keep your wits about you and read everything twice.

I have recently started working with Primark for my MILLS X PRIMARK brand of barbershops. It started as an initial conversation and grew from there. It wasn’t an easy sell and I had to work through all of the things that would be involved and be happy with them, but once that was established it went pretty smoothly.

As a small independent, you make your own decisions and can react at your own speed. When you then start working with big organisations, things can change and you have to be prepared for that. Also, you may have to compromise or fight your corner, and you can’t get overwhelmed. Make sure it is truly a partnership—they have a lot more resources than you do so utilise them.

Working with a big brand can bring endless opportunities. If you imagine it, it could happen—they have the money and structure and can support you with whatever you could imagine. But be clear with what that is, if they are in the industry the options will have more structure as most of the brands are involved with development and other similar areas.

Over the years, I have worked with most hair product companies, as well as the retail sector and their methods are very different. I’m not 100 per cent sure what I have learned, but I know I’m a lot more cautious and want a lot more answers than I used to. The most important thing is to understand what their motivation is to want to work with you and be clear about what you want to achieve.

ILLUSTRATION FROM SHUTTERSTOCK

JOE’S TIPS FOR WORKING WITH A BIG BRAND ■ Be clear about why you are doing it, to yourself and the brand.

■ What’s the worst that can happen? Understand that fully.

■ Go in realising that you both need each other, that it is a working partnership and if you want out how can you do it?

■ Make sure you own your IP and anything you bring to the table has to be covered in a contract.

■ Make sure you own your IP and anything you bring to the table has to be covered in a contract.

Find out more about Joe Mills joemills.net theloungesoho joeandco.net

Instagram @joemillshair @joeandcosoho @theloungesohohair

P

SAVE THE DATE

R

O

FE

SSIONAL

★

★ LIVE ★

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in collaboration with

23 RD –24 TH FEBRUARY 2020 MANCHESTER CENTRAL

MENSPIRE

A collection by Joey Power

UTILITY

PHOTOGRAPHY

Andrew Gilbert HAIR

Joey Power, Andrea Reiss & Dammy Ogunleye MUA

Clara McCarthy STYLIST

Joey Power & Georgina Gilbert

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The masterminds behind Essex powerhouse Eighty8 Love to Create, Joe Sloan and Joey Power have teamed up with BarberNV to bring us an exclusive insight into their business.

Putting each other in the hot seat, the pair give very honest accounts about how they met and got started with Eighty8 Love to Create.

76 JOEY POWER

JOE SLOAN

LET’S GET STARTED This is our first instalment by the way. It feels like a podcast. Just me and you babe.

More professional than a podcast. I think we should give a slight introduction about who we are, how we met and how we created our brand and barbershop, Eighty8 Love to Create. How did we meet?

I noticed you way before you noticed me, right—when I was new to the industry.

I just have to stop you there, just for anyone watching this. I probably noticed you way before you noticed me. I remember them suits you used to wear, so I’m sure me and hundreds of other people certainly noticed you.

That’s the only reason I wore those suits. I had to stand out and it clearly paid off. You were on stage at Salon [International] with FEDs and I was well new to the industry and in awe of everything. I was like, ‘You know what? One day I’m going to be on stage with them’, and yeah it was when I first met you. When we first met, it was at Barber Connect when I helped out with Johnny, I think that was when we were properly introduced to each other. And then there’s a whole new story of how I’m working alongside you.

Alright, throw that question back at me.

Okay, how did we first meet?

We met at Barber Connect, however it was 100 miles an hour if I remember correctly.

I was working at Salon International for the Men’s Hairdressing Federation and I remember this mountain of a man dressed in what can only be described as dressed in a suit like I’ve never seen before. Not just the suit, the shoes, the trousers, the waistcoat or overcoat, it was this presence, this man.

I’m not that much of a mountain.

THE FEDS I was at British Master Barbers with Dale and you weren’t there, your dad [Adam Sloan] was on stage promoting MHFED and then while you were hosting, your dad mentioned there was an opening in the FEDs. I elbowed Dale and said, ‘As soon as he comes off stage, I’m pulling at his trouser leg because I want that space.’ And that’s exactly what I did.

Your dad was like, ‘You’ve been working with Dale, I love your stuff,’ and I didn’t hear back from him for months [...] I

thought that chance was gone and I got a text, ‘We’ve got a Pro Hair Live spot for you at BXL. Do you want it?’ Of course I want it.

That’s when I felt I really made it man.

It feels like so long ago.

It ain’t long ago, a few years—four at max and now, look what’s blossomed out of those four years.

THE CONNECTION It was yours and Harry’s first show with the Fellowship at HJ, and we had the meeting in the middle of the Excel. I had to lay the law down... And the energy I got back from you was like, ‘Yeah, I’m taking this so seriously.’ It was that moment I thought, ‘Wow, I like this guy.’ I can be a bit like a bull in a china shop, and I certainly met my match.

I’ve been lucky, I’ve wrapped myself around some really good people in my career. I’m still a baby in this, and that moment was like, ‘Wow, that’s sick. I’ve made it.’ I set myself a few goals that year, and one of them, there was three goals and one of them was, shoot my first collection...

What was that called?

Temple Shift. The second was to work on London Fashion Week, and Johnny gave me the opportunity to work with Barber Barber on Josh (name I couldn’t make out) and the third was to join the artistic team, which would have been the FEDs and I smashed them all out by a mile. It took me back to that place when I was watching yous on stage—that set the bar and I’ve not just hit that bar, I need to set a new one.

That’s something we certainly strive for, but let’s go forward a little – pre–Eighty8. Before you certainly knew what was going to happen.

This is a proper journey. We’ve got some stories to share.

BACK TO WHAT THEY LOVE I think it’s now time to get back out and see some faces that we’ve missed, have a laugh and do what we want to do. Let’s get back to the meet–and–greet stories and I hope this is the one I’ve got in my head, because I’ve never forgave you for this.

This was just before we stopped doing shows...

This was Salon [International] 2017, yeah.

We was all prepping back stage, we knew what was going on. You of course has

77

your amazing finance Jennifer, who was pregnant at the time. All I remember is, I was outside, you had been prepping and I gone outside and Big JP said, ‘Come over here’ [...] he said, ‘Joey’s other half has gone into labour, her waters have broken.

But this is Joey’s big show, you can’t say nothing. He gets it done and he’s well, everything goes smoothly and he gets off stage.’ If I could foresee the future, and see that we was going to have this amazing brand and relationship, I would have taken it on the chin.

I’m not even twigging, I just know we’re on stage at 10am, then we’re doing the Fellowship and then over to HJ and we’ll be off stage by 12pm. [...] We come off stage at 12:01pm and I just touch my phone and Jane’s rung me, I ask if she’s alright and she says, ‘No! Get home now, the baby’s coming!’ I remember Kevin Luchmun was backstage prepping his models and I was gassed jumping around. Then I literally got my case to leave, and as I’m darting through Salon everyone’s trying to stop me [...] They must have been thinking, ‘What’s this guy doing?’ She didn’t come for another 12 hours after that, no big panic, but that story will live with me forever. It was such an amazing thing, and that set the tone for our friendship.

And you know because JP said it I had no guilt or shame.

Can you imagine? I’m at Salon prancing around on stage...

I had a job to do, you had a job to do and we got the job done. And I guess, right, that’s everything Eighty–8’s about. You leave everything else at the door, it’s business and business comes first. Wow this is deep, man. I guess he was teaching me a lesson that day.

Until next time.

To find out more about Joe Sloan, Joey Power and Eighty8 Love to Create, head over to our YouTube channel BarberNV to see the full extended interview and visit eighty8lovetocreate.com to see what the pair have built for yourself. [photos] of Eighty8 Love to Create barbershop in Rayleigh by Joey Power & Joe Sloan

IMAGES COURTESY OF JOE SLOAN

MHFED INDIA DIARIES

When City & Guilds approached us to launch MHFed in Mumbai and the Indian Barber of Year competition, we only needed to think about it for a nanosecond.

It was a career highlight to represent the Mhfed in Mumbai. Working with the MHFED/City & Guilds as an MHFED ambassador with Team India created incredible personal memories for me.”

— Phil Jarman

S

tuart Skinner, head of South East Asia City & Guilds, at a meeting at their headquarters in London, made this happen. His team, Anand, Ranjini and Sushma, communicated with us via Skype to put the event together. It was a huge honour for us as City & Guilds had dual–branded the stand with our logo.

Our team consisted of Emma Mackay, City & Guilds industry manager, MHFED International educator Chris Muskett, MHFED ambassador Phil Jarman and myself.

We set off on our adventure not knowing what to expect as we boarded the plane at Heathrow. We had been entertained pre–flight by Mr Wahl himself, Simon Shaw, who was flying out to the same two–day show in Mumbai. On arrival at Mumbai Airport, we met our driver waiting outside, the humidity hit us and we set off to our exclusive hotel.

After spending an amazing first day sightseeing with our driver, the team arrived at the Bombay Exhibition Centre hosting Salon Mumbai ready to work the stage.

We hosted four one–hour shows a day with packed audiences. Our initial encounter with Simon Shaw at the airport led to Simon, very kindly inviting our team onto his packed main stage to launch our competition to a huge audience and we would like to thank Simon and Wahl for this.

I fell in love with Mumbai and its culture coupled with the most genuinely lovely people. Their kindness and generosity will stay with me forever, even though they thought I was a former wrestler! Thank you, Mr Jarman!

We worked tirelessly on the stage with a never–ending source of models sharing knowledge. We had Sushma and Ranjini taking turns to help translate during our shows. Emma Mackay co–compered with myself across all of our shows. Chris and Phil mesmerised the crowd with their underpinning knowledge of our barbering industry, with classic techniques fusing with modern detailing and beard designs.

I would like to thank City & Guilds’ Stuart Skinner, Anand, Ranjini and Sushma for believing in MHFED and taking us on our global journey. Last year, we launched in Japan then India, and our international ambassador, HD Cutz, has launched the MHFED Barber of the Year in Jamaica at the D’Marie Institute.

Dawn Lindo, CEO and founder of the D’Marie Institute, will be collaborating with City & Guilds and the MHFED to find the Jamaican Barber of the Year 2020.

■ WORDS BY ADAM SLOAN, CEO OF MHFED

IMAGES COURTESY OF MHFED

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M

umbai is an incredible, inspiring and thought–provoking place. The optimism and happiness of its people combined with its warm and humid environment and fragrant smells and flavours—makes for one of the most interesting cities on the planet.

Barbering–wise it feels like England seven or eight years ago when the huge enthusiasm for cutting men’s hair was beginning to gain momentum. There is a lot of number 1 and 2 haircuts at the shortest but mainly grade three, similar to what I remember doing in England.

There aren’t fades for the most part. The most common cut I saw with 18–35–year–olds was a disconnected side part shaved right up to the parting. The other side of the parting wasn’t connected either so not much thought went into the way it was allowed to sit or fall around the crown.

However, with the excitement around men’s hairdressing, I’m sure it won’t take long for Mumbai to gain an insight into layering and graduation, which will help these haircuts sit and grow out better. Then, there’s the fun of learning how to fade into these cuts. This isn’t to say we didn’t see good examples of men’s hair, I just speak from what I saw in my short time there.

I look forward to helping in any way I can with City & Guilds and MHFED to take this highly dedicated group of wonderful people forward in terms of modern barbering.

From the happiness and positivity, I was the one doing the learning whilst in India—thank you Mumbai and thank you to the MHFED and City & Guilds for asking me to teach there!”

■ WORDS BY CHRIS MUSKETT, INTERNATIONAL EDUCATOR, MHFED

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS The BarberNV team is working closely with MHFED and City & Guilds to support the world’s budding barber talent through their competitions.

The competitions are currently live over at mhfed. com/welcome–to–the–city–guilds–mhfed– international–competitions but will close on Monday, February 3 and will be judged at the City & Guilds HQ on February 13. All the forms you need to enter are downloadable from the MHFED site.

The prize? All regional winners will receive a morning workshop with Menspire’s Josh Lamonaca in St Albans.

Then in the afternoon, you’ll have an editorial photoshoot with Desmond Murray—one editorial look per winner.

You’ll also have the chance to be the cover star for BarberNV 28, while Afro Barber of the Year and all the Trainee Barbers of the Year will receive editorial in the same issue.

The prize for Indian Barber of the Year is still to be confirmed, but keep your eyes peeled on the MHFED site for more information.

Good luck to everyone entering!

EDUCATION & TRAINING

MHFED/HD CUTZ JAMAICA While Adam and company travelled to India, MHFED ambassador HD CUTZ touched ground in his native Jamaica to motivate the students of the D’Marie Institute.

S

I was going around the island, trying to inspire the whole island.

[from top] Sheldon a.k.a. HD Cutz, presenting an award at the D’Marie Institute, and exploring his native country of Jamaica.

traight after stepping off his plane at Norman Manley International Airport, Sheldon was diplomatically escorted onto Jamaican soil. From this humbling experience spent 12 days travelling the island, doing what he does best—inspiring people.

During his time, Sheldon shared his knowledge, story and energy with the students of the City & Guilds– certified D’Marie Institute, as well as being the keynote speaker at the D’Marie Institute’s awards ceremony.

“What they’ve got is giving people in Jamaica a lot of hope, and people depend on D’Marie. The D’Marie Institute is officially certified by City & Guilds and can do a lot for the youth, but they still need a lot of help.

“There’s only so much they can do with the limited budget they have and I think we need find a way to get them what they need to take it to the next level.”

Teaching the young, prospective barbers how to behave in the workplace, how to present themselves and how to represent their brand, Sheldon was truly in his element.

But, as he told BarberNV in issue 25, the biggest issue facing some of the youth was their belief in themselves.

“I could see a little of them in me, and it reminded me of when I started. A lot of people suffer from a lack of self–confidence, even people from the Institute.

“People don’t believe in them, and that’s a problem because these are young people who can easily be led astray, and if you’ve got people who don’t believe in them, it’s hard for them to even believe in themselves.”

That’s why Sheldon’s work is so important—he wants to show them that anything is possible, just as barbers showed him at the start of his career. He still keeps in touch with many of the students, feeling that it’s his greatest job to show the youth the heights they can achieve through hard work and self–belief.

But he didn’t go away without learning something

IMAGES COURTESY OF HD CUTZ

from the students, as he tells us.

“I learned that out of nothing they can still be happy. Happiness doesn’t come from just having stuff that we might think we need. It just comes from the basic love of anything you’re doing. They’re happy to dream.”

To further spread his message, Sheldon visited his old school to speak to the kids about his career and motivate them.

“Going back to my old school was emotional. You can imagine walking down the corridors of the school and the kids are cheering and all that kind of stuff. It was a very touching experience, more than words can describe.”

In an Instagram post, Sheldon described his visit as life–changing in many ways. He tells BarberNV exactly how the D’Marie Institute students have affected him and his purpose.

“In Jamaica, society is depending on me for change. As a fellow Jamaican they look up to me, and where I am in the industry. They need people who are going to motivate and inspire them.

“That’s why my work ethic has doubled, if not tripled. Every minute, no matter where I am messages and support pour in from people. People are tuned in to this and I can’t let them down. I need to make them feel like anything is still possible.”

So touched and moved, Sheldon is looking to build his HD CUTZ brand to pursue education with the help of City & Guilds and MHFED. “It’s getting the right people with the right mind on board and its going to be easier to get into that department.”

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BESPOKE BARBERING WITH JOTH DAVIES We’ve listened to your thoughts and feedback, and as a result have curated a unique, bespoke barbering educational experience. During two full days you will train in the informal setting of the legendary Savills barbershop alongside one of the barbering world’s most respected educators. With over 30 years experience and a host of educational responsibilities under his belt including current Wahl Lead Educator for the Men’s Method, Joth Davies has a wealth of practical, theoretical and entrepreneurial knowledge for you to dip into. You will be part of an intimate group of no more than four like–minded learners in a laid–back but professional working barbershop setting (not a classroom). During a pre–course consultation, we will determine your desired learning outcomes and tailor make the course to meet these. Be it long hair, short hair, fades, specific styles, beard trims and anything else hair–related, Joth will exceed your expectations when it comes to passion for the industry and sharing his knowledge.

You will leave us buzzing with new– found enthusiasm and confidence!

HOW MUCH & WHAT YOU GET For the price of £600, all participants will leave the course with a complimentary Copacetic Gentlemen’s Grooming Starter Set including posters, stickers, point–of–sale display and one of each Copacetic Grooming products—Paste, Clay, Pomade and Cream and a Copacetic Barber’s Apron, together worth £96.50 (RRP).

COURSE FORMAT & NOTE FOR LEARNERS Please note that we require your final learning aims least one month prior to the commencement of the course to allow for the organisation of models. Hot towel wet shaves are not covered on this particular course. The minimum and maximum number of attendees needed to allow for the course to run is four persons.

The course runs from 10.30am until 5.00pm on all three days. We regret that this course is not suitable for beginners. Attendees are required to have a minimum of 12 months barbering experience. Training is carried out on live models with the exception of long hair cutting and styling techniques, which is delivered using mannequin heads. Using live models allows the training to cover differing hair types and growth patterns. Of course model’s hair types, lengths and requirements cannot always be foreseen. We all endeavour to accommodate as many training requests for specific hair styles as possible but this may be restricted at times as a result of a model’s suitability.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

DATES AVAILABLE ■ 18–19 February 2020 ■ 17–18 March 2020 ■ 23–24 June 2020 ■ 20–21 October 2020 ■ 17–18 November 2020

TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS Our course is bespoke to your requirements and can be formatted to suit your needs. Please let us know exactly what you want and we will put together your individual training plan.

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HAIRDRESSER TO BARBER This course is aimed at delegates who are already proficient in hairdressing and wish to develop their barbering techniques. You will learn the fundamental knowledge and understanding of the basic techniques used in barbering and how these differ from those used in hairdressing.

This will give you the confidence to master the basic cut shapes and a solid grounding, ready to move on to a creative level in both hairdressing and barbering.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Fading Blending Blowdrying Health & safety Product knowledge

TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS Our course is bespoke to your requirements and can be formatted to suit your needs. Please let us know exactly what you want and we will put together your individual training plan.

COURSE DURATION & FORMAT

WHAT WE WILL COVER ■ Maintenance of tools ■ Fundamental clippering with attachments ■ Fundamental clipper over comb ■ Fundamental scissor over comb ■ Graduation ■ Layering ■ Tapering

9.30AM–10.00AM Coffee & introductions 10.00AM–10.30AM Theory of fundamental barbering 10.30AM–1.00PM Two demonstration models on

MODELS & NUMBERS PER COURSE ■ Maximum of 6 if course held at our venue, and we will provide all models.

■ Maximum of 10 if course held at your venue, and you will provide all models.

HOW MUCH & WHAT YOU GET Cost for the courses can be done on a per person basis or group booking. Please contact us for your individual training plan and cost.

You will get an Erik Lander Education CPD/attendance certificate, and the skills and knowledge to become proficient in male grooming,

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING A kit of scissors/razor, clippers, combs, brushes and any preferred styling tools.

traditional barbering 1.00PM–1.30PM Lunch 1.30PM–4.00PM Hands–on practical with guidance from tutor 4.00PM–4.30PM Theory & practical session recap 4.30PM Finish

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CREATIVE MEN’S LONG HAIR This course is aimed at delegates who have 2 years or more experience in barbering and want to gain a better understanding of Men’s Long Hair, learn more creative cutting techniques and gain knowledge to create contemporary long hair styles.

WHAT WE WILL COVER ■ Razoring ■ Graduation ■ Layering ■ Tapering ■ Fading ■ Blending ■ Blowdrying ■ Health & safety ■ Product knowledge

TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS Our course is bespoke to your requirements and can be formatted to suit your needs. Please let us know exactly what you want and we will put together your individual training plan.

COURSE DURATION & FORMAT

9.30AM–10.00AM Coffee & introductions 10.00AM–10.30AM Theory & understanding of

techniques used on men’s long hair 10.30AM–1.00PM Two demonstration models on modern long hair 1.00PM–1.30PM Lunch 1.30PM–4.00PM Hands–on practical with guidance from tutor 4.00PM–4.30PM Theory & practical session recap 4.30PM Finish

CREATIVE MALE GROOMING This course is aimed at delegates who have 3 years or more experience in barbering and want to take their skills to the next level with more creative cutting and clippering techniques. You will gain knowledge and understanding of the advanced techniques used to create today’s modern and contemporary styles.

WHAT WE WILL COVER ■ Maintenance of tools ■ Advanced clippering without attachments ■ Advanced clipper over comb ■ Advanced scissor over comb ■ Razoring ■ Graduation ■ Layering ■ Tapering ■ Fading ■ Blending

■ Blowdrying ■ Health & safety ■ Product knowledge TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS Our course is bespoke to your requirements and can be formatted to suit your needs. Please let us know exactly what you want and we will put together your individual training plan.

COURSE DURATION & FORMAT

9.30AM–10.00AM Coffee & introductions 10.00AM–10.30AM Theory of modern tools &

barbering techniques 10.30AM–1.00PM Two demonstration models on modern barbering 1.00PM–1.30PM Lunch 1.30PM–4.00PM Hands–on practical with guidance from tutor 4.00PM–4.30PM Theory & practical session recap 4.30PM Finish EDUCATION & TRAINING

FOR PRICES & BOOKING ENQUIRIES, CONTACT ERIK@ERIKLANDER.COM WWW.ERIKLANDER.COM

INSTAGRAM SHOWCASE

A quick glance at the work of social media–savvy creatives across the country.

Tag @barbernvmagazine for a chance to feature your work in our next issue.

“Our industry is going through a huge shift with so many stylists taking control of their careers... I see this being a new standard in freelance hairdressing, offering a whole new avenue of revenue for stylists and salon owners alike.�

Jonathan Andrew, Hairdresser

New to e–chair.com e–chair.com is an online platform for chair and space rental at the forefront of revolutionising how freelance hair and beauty professionals work. Check out the latest salons with space to rent on e–chair.com now.

COURTYARD HAIR & BEAUTY TWICKENHAM

£POA

Courtyard Hair & Beauty offers first–class hairdressing, beauty and grooming services for both men and women.

Located on a busy High Street offering a truly luxurious and unique environment. We currently have chairs for rent.

CONTACT JAMES: 020 8892 5144 OR 07595 217 565

CARVIN MEN’S SALON CAMDEN

NEGOTIABLE

Camden’s newest men’s salon bringing the latest trends in men’s hair from classic barbering to contemporary hairdressing.

We have chairs available to rent to hairdressers or barbers.

CONTACT: 020 3828 3434

ALAN FOSTER SALON MOTHERWELL

£25 PER DAY/NEGOTIABLE

We are open to offers for our chair that is now available to rent.

We have a lovely big barbershop on front and a salon on the back with the staff room and toilet. Reception and waiting area, fully kitted out—all brand new, situated at the back of very nice busy barbers.

CONTACT FOR MORE DETAILS: 07933 705 234

CACTUS CUTS BARBERSHOP WILLESDEN

NEGOTIABLE

A chair in a busy unisex barbershop. Great local spot near the Latimer Road & Ladbrock Grove Station. Let out monthly at low rent price, negotiable.

Good opportunity for Afro Hair.

CONTACT FOR MORE DETAILS: 07511 202 211

Work anytime, anywhere, any place #yourrules

Join today at e–chair.com

The Social, London now on e–chair.com

Help your business reach its full potential 1. List your space on e–chair.com 2. Connect with freelancers in your area 3. Profit from filling your empty chairs “e–chair.com has opened the world of chair hire to the 21st century. Fast, efficient and pleasing on the eye – a lot like our members and their clients. Things won't be the same after this!”

Adam Sloan, CEO of MHFED “As a salon owner, the ease of use is what I really love about e–chair.com. Whether you’re booking or letting, the simplicity of e–chair.com makes it a pleasant experience and so much quicker. Everyone will love this!”

Alan Findlay, Owner, Rebel Rebel

Work anytime, anywhere, any place #yourrules

Join today at e–chair.com

IN THE

CHAIR

SPONSORED BY

with Dave Diggs

EACH ISSUE, BARBERNV BRINGS YOU A SHORT INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S BEST.

To say that barber, vlogger, author and international educator Dave Diggs is an inspirational tour de force would be understating his impact. Originally an engineering student at San Jose State University, Dave changed his career and since has gone on to become the barber to the stars and a respect global industry figure.

Dave, who spent five years in prison, uses his experiences and barbering, to help people the way the industry has given him so much.

WHAT DOES BARBERING MEAN TO YOU?

Barbering is very, very special to me. Most people know my story of going to prison before I became a barber— barbering saved my life and I cherish it. Which is why I’m so motivated to share it. My biggest mental fear while I was incarcerated was getting released and not having a legitimate means of providing for myself or my family. Barbering has provided more than that. It’s given me an international platform to help people who have lost hope.

HOW IMPORTANT IS EDUCATION?

To me, education in our industry is extremely important.

It’s the only way to grow and pass down the trade.

Barbering is much more than just cutting hair. Business, marketing, professionalism, logistics, product knowledge and sales are other elements of barbering that education supports and develops.

WHAT OR WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION?

Early in my career, my group of mentors were my inspiration; Kenny Duncan, Christina Goree, Donald ‘DC’ Conley, Daniel Moses and Aileen Nunez. I wanted to talk like them, cut like them and have the confidence they had. Now the shoe is on the other foot and the barbers I’ve been able to mentor have motivated and inspired me; Tavion ‘Tee the Barber’ Maultsby, Victoria ‘Vice Cutter’ Thompson, Aaron Flowers and George

‘Geo Cutz’ Pincham to name a few.

WHAT’S BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER?

I have a major problem stopping and smelling the roses.

I never pat myself on the back and I still feel there is so much more to accomplish. My proudest moments are the most humbling. It feels good when a successful barber lets me know my book helped them build their client base, or that my YouTube videos helped them get through barber school, or that I was the barber they looked up to. The non–barbering awards are the ones I cherish most. Acknowledgements from my local city council and the mayor’s office, community service awards from the California State Legislature and Entrepreneur of the Year from the NAACP are ones that stick out.

DO YOU EVER LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE FIRST CUTS YOU DID?

I’ve never deleted a YouTube video from my channel.

Now and then I’ll browse through my library and look at cuts I did years ago. I pay more attention to the filmography and editing than the actual haircut, I think that’s the techie in me.

WE KNOW HOW BIG YOU ARE ON USING YOUR PAST AS A MOTIVATOR FOR OTHER PEOPLE, WILL YOU BE DOING ANYTHING FOR NATIONAL EXPUNGEMENT WEEK?

It’s sad to say, but honestly, I wasn’t aware of N.E.W. The crazy part is that it’s my birthday week. Next year I’ll be all over it!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG BARBERS?

First, create a team of successful mentors to advise you on your journey. And second, success in anything you do takes A LOT of work. I didn’t get ahead by luck. I knew I wasn’t the most talented or creative. I had to gain ground through good old fashion hard work. I would edit my own YouTube videos AFTER cutting hair for 12 hours. I would write the pages of my book AFTER working a 60–hour–week. I would clean my shop AFTER everyone was done with their day. In this industry, you get back what you put in. Once you create your goals, create a plan to get there—and then outwork everyone you know.

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