5 minute read
Just His Luck
With an award win under his belt and a product range in development, it seems that George Smith’s career in hair so far is living up to his nickname of Lucky Smithy.
It was perhaps inevitable that George Smith would end up in the world of hair. Like so many other hairdressing dynasties - The Mascolos, the Collinges, the Eatons – George’s destiny was shaped by the legacy of his parents.
His father, Phil Smith is British Hairdresser of the Year nominee nine times over, has two successful product ranges and is seen as one of the smartest brains in the business. Plus, mum Louise is an award-winning hairdresser and successful salon owner in her own right. While you could argue hairdressing was in his blood, George didn’t come around to the idea without a little resistance.
“Both of my parents influenced me in a big way,” George admits. “They would always cut my hair as a kid, so I always had an interest in it. I went on Dad’s photographic shoots too and I’ve always been around hair. I just wanted to prove that I could do something else if I wanted to.” With typical teenage bravado, George took a job as a car salesman, but it was mum, Louise who convinced him his talents lay elsewhere.
“I had a conversation with my mum who said, ‘you are going to do hair’. My parents signed me up for some training with Toni & Guy’s Dexter Dapper Johnson and Charlie Cullen - big names in the barber world. On that very first day I knew I was in the right place; it was a great atmosphere.” With not just an acceptance, but an enthusiasm and - importantly – excitement for the hair industry unleashed, George says, “I’ve never looked back since.”
Determined to make his mark straight away, George took a three-month intensive course at the Toni & Guy academy in London – the very same place his mum, dad and sister had all trained. Culminating in a big presentation with three models, he loved the buzz and creativity of stage work and also knew his passion was for barbering. As a fledgling stylist, he took up a position at Louise’s Toni & Guy salon in Salisbury and today, three years on, he is the salon’s men’s specialist.
With nothing but admiration for his two teachers and mentors, Charlie and Dexter, George reflects, “If it wasn’t for them, it could have been a different story. It’s not necessarily just about their work, but the type of people they are too. And wow, they’re talented.” He’s also in awe of barber and men’s stylist, Kevin Luchmun. A name known for his skills both in front and behind the lens, George is keen to embrace the entire creative process of image creation. And his first attempts have certainly shown his potential.
During lockdown, George entered the Wella Trend Vision UK & Ireland awards and won the Men’s category. “I knew I needed to take this seriously to stand a chance of winning,” he recalls. “My girlfriend was entering too, and we got really good models and it all just clicked and came together.” With this award win already under his belt, George is notching up further award nominations at an impressive rate - in the running for Creative HEAD Most Wanted and at this year’s Fellowship for British Hairdressing photographic awards. It seems there’s no stopping this rising star. In fact, tapping into his intuition for men’s trends, a product range is in the pipeline.
“The one that knows everything about products is my dad,” he says. And it goes without saying that George’s own range – Lucky Smithy (a nickname that has become his brand name) is more than likely being formulated under his father’s watchful eye. “All I knew previously about products is what I have put in my hair in the past,” he confides. “So far, I’ve had the logo designed and am working with a small batch company looking at packaging. I’m having a wonderful time playing around with product formulations.”
Packaged in eco-friendly aluminium tins and with an initial raw, street vibe, George will start road testing the range with his audience and fellow hairdressers to hone where his products fit in. “Having said that, I don’t want to fit in anyway,” he laughs. “I want to focus on my own thing and get on with it without distraction.”
Whether you put his achievements so far down to luck, good judgement or talent, one thing is sure, George Smith doesn’t come with a big ego. “I think I am just a straight down the line barber, I have good chat, but bottom line, I’m just a normal guy that really likes cutting hair,” he says. With an attitude like that, you have to wish him all the luck in the world.
