CREATING AN AWARD-WINNING HAIR COLLECTION

By Matt Clarke, 2023 AMBA Modern Barber of the Year

I know I shouldn’t be writing this, giving my secrets to the competition, yet here we are.

In November I was lucky enough to win the AMBA’s Australian Modern Barber of the Year for my collection ‘Nevermore’ inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, goth kids of my childhood and Bram Stoker's Dracula.

By no means an expert I wanted to write an article that looks at the creative process of putting together a hair collection, to promote our industry and hopefully inspire you barbers out there to get involved this competition season.

It begins with inspiration, whatever that means to you. Maybe you see the world in colour, maybe you see the world in texture, maybe you see the world through music or maybe you’re inspired by others, by trends and movements.

For me inspiration stems from various pop culture reference points; rockstars, classic films and fashion icons. Whatever your inspiration, whatever your process, the key is that It feels authentic to you.

The truth is that replication isn’t the death of creativity, inauthenticity is the death of creativity. And I truly believe that people can smell inauthenticity from a mile away.

My whole career I have not followed the trends or mirrored what others do, not to say hair trends don’t inspire me, but the creatives I admire most, be it in fashion, music, art, or hair are the creatives that walk to the beat of their own drum. So be inspired with what speaks to you.

Next, the formulation. How does your inspiration translate into a collection of images? Will the hairstyles match the photography aesthetic, or will they juxtapose one another? Will the styles tell a story?

How does your love of texture/ colour/ music or film translate into the hair/ styling/ lighting/ angles/ framing/makeup. Hair collections are about snapshotting a point in time. All the components are equally important.

As barbers and stylists, we are used to paying attention to the micro, hyper-focusing on small areas, but as a session stylist, we need to look at the bigger picture. Not just focus on a single aspect. The fade/ the silhouette/shape /facial hair/ lighting/ styling/ makeup. All these are key components to the success of your hair collection, and none should be overlooked or prioritised.

Then, curation. The logistics of your photoshoot begins by finding your team; for me, it starts with the models. Once I have the concept and style in my head, I go on a hunt to find the handsome devils that will be willing to let me do my avant-garde styles on.

Over the last few years, I have fostered relationships with a collective of professional good-looking people that give me full faith and full control of their hair and style. So, find the right faces and the right hair for your shoot. Instagram is an amazing tool; utilising hashtags is a great place to start i.e. #Sydneymodel.

Another way of connecting with professional models is to seek out agencies in your local area.

Next, it’s time to find the rest of your team, your photographer, makeup artist, stylist, and any hair assistants. These are the people that will help bring your creative vision to life, so you have to find people you trust.

Communication is key when it comes to working with other creatives. Each individual person in your team takes care of their part so that come shoot day you can focus purely on the hair. My creative team has remained unchanged for the past couple of years because I completely trust in all their abilities and creative voices.

Lastly, creation. Cut your models hair before the day. Freshen up fades and clean up necklines and edges is all the cutting you need to be doing on the day. Don’t stretch yourself too thin, focus on the styling.

You’ve done all the hard work organising, sourcing, and scheduling. So, now’s time to enjoy the process. Be creative, have fun, and make mistakes. Start with the plan, then go back and play with the styles. The best results often come from the mistakes made in the chaos.

Now be inspired, create, and promote our industry, I’ll see you all at the awards.

@the_sophisticated_scumbag