ISSUE 14 APRIL - JUNE 2017 | £5 | www.modernbarber.co.uk
Skill
has no
gender
Great barbers don’t care about stereotypes, just great barbering! Check out pages 32 & 60. PLUS tips, techniques and inspiration, all inside!
Contents Issue 14 | April - June 2017
Newsroom
74/ Guitar Solo: Dean Cunningham and his electric dreams.
6/ Snippets and stories from in, around and on the industry.
Top Tips
Features
75/ Off to Canada, eh?: Irish barber Adam O’Callaghan talks tips on moving country.
14/ Tony Adams Barber Shop, Prague. 18/ The Open Chair: your chance to take the Modern Barber LIVE stage at Barber Connect.
76/ The Shoemaker: Guy West of Jeffrey West creates dapper with a difference. 78/ Step-by-step: Tariq Howes creates a handsome rounded afro shape.
22/ BarberConnect 2017 UPDATE: bigger, better AND with the MB Live Stage.
80/ The Hard Part: Wez Omelio Jones never forces it too far.
26/ Shop insider: Trend for Men, Hornchurch.
82/ How to…zero gap your clippers, prep your blade with fire, tackle bad online reviews and approach a customer with autism.
28/ Attention!: Ex-servicemen finding a fresh career behind the chair plus how you can help our heroes. 32/ Room to groom: Male grooming is a multi-billion pound industry, grab a piece while you can.
86/ Gentleman and Rogues team transformed into a cartoon.
Portfolio 36/ 20 pages of great looking man hair.
Shopping
TONY ADAMS BARBERSHOP. PAGE 14
owner of The Barbershop Group.
Social
64/ Don’t judge: Tommie McGuckin on why tats, youth and skin fades don’t make you a rubbish barber.
60/ The 10 Minute Chat: the boss lady Karen Waldron,
68/ Barbers in the frame: Artist Vince Kamp shows his stuff.
55/ Storefront: Stuff you need and gear you want.
Roll Of Honour Your industry title wouldn’t happen without the advertising support of the brands and companies below – they know just how valuable you are! American Crew. Andis. Barber Blades. Barber Equipment Centre. BARBER PRO. Coolblades. Denman Professional. Easydry. Fine Fettle Grooming. Fudge Hair. Kent Brushes. Moda. Mitchell’s. MR Barbers. Paul Mitchell. NHF. REM-MEN. Salon Services. Shortcuts. TIGI. Takara Belmont. The Bluebeards Revenge. Uppercut. Wahl UK. Worldpay. Editor and publisher: Rachel Gould rachel@modernbarber.co.uk Design and Production: Annie Bartley design@anniebartley.co.uk Advertising: Kelly Hindley kelly@modernbarber.co.uk Contributors: Simon Shaw, Tommie McGuckin, Tariq Howes, Lee Dixon Cover Photography: MB’s cover star is Natalie Cresswell of Cresswell Barber Co in Southampton @ cresswellbarberco shot by Robert Braid @r.braid of Braid Barbers.
TOMMIE MCGUCKIN. PAGE 64
Find us online: modernbarber.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @modernbarbermag, FB Modern Barber Magaazine Call on: 01295 533755. For all online and print advertising enquiries, please contact rachel@modernbarber.co.uk Modern Barber Ltd is registered in the UK. Registration number: 06084337. VAT number: 178993237 Registered and correspondence address: Three Acre Barn, Thorpe Road, Upper Wardington, Oxon OX17 1SP. Subscriptions can be securely purchased through modernbarber.co.uk/subscribe
UK subscriptions: 1 year, 4 issues £20 post paid. Intl subscriptions: 1 year, 4 issues £40 post paid. Printed by Pensord Press Ltd. www.pensord.co.uk © Modern Barber Magazine accepts no responsibility for damage or loss, however caused, to any material submitted for publication. While every effort is made to ensure facts are correct at time of going to press, no reponsibility can be accepted for incorrect product descriptions or facts. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publishers.
BEARD SERUM
TO STOCK THIS PRODUCT CONTACT UK: 020 7391 7440 / customerservice.uk@revlon.com Ireland: 01886 9300 / customerservice.ire@revlon.com
Stories on, in and about the industry… Share your thoughts with us @modernbarbermag
BALDY, MATT ROBINSON, SID SOTTUNG
Show Alert: Sid Sottung
O
n Monday 24th April, Sid Sottung @sidsottungacademy and special guests Baldy @ baldysbarbers and Matt Robinson @mrrobinsons will take over the stunning Nottingham Contemporary Arts Centre. The light, airy space is the perfect backdrop for a high impact barbering education show supported by American Crew (@americancrewuk). There will be on-stage demo’s and presentation work with 15 models plus an opportunity to mingle and catch up with real world friends at the after party. Tickets are £45, to book go to www.eventbrite.co.uk and just search ‘Sid Sottung’. 6 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
Winning at the American Crew All Star Challenge UK and Ireland Finals
T
he UK and Ireland finals of the American Crew All Star Challenge took place at Tanners Warehouse in East London on March 13th. The event hosted 230 finalists, guests and press to a little light drinking, nibbles and brilliant acoustic band in the shape of Deaf Havana @deafhavana. There were more entries to All Star Challenge than ever before with images that showcased the diverse talents of the UK and Irish barbering community. The event was hosted by Lisa Jackson, General Manager of Revlon and American Crew. Congratulations go to Irish winner
Ciaran O Sullivan of Wayne Lloyd Hair in Cork and Adam Mir of Taylor Taylor in Sheffield. Irish runners up – 2nd Place Roger Og Mulholland of Mulholland Barbering in Portadown, 3rd place Denis McDermott of Muckers & Co in Derry. UK runners up – 2nd Place Christopher Merrick of Blue Tit in London and joint 3rd Place Joe Easton of ManMade in London and James Beaumont of Allure in Exeter. Ciaran and Adam’s entries now join the other country finalists to be judged by American Crew founder David Raccuglia with the chance to be selected to battle it out at the Global Finals in Brussels in May. The country winners will be asked to recreate their look at a finalists shoot with David Raccuglia before the ultimate winner is selected. See the special supplement in the July issue of Modern Barber. #allstarchallenge
PHOTO: VINCE KAMP
JOHNNY BABA
Johnny BaBa buys Tommy Guns
J
ohnny Shanahan owner of Barber Barber UK has just purchased two London unisex salons. Tommy Guns in Soho and Shoreditch has been a hair destination for the great and the good in fashion, media and finance for over twenty years. Johnny plans on giving the shops a refresh before launching Tommy Guns Reloaded. Johnny says “Tommy Guns is an institution. All these hairdressers are opening barbershops and now it’s barbering’s turn. At the end of the day, hair is hair and people are people. I might not cut women’s hair but I know how to treat a customer. I’ve attracted some
“Tommy Guns is an institution. All these hairdressers are opening barbershops and now it’s barbering’s turn. At the end of the day, hair is hair and people are people. I might not cut women’s hair but I know how to treat a customer.” real hair legends like Andy Gilbert and Lance Lowe and together we’ll make Tommy Guns great again. I anticipate that Barber Barber and Tommy Guns group turnover will reach £5 million by the end of 2017.” Johnny is looking to add more barbers, stylists and even colourists to his teams and welcomes CV’s from anyone that wants to be a part of a growing group with great training. (@mrjohnny_baba). WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK / 7
Research: What a man wants!
T
he ‘walk-in vs appointments’ issue has become a bit of an industry hot potato. Are barbershops defined by a walk-in culture? Are appointments restrictive? Well whatever the answers research conducted by Mojo (@mojo.london), who make next generation software for barbershops, and The Bluebeards Revenge (@ thebluebeards) has revealed that despite just 8% of UK men (aged 18-40) currently booking their haircut online, a massive 54% of barber customers in the UK would prefer to book a haircut digitally rather than walk-in. In London, the results are even more resounding as an enormous 66% of men would prefer to book grooming services online. It is evident that garnering an online presence and offering the option to book online or via an app is becoming increasingly important within the barbering industry. Mike Taylor, Head Educator and co-founder of the GBBA, believes now more than ever is the time for barbershops to embrace technology. “Technology isn’t going anywhere, so the sooner barbers embrace it and cater to the new ‘Facebook crowd’ generation of clients, the further ahead of the game they will be,” said Mike. “Uber and businesses like Deliveroo have created a new consumer attitude and increased expectation in terms of online booking and payment,” said Nick Sando, CEO and co-founder of Mojo. “It is now about helping barbers see the benefits of an online presence and on demand bookings, and guiding them through the change.” 8 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
Salon Services launches Basin St
I
n 1964 Sally Beauty Holdings, owner of Salon Services, opened on Basin Street in New Orleans. The company is now the world’s largest distributor of professional hair and beauty products with over 250 stores in the UK and Ireland. Salon Services has just launched Basin St, their dedicated barbering section, as an homage to their roots and to give greater focus to the brilliant brands that serve the growing barbering industry. Warren Scarr, Managing Director, Salon Services UK &
Ireland said “We’re so pleased to be able to offer our customers these market-leading barbering ranges - a fantastic addition to our extensive product offering.” Basin St brings a selection of the finest professional barbering products from leading brands including American Crew, Bluebeard’s Revenge, Glam Tech and WAHL, to name just a few and products range from quality trimmers, razors, shaving bowls and brushes to pomades and soaps. All you need to do is sign-up for a trade card in-store or online. Salon Services is currently offering 20% off if you quote BARBER2017 at check out. Salon-services.com.
Apollo 2 Icon, the diamond-quilted Apollo with contrast piping.
The NHF celebrates 75 years with NEW Business Awards
T Stories on, in and about the industry… Share your thoughts with us @modernbarbermag
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he NHF is celebrating its 75th Anniversary supporting and advising the hair, barbering and beauty industries and what better way to celebrate than hosting an awards evening to recognise the success of the best businesses in the industry. Awards will be free to enter and open to NHF members and non-members. Pick a category (or two) download the entry form from www.nhf.info/ events/competitions/nhf-businessawards, then complete and return before 28th July. Finalists will be announced on September 4th and the winner will be announced during an Awards Dinner on Sunday
19th November 2017 at the Vox Conference Centre, Resorts World, Birmingham. Tickets are £95 to members and £150 to non-members. Categories • Best independent barbershop or male grooming business Sponsored by Unite • Best independent hair or beauty salon Sponsored by Takara Belmont • Best group of businesses Sponsored by Coversure Insurance Services • Best new business Sponsored by Radiant Hair Consultancy • Best client experience Sponsored by MindBody • Best community support In the support of The Hairdressers’ Charity • Best apprentice Sponsored by VTCT • Best front of house Sponsored by Global Payments • Best environmentally friendly business. Sponsored by Ellis Whittam
INTRODUCING
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Call 0808 208 5172 or visit worldpay.com to find out more Worldpay, helping your business grow *Nilson Report, June 2016 © Worldpay 2017. All rights reserved. Worldpay (UK) Limited. Registered in England No. 07316500. Registered Office: The Walbrook Building, 25 Walbrook, London EC4N 8AF. Worldpay (UK) Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Service Regulations 2009 (No. 530923) for the provision of payment services and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer credit activities. Worldpay, the logo and any associated branding names are all trade marks of the Worldpay group of companies.
BONES
HANNAH
MIKE LUIGI
The Great British Barbering Academy gets the thumbs up!
ALAN
A
new education venture in association with The Bluebeards Revenge is making quality education widely accessible and affordable for UK barbers. The GBBBA (greatbritishbarberingacademy. com) is pioneered by past British Barbers Association cofounder Mike Taylor and draws together a UK wide network of educators hosted by Salon Services. Mike says “We want to make professional education easy for barbers. Salon Services is the largest group of professional distributors and their stores offer the perfect facilities. The courses are available at 16 stores at the moment with five more stores rolling out soon.” Since launch the GBBA has run 15 courses in store and a further six courses for barbershop teams at their own site and start from £180. GBBA educators span South of England to Scotland and here’s a little intro: Mike Taylor has a Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes & Practice. Mike is a State Registered Barber and has been awarded ‘Master Craftsman’ of the Hairdressing Council. He is a board member of the Barber Council and owner of his own shops and Academy. Gareth Clark is a proud State Registered Barber and Master Craftsman with more
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holds an NVQ 2 and 3 in barbering. She is an experienced educator.
GARETH
Luigi Caterino is a third generation barber and shop owner in Scotland. He was winner of Britain’s Best Shave in 2015 and Best Barber Shop in 2016. Luigi is a State Registered Senior Barber. Simon Bethel (aka Bones) runs the iconic Sandyman Chop Shop and has a love of teaching and skill sharing. Luke Burgon has worked and delivered education in Melbourne and more recently at Menspire delivering premium technical skills across the UK and Ireland. He has 13 years experience.
than 27 years of experience in the industry. He has the teacher training qualification PTLLS, is a qualified TAQA assessor and has NVQ Level 2 and 3. Gareth is also a long time shop owner and a board member of the Barber Council. Alan Jones has been a shop owner in Essex for 14 years and spent 27 years behind the chair, he is NVQ 2 and 3 qualified, a State Registered Barber and seasoned educator. Hannah Grigg has owned and run shops across Hampshire and Dorset for over 10 years, she is a qualified TAQA assessor and
Stacey McCabe owns Jentz Male Grooming in Scotland and won Scotland’s Best Barber in 2016. She has been a salon owner for 13 years and is also a State Registered Senior Barber. Robert Rix owns The Master Barbers in Stockport. Robert is a State Registered Senior Barber and a board member of the Barber Council. Robert isn’t just a seasoned educator is a lifetime student and pours his incredible qualifications and experience into every course he delivers.
F E AT U R E
There’s a whole world of barbering out there, so every issue we bring a little international insight.
TONY ADAM’S BARBERSHOP, PRAGUE
F E AT U R E
FACTOIDS OWNERS David Hofman and Vitek Bozdech OPENED July 2016 SHOP Six chairs, 130sqm/1400 sq ft STAFF 7 barbers, all with international experience and highly trained CLIENTS Hard to say…top managers, rockabilly’s, hipsters, expats. They all value style, quality and service. One client flies in from San Diego! APPOINTMENTS OR WALK-INS Both but appointments are more popular as it’s pretty hard to get a slot otherwise. PRICE: 590 CZK/£19 approx for a cut or a shave. RANDOM The shop has a 5 metre bar that is better stocked than the average bar in Prague. MUST SEE tonyadams.cz/en. @tonyadamsbarbershop insta and FB.
F E AT U R E
T
ony Adam’s Barbershop sits on a tree lined street in the art deco district of Prague called Vinohrady, just a few miles from the Old Town. It’s a vibrant neighbourhood popular with professionals and expats and owners David and Vitek have really hit their stride. The shop’s unique blend of contemporary luxury meets manly style, has gone down well and business is booming. David and Vitek created Tony Adam’s out of a vision for the perfect barbering experience – one that delivered on environment, service and quality and one that both men had failed to find in their international jobs in the corporate world. It took ten years from that initial spark of an idea to make that vision a reality and it was worth the wait. David explains “It took us some time but we don’t regret it. We
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‘We look for skills, team spirit, loyalty and professionalism.’ #businesswisdom didn’t want to make any compromises. We wanted to work with only the best things, best products and best partners. We managed to meet up and get great insight from our dear friends at Barber Barber UK. We consider both Johnny BaBa and Dale Ted our great mentors and also friends.” The light airy space took nine months to transform and David and Vitek turned to renowned interior architects www.oooox.cz to make it happen. David notes that Czech men are different from the Brits as it’s still not really the ‘done thing’ to go to a barbershop. The regular Joe doesn’t
F E AT U R E
spot a bad cut and quality style is an unusual choice. The founders stuck to their guns and created a business that is beyond the norm in every tiny detail of their shop and service. “We avoid having each man leave our shop looking like the previous one. We have barbers that are each good in a variety of skills and all our customers leave as individuals not copies of someone else. So it is our plan to educate Czech men. From the first moment we started the whole project, we knew that we must be the best, to make a difference and it took us a great deal of effort to find the right
“So it is our plan to educate Czech men. From the first moment we started the whole project, we knew that we must be the best, to make a difference and it took us a great deal of effort to find the right team.” team. The toughest thing when building a barbershop was and is, people. It took alot to compose our solid and skilled international team of barbers. We train them on a regular basis and they are trained by the best. We’ve had Dale Ted Watkins over here twice and we are planning another big training event,” says David. Each team member is highly skilled and there is a minimum seven years work experience with some members counting 20 years in the craft. They come from the UK, Italy, Poland and from home turf but they all come with team spirit, loyalty and professionalism. Together Tony Adam’s isn’t just building their own future but a future for the whole Czech barbering industry by raising the bar and confirming their ‘no compromises’ commitment. The rewards are coming fast. “After eight months in operation, we are growing every week, every month and what’s most important is that the returning customer base is growing!” concludes David. WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK / 17
F E AT U R E
Choose your chair at Barber Connect MB’s ‘open chair’ segment on the Modern Barber LIVE stage supported by American Crew on 11th and 12th of June at Barber Connect is your chance to take the stage.
M
odern Barber magazine is ALL about you, so when Barber Connect and American Crew gave us the opportunity to create a special education stage, we thought long and hard about how to make it the BEST education stage in living memory. Our ‘Open Chair’ segments give you the chance to make our stage your own and showcase your skills to some of the 5000 - 7000 barbers that are expected to step through the doors of the Telford International Centre on the 11th and 12th of June. MB has 10 opportunities for barbers attending the event to step up and boss the Belmont of their choice. Any hair texture, any cut, any style – just share your best skills with your barbering brothers and sisters. So how do you get involved? Read on… Get in touch – Email your contact details, social media names and an example of the work you would love to recreate for the stage to live@ modernbarber.co.uk before June 1st. What you need – Your own model, your own equipment, your awesome skills and nerves of steel. What you DON’T need – A big social media following, stage experience. How you get selected – All entries will be considered. A variety of looks and styles will be selected. Selection will be made by stage compére Alan Beak of Ruger Barber on June 2nd based on images supplied.
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What you get – A chance to showcase your skills, coverage in Modern Barber post-show and a handsome goody bag. Please note – The Open Chair segment is NOT a competition. No battling . If you made the stage you are already winning. Big thanks to @takarablemontuk for the loan of five Belmont’s for the bossing.
HAIR BY LONDON SCHOOL OF BARBERING | LONDONSCHOOLOFBARBERING.COM | FIND YOUR STOCKIST ON FUDGEPROFESSIONAL.COM
HAIR SHAPER THE ORIGINAL.
25 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG
DON’T LOSE FACE Discover what real men want. A high performance hair and grooming range created by hairdressers and barbers for bold, modern looks. To find out how Bed Head for Men can grow your male grooming business call: 08448 440 944. WWW.BEDHEAD.COM www.tigiprofessional.com
F E AT U R E
supported by
Modern Barber LIVE supported by American Crew: The stage running order Start planning your trip to Barber Connect (@barberconnect) in Telford this 11th and 12th of June and check out the running order for the Modern Barber LIVE stage supported by American Crew. There’s plenty to see!
Sunday 11th June 10.30am: Regional Round-Up - Five barbers, five regions, five Belmont’s, one stage. Come and support your regional rep. Tommie McGuckin of Hard Grind for Scotland. Tariq Howes of Avenue Grooming for Wales. Roger Og Mulholland of Mulholland Barbering for Northern Ireland. Andrea Lynne Raymond of Lancaster Barbers and Wahl Barber of the Year for Ireland. Toastie of Johnny’s Chop Shop for England. 11.15am: Founder of American Crew David Raccuglia and the American Crew Team Find out how a barber built a global men’s haircare brand – David Raccuglia is flying in from the USA to meet you and host a team of five Crew educators and Elite members including Ian Harrold of Attitude, Nick Taylor of Taylor Taylor, Izaak Brading of Mod Salons, Matt Robinson of Mr Robinson’s and Ky’Cut Wilson. 12pm: Inspirational speaker Junior Ogunyemi Junior coaches young entrepreneurs and shares his wisdom on helping you to define and achieve your goals. 1pm: Open Chair There are five opportunities for visiting barbers to make the stage their own. See how on page 18.
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1.45pm: Kevin Vorley – K Barbers Emporium on the £500 haircut Kevin and his team know their value and make every cut they do worth £500. Kevin says you can do it too and he’ll show you how. 2.30pm: Ruger Barber Alan and Reece Beak plus Liam Twist and the Ruger team step up to showcase their skills. 3.15pm: Sheriff Mehmet and the Envy Barbers Education Team Sheriff and his team don’t just have a strong shave business, they teach their skills to barbers all over the UK, Ireland and beyond. See their meticulous shave techniques on stage. 4pm: The Nomad Barber Miguel Gutierrez (The Nomad) and his team members from the UK and Germany demonstrate their skills.
Monday 12th June 10.30am: Regional Round-Up - Five barbers, five regions, five Belmont’s, one stage. To be announced. 11.15am: Barber Barber UK Johnny BaBa, Dale Ted Watkins and the Barber Barber UK team demonstrate their high technical standards and unique style on stage.
12pm: Menspire The Menspire Education team take to the stage to show their distinctive skills and talk about their approach to every haircut. 1pm: MR Barbers Co-founders Sam Prior and Karl Foster and the MR Barbers team share (and show) how they have built a brand that’s on track to be the largest barbershop group in the UK by the end of 2017. 1.45pm: Jacks of London Sam Frances, Steven Gasparetto and the Jacks Art Crew show the latest work from the original modern barbers. 2.30pm: Barberology Adam Gore and the Barberology team demonstrate the style and work methods that have brought them a strong clientele and a buzzing YouTube training channel. 3.15pm: Open Chair There are five opportunities for visiting barbers to make the stage their own. See how on page 18.
*correct at time of going to press, maybe subject to change.
Don’t forget to register for FREE tickets at www.barberconnect.co.uk.
working with
PA S C H A A L D E R L E Y E D G E “What a pleasure it was working with the team at Pascha Gentlemen’s Grooming. Together we created a stunning environment for both the modern Barber and his clients alike. Traditional furniture set against a backdrop of oak, mirror and natural light gives Pascha its distinctive, signature look.” – The REM Design Team
sales@rem.co.uk
www.rem.co.uk
01282 619977
F E AT U R E
Barber Connect 2017: Come for the networking, come for the essential shopping, come for the inspiration but make sure you come!
What you need to know!
Exhibitors include:
THE PLAN
Headline show sponsors include Jack Dean, Wahl, Clubman Pinaud and Barber Blades.
Edwin Jagger
Nearcut
Elegance Gel
Nelson and Colne College
Ferrero
NHF
A&B Supply Co
Finishing Touches
Oil Can Grooming
Andis
Fine Fettle
Omega Brush
Autism Barber Assemble
GE Bettertons
Pan Drwal
Barbaratus
Goodlife Barbers
Rockstar x Hard Grind
Barber Blades
GOLDS
Reuzel
Barber Equipment Centre
Guerilla Barbering
Refreshening Wipes
Barber PRO
Hair Tools
Retail Secure
Bedfordshire Beard Co
It&ly Hair & Beauty
Scissor Hands
• Choice of restaurants and bars 2 mins walk.
Booksy
Jack Dean
Shortcuts
Clubman Pinaud
Jackie’s Barbershop
Sweyn Forkbeard
REGISTER for tickets at www.barberconnect.co.uk
Copacetic
Kolchak
Takara Belmont
Captain Fawcett
Legendary Products
The Bluebeards Revenge
Keep your eyes on the Barber Connect website at barberconnect.co.uk for updates and don’t forget to register your FREE tickets ahead of time. See you there!
Chief Company
Lions Barber Collective
The Nomad Barber
Dear Barber
Morgan’s Pomade
Trim - It
Dapper Dan
Matakki Scissors
Uppercut Deluxe
Dowa
Mariner Jack
Wahl
Dr K Soap Company
Moda Salon Interiors
More coming.........
• Dates 11th and 12th June 2017 • Location is The International Centre, Telford • Great connections for road, rail and air travel. • FREE entry ticket. • FREE parking. • FREE education. • MODERN BARBER LIVE Stage. • 5000 to 7000 visitors expected. • Great value hotels either onsite or 2 mins walk from just £60 per night.
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F E AT U R E
Trend for Men 65 Butts Green Road Hornchurch Essex Owners: Sunny Powar and Jordan Stead Social media: www.trendformen. co.uk/ insta and twitter @trendformenuk/ FB Jordan Stead. Opened: 4th February 2017. Chairs: Three ‘Dainty’ Belmont’s in light grey. Size: 300 sq ft.
SHOP INSIDER Barbershops are hang outs, hubs and of course the best hair destinations…so take a peek inside this one.
Team: A team of 3 (that includes Jordan Stead) all trained to follow the TREND philosophy of premium precision cutting. Location: Just up from Hornchurch Station and at the top of the High Street. Great footfall and visibility. Hornchurch is an affluent and vibrant commuter town with a varied population. Timeframe: Sunny and Jordan took their time and planned every detail meticulously. Finding a property with character that could house their vision was the biggest challenge. It took two years from idea to opening the doors. Budget: £40-£50k Brief: A minimal contemporary brand and interior created for maximum impact. Subtle detail that added up to one big wow factor. TREND used high end, quality materials with a top drawer interior designer from Russia and shop fitters that typically work on skyscrapers like the Gherkin. Overall impression had to be original, immaculate and appealing. What’s unique: TREND FOR MEN offer a ‘Membership Service’. Customers pay Silver, Gold, Platinum or Infinity memberships from £200 a year and can receive benefits including ‘unlimited’ cuts, friends and family discounts, free product and priority appointments. Added extras: Every workstation has a Dyson Supersonic hairdryer. They express innovation and quality and keep the noise level low.
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F E AT U R E PICTURE CREDITS: YULIA CHINATO
WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK / 27
F E AT U R E
ATTENTION! Ex-servicemen can find a fresh career behind the chair that can also help them adjust to civilian life. Last year approximately 15,000 military personnel left the UK Armed Forces*. Most will leave on medical discharge or when their commission ends and nearly all will need a new career. MB spoke to two barbers that successfully made the transition.
M
ark Lovell (@lovell1664) is a franchisee for MR. Barbers and has three shops in Stowmarket, Bury St Edmonds and Sudbury (@mrbarbersstowmarket/@ mrbarbersbury/@mrbarbersudbury). He’s only 30 but has packed in more life experience than most 70 year olds. Mark says “I didn’t like school, it didn’t excite me. I started sweeping up at the barbers to help out and ended up as an apprentice to Sam Prior who is now co-founder of the MR. Barber brand. I liked the barbershop environment but at 16 I decided to join the Royal Marine Commandos. It’s a 32 week training process as a contrast to the regular army training at 12 weeks but by the age of 17 I was a Commando.” Initially Mark could only perform UK based security duties in Scotland as he was under 18 but he was then transferred to 42 Commando in Plymouth and deployed to Afghanistan in 2007. After an extended seven month tour conducting aggressive strike operations in Kandahar Mark returned to the UK only to smash his ankle playing football. “I worked well under fire and being downgraded to a desk job was really difficult, I wasn’t happy. So after seven years in the Marine’s I 28 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
F E AT U R E
LIAM HAMILTON FAR LEFT
MARK LOVELL
left,” explains Mark. Next Mark took a contract with a private security team protecting ships from piracy in Somalian waters but after three years it was time to return to a ‘normal’ life. “I was back in Bury hanging out in the barbershop so I thought I might as well do that. Barbering had changed a lot since I was 14. I spent nearly a year working for Sam for free to retrain and when I got to a certain standard I bought the shop from him and eight months later I bought another and then another! I have 12 barbers now. Initially I did have counselling to help with the transition. It’s a different world and I had to be two different people but everything I have today comes from the Marine mentality. When I joined, my mum did everything for me, I was useless. Being a Marine makes you believe you can handle anything. It gives you resilience and the mental tools to meet any challenge,” says Mark. Mark applied for and received Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC/enhancedlearningcredits. com), a Ministry of Defence scheme that offers funding for study that leads to a nationally recognised qualification and offered in amounts that vary with time served. Mark recognises that the scheme isn’t widely promoted and encourages ex-servicemen to actively seek out funding to support training. Liam Hamilton (FB Liam Hamilton) owns two shops in Redruth, Hamilton’s Barber Shop and Hamilton’s Elite Barber Shop. As a teenager Liam dabbled with barbering when he was living in Devon but moved to Cornwall to follow his surfing dream. “I was surfing all day and
LIAM HAMILTON
“Barbering had changed a lot since I was 14. I spent nearly a year working for Sam for free to retrain and when I got to a certain standard I bought the shop from him and eight months later I bought another and then another! I have 12 barbers now. DJ’ing at night. It was great but after a few years I realised I couldn’t do that for the rest of my life. Barbering didn’t seem like an attractive industry to be in then, so when I happened to walk into the Redruth Army Recruitment office I ended up joining the Coldstream Guards, mostly because the Recruitment Sergeant was also a Coldstream Guard. The training was really tough. It was just like the movie ‘Full Metal Jacket’, the way
*Ministry of Defence. UK Armed Forces Monthly Service Personnel Statistics Report 1 December 2016
you get treated. You need to relearn the army way for everything. How to iron your clothes, how to shave, how to make your bed. There is a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work. In ‘96 I was sent to Northern Ireland on patrols which was OK and then we went to Iraq. We lost a lot of people and it was the hardest time,” remembers Liam. After Iraq, Liam spent time in Windsor and then returned full circle as Recruitment Sergeant in the Redruth Army Recruitment Office. Just one year short of his commission ending, Liam took a medical discharge for PTSD. Liam has struggled to find the help and support he needed and badly deserved as a veteran and he eventually spent time in the care of a local mental health unit. Finding new purpose as a barber has alleviated some of the symptoms of PTSD but it’s a condition that can only be managed long term. Liam explains “I decided to work in other shops to get back into barbering which I did for a time. It was always the plan to have my own shop and now I have two. Army experience teaches you to work hard and that failure is not on option. You have to have a plan and make it work. My two shops serve different kinds of customers and it keeps my mind busy. I like chatting with other people. Initially I had my army gear in the shop but it started conversations about it and that wasn’t helpful, so I took it out. My wife Sara is a huge support. I don’t know where I would be without her.” Liam and his family have found help with a veterans peer group on Facebook called ‘Band of Brother’s’, a place where veterans and their partners and families can support one another. Liam is doing his bit too and has just set up a Facebook community page called ‘Armour2Barber’ with a plan to help veterans and those leaving the services find a new career in barbering. If you think you can help Liam in his quest then just get in touch on his FB page. continues... WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK / 29
F E AT U R E
MARK LOVELL
HOW BARBERS CAN HELP OUR HEROES Ex-servicemen can be a great resource and come complete with a skill set that you won’t find in any school leaver! Here is a little Q&A to help… How does a barbershop that offers apprenticeships and jobs become ‘searchable’ for the ex-service community? The Royal British Legion’s employability programme can be found at civvystreet. org and any barbershop that wants to offer opportunities to veterans can advertise for free on the website. Contact 0845 680 0838 or got to civvystreet.org. The MoD supports The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) offering recruitment services to the Armed Forces seeking resettlement into civilian life. The CTP process can begin two years before service personnel actually leave. Barbershop owners can register as an employer then advertise retraining, work placement and jobs for free at www.ctp.org. uk/employers/rightjob or call the support team on 0121 236 0058. How do barbershops get funded for training ex-servicemen? The Legion does not offer grants to cover salaries of the apprentice but may consider salary costs of the trainer. If a shop has a project plan to help ex-servicemen then they can apply for an external grant. Visit www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-support/ external-grants/. What info and advice on funding can barbers offer to any ex-service personnel interested in retraining? CivvyStreet beneficiaries can apply for an Employment Support Grant if the retraining has an employment outcome (ie a job at the end), they can contact 0800 0098015 for more info or visity civvystreet.org. In addition the MoD runs the Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS) visit enhancedlearningcredits.com. The scheme promotes lifelong learning for the Armed forces and can provide financial support in the form of a single up-front payment in each of a maximum of three separate financial years. The funding is only available for courses that result in a nationally recognised qualification at Level 3 or above on the National Qualifications Framework. Any private academy or college mapping to the NVQ structure can register as an approved learning provider if they meet the criteria. 30 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
LIAM HAMILTON CENTRE LEFT
The charity recently began offering a six week residential treatment programme, as their on-going research revealed that early and intensive treatment improves symptoms in 87% of PTSD sufferers. People react to traumatic experiences in different ways. Here are some symptoms to watch out for:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Combat Stress (combatstress.org.uk) is a mental health charity that supports veterans. They currently have 6000 ex-servicemen registered for their support and have reported almost 10,000 new referrals over the past five years - an increase of 71%.
• Feeling isolated • Frequent periods of withdrawal into oneself • Nightmares/flashbacks/insomnia • Anger or aggressive behaviour • Feeling distrustful and suspicious/ blaming others • Misuse of alcohol/drugs/gambling and/or food • Seeking out high-risk/dangerous pursuits • Work-related or relationship problems • Feeling numb and empty • Feeling suicidal • Self-harm and self-destructive tendencies • Being easily moved to tears • Avoidance of people and places • Panic attacks/anxiety/depression /mood swings
A Partner’s Story
S
ara Hamilton is the wife and long term partner of Liam Hamilton of Hamilton’s Barbers. Liam suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from his Army service and Sara bears daily witness to his suffering. Sara kindly shared her experience with MB. Sara says “Liam and I became a couple in 2010 and he was discharged in 2013 on a medical discharge. The Army is a conveyor belt and when he left, he just dropped off the end. They just didn’t care and there was nowhere for him to go to seek help. As a partner you want to help but all you can do is be there…or not, depending on what he needs at the time. The mood swings are the main symptom. I often can’t identify
what triggered them and in fact most times nothing has happened. The worst was not long after our daughter Emily was born. We had a bad time and I just didn’t know him. In the end he disappeared and we had to go and find him. When things get bad his whole demeanour changes, it’s like it’s just not him. There is a total lack of ability to cope. The barbers in the shop are great; like me, they have learned to give him the space he needs to work through it. Learning to just leave him alone has been hard. You want to solve it for them but that’s not possible. The Band of Brothers Facebook group has been brilliant and so good for us. We get together, we raise money for Help for Heroes. They even sent us on a family holiday to Westonsuper-Mare.”
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F E AT U R E
ROOM TO GROOM
Male grooming is a multibillion pound industry, grab a piece while you can.
KIERAN HALL
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ncreasingly barbershops don’t ‘just’ do the cuts and shaves and smart thinkers are boosting the service list and the bottom line with more besides. The extras are memorable for the customer and help build loyalty to the business. MB spoke with five barbers about their grooming services.
“It’s brilliant at releasing tension and it also releases a lot of toxins so I make sure my customers drink a glass of water afterwards to help flush them away.”
The Head Massage and Flaming
with expert training too and learned his Indian Massage skills along with shave skills from Patrick Bryan (wetshavingacademy.com). Kieran says “I charge £25 for a full shave service and it includes an Indian head massage. The whole thing takes 45 minutes to an hour. I wanted to deliver a ‘wow’ for my customers. I wrap the head in a hot towel to relax the scalp and then using
Kieran Hall owns the Outlaws Barbershop in Bishops Waltham (theoutlawsbarbershop.co.uk) before opening his shop he travelled extensively working and living in Italy, Malta and Germany to broaden his skills and experience. He brought it all home and his service list is even inspired by his travels. He topped up his experience 32 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
natural essential oils I massage the head, prolonging the heat with friction. It’s brilliant at releasing tension and it also releases a lot of toxins, so I make sure my customers drink a glass of water afterwards to help flush them away. I finish with a cold towel. Customers love it.” Kieron also offers a service called ‘The Maltese’ at £22 which includes a cut, ear flaming* and a neck shaved with the cutthroat. Kieron learned from a Turkish barber during his time in Malta. “Flaming is great for catching the tiny hairs that are too small for a clipper and in difficult places. You just do two taps of the flaming alcohol and then rub away the burnt hair to stop it continuing to burn. I use a touch of beard oil to finish and remove any unwanted black smudges
ZANA NAJMADEN
F E AT U R E
with cotton wool. It’s a nice experience both during and after the flaming and it looks quite dramatic.”
Threading
Zana Najmaden has owned and run The Beach Barber (FB The Beach Barber) near Blackpool Tower for around six years. He offers a service list that includes threading as part of a Kurdish grooming tradition. He lists threading at £5 and Zana says “Every Kurdish barber learns threading. When you give a customer a fresh haircut then the cut benefits from keeping the eye brows and cheeks fresh too. The customer is left feeling good and it means everything looks tidy. It’s not painful, just a little pinch and some customers even enjoy it! There are two or three different ways to thread. I can teach other barbers how to do it in an hour or so. After that it’s just practice.” The whole service only takes 5-10 minutes depending on how bushy the brows are and Zana also takes care of stray hairs on the cheeks above the beard line. After threading the skin can be quite warm so he treats the area with a little aftershave cream to soothe and cool it. That’s a great skill to add to the service list especially when all it takes is a few hours of training and a couple of reels of vanity thread to get you going (and a whole lot of practice)!
The Beard Spa
Chloe Cooper owns The Reformery Barber & Store in Alfriston (reformery. co.uk). Chloe takes a modern approach to timeless traditions and extends her services to include ‘the Beard Spa’. Chloe says “We charge £28. It’s a real luxury treatment and there are quite a few customers that come just for that. We do about 15 a week. It’s not a novelty…it’s a big part of our luxury positioning and a very professional service that takes about 30 minutes.” The Beard Spa doesn’t just take care of the beard with a shape up, it takes care of the skin beneath the beard as well. Chloe treats the skin with a deep cleanse and exfoliation with micro beads plus a steam and hot towel treatment. After the beard is shaped the hot towel gently softens and opens the cuticles so that the nourishing oils can penetrate deep into the hair leaving the skin bright and the beard soft. “Customers see and feel a difference and love the experience, that’s why they come back!” says Chloe.
Eyebrow waxing
Jade Chidgey opened JC’s Barbershop in Swadlincote five years ago. She’s been offering cuts, shaves, shape-ups
SKIN SERVICES AT THE REFORMERY
and waxing ever since. Jade charges £6 for a brow waxing service and she does a lot of them. “I have had a lot of practice, so the service only takes five minutes and most are regulars. I went on a course to learn. It’s great, not just because the customers appreciate the finish but because it nudges up the cost of the service. It’s not just a £10 haircut, it’s a haircut, a brow wax and usually a product,” says Jade. Jade recommends an initial consultation not just for the shape and look but also because you need to check with the client to see if they are on any medications such as blood thinners or steroids which may cause contraindications.
JADE CHIDGEY
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F E AT U R E
The Black Mask
Kieron Price owns RAW:IMAGE Barbershop in Aylesbury (@ rawimagebarbershop), his clientele mostly falls into the 13-25 year old age range and so when Kieron spotted the hype on social media about the black mask peels he started doing his research. “Many of my clients are prone to acne, blackheads and skin problems and they were asking me about the black mask peels they had seen on social media. I took my time doing my research, as I know that some people posting on social media had experienced burning and skin reactions. I found a quality hypoallergenic product and I tried it out on myself and the Mrs. It was brilliant. It deep cleanses the skin and you can see an instant difference. I do about 25 a week and charge £5,” says Kieron. Each mask takes only five minutes to apply and 30 minutes to dry and Kieron always lets it dry naturally. Kieron explains “I have another room where clients can hangout and play PlayStation, so I put them in there. A couple of games of FIFA and they’re done. I tend to peel from the top down as a lot of clients have beards but I always leave the nose last and that’s the bit that everyone cares about!” *if you plan to offer ear flaming, waxing, steam treatments or any other extra service beyond your core business please check with your insurer to see if you are covered.
PRODUCT FILE Want to treat your customers beyond the cut service? Here’s a handful of the products that can help.
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Tigi Bed Head Balm Down Cooling Aftershave A soothing aftershave to moisturise and reduce irritation. A blend of sachi inci seed oil, which is high in Omega 3 and vitamins A and E, and sweet almond oil for non-greasy hydration that leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. Soothing and antiinflammatory. RRP: £12.95. tigihaircare.com.
The Bluebeards Revenge Cooling Moisturiser
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The BARBER PRO Post Shave Cooling Mask An innovative mask in sheet form that is placed over the face and neck after shaving. It instantly cools, nourishes, reduces redness and hydrates the skin. The mask is also infused with anti-ageing collagen to firm the skin and to leave a natural, youthful glow, all in just 15-20 minutes! RRP: £4.95. Trade prices available. Barberpro.com.
American Crew All-in-one Face Balm Broad Spectrum SPF15 (150 ml) Perfect hydration post shave. Soothes, refreshes and moisturises with built in daily sun protection. RRP £30. Call 0207
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men-ü Matt Moisturiser Oil free, fragrance free moisturiser with sebum absorbers that help combat areas of greasy skin, especially around the T-zone. The absorbers kick in to ensure a matt finish whilst the moisturiser is readily absorbed. Includes Vitamin E which helps tackle the free radicals that age the skin by attacking the collagen and reducing elasticity. RRP: £14.95. men-u.co.uk.
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5
THE BLACK MASK AT RAW:IMAGE
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391 7440 for nearest distributor.
This soothing moisturizer includes jojoba, a wax ester known to be incredibly similar to the natural oils created by skin, and applied topically, helps to prevent excessive greasiness and unwanted outbreaks and irritation. 100ml. RRP: £9.99. bluebeardsrevenge.co.uk.
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Barber Pro Face Putty Black Peel-off Mask
Activated Charcoal peel off mask that loosens blackheads and cleanses deep into the pores to remove impurities. This skin rejuvenating formula clarifies and purifies while rebalancing oily areas. Detoxifying to target blackheads and acne, rebalances oily zones and clears impurities, exfoliates dead skin cells, increases hydration, repairs skin damage and brightens complexion. Dermatologically tested and not tested on animals. Each 7g sachet contains 3 applications. A 90g tube with 25 applications is coming soon! Sachets RRP: £4.95 inc. VAT/Tube RRP £24. Trade prices available. Barberpro.com.
AT
Credit: Image courtesy of Bluebeards Revenge
ALL YOUR BARBERING NEEDS FROM BASIN ST. BRINGING YOU THE BEST IN BARBERING PRODUCTS, INCLUDING YOUR FAVOURITES FROM LEADING BRANDS…
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SPECIAL F E AT U R E
MR Barbers takes time out to applaud their hardworking teams.
MR. BARBERS THINKS BIG!
L-R: COOKIE - LIFETIME COMMITMENT AWARD BEN SMITH - STYLE IMAGE AWARD BROOKLYN SHANNON - YOUNG AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR MARK LOVELL - AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR JAK FINCH - BARBER OF THE YEAR JACOB GALLALLY - YOUNG AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR ASTON JOSEPH - YOUNG BARBER OF THE YEAR MR.IPSWICH - SHOP OF THE YEAR
SPECIAL F E AT U R E
PICTURE CREDITS: DAVID DONNAN @IGENTICS
M
R. Barbers is a brand recognised for quality and innovation that fully understands the hard graft it takes to be a quality craftsman in our highly competitive barbering industry. The founders, Sam Prior and Karl Foster should know because they are hard grafting barbers themselves. In just two years their vision to create a growing chain of wholly owned and franchise shops has reached a tipping point. At the end of 2016 Karl and Sam held their very first MR. Barber Awards to celebrate and honour the success of the employees and franchise partners of their 13 shops. By the end of this year there will be 26 shops. Their business will have doubled in size every year since launch in 2015 and that pace of growth has a sustainable plan for the next five years! That’s a tall order and one that MR. Barbers will achieve because it’s built on a strong foundation of business systems, branding and internal training. Creative Director and Co-Founder Sam Prior says “The MR. Barbers Awards, held at Duxford War Museum in November 2016, was a tribute to the skill and passion of our brands many fantastic barbers. At the same time, we took the opportunity to raise money for charity. We handed over £2,250 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, a very worthy cause. It’s so important to us to nurture and value our teams. Rewarding those who deserve reward and celebrating the success that all of the MR. franchisee’s and barbers have had over the past few years. Celebrating this along with their friends and family is something we didn’t give a second thought to.” The awards were supported by Wahl and Copacetic and attended by industry friends including Wahl Artistic Team member Michael Damiano and Joth Davies of Savills. MR. Barbers is creating opportunities and backing highly skilled and passionate barbers that choose to grow with the MR. brand across the UK and beyond. To be a part of the MR. Barbers story either as an employee or franchise partner simply visit www.mrbarbers.co.uk and get in touch - info@mrbarbers.co.uk..
COLCHESTER
See the MR. Barbers team on stage at Modern Barber LIVE. Drop by the stand at Barber Connect.
MR. Barbers Franchise Fact File Franchise investment: £30-£50k depending on location. Time scale: Six months from contract to opening. Returns: 25% in the first year on your investment. Support: In-house accountant, business training and coaching, property search, legal support, financial planning, leasing, contracts, branding, shop fitting, marketing material, website, social media, development opportunities, booking system, app. NB: If you have a shop already and want to rebrand and join the family then that’s a great option too.
FOUNDERS: SAM WALL AND KARL FOSTER
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PRODUCTS
QUARTERED STEELS STUDENT SCISSOR Fine quality Japanese 440c steel, semi convex edge, available in 5.5” and 6”. Price: £125. Quarteredsteels.com
Andis Barber Combo Kit
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S Pro clipper and new 230v T-Outliner® trimmer. A dynamic duo that no barber or stylist should be without. Price: £89.99. andis.com
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Scalp Care Anti-Thinning Tonic
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wice-daily spray helps create an optimal scalp environment for thicker, stronger, fuller hair (100ml). Price: £37.95. paul-mitchell. co.uk/salon-success.co.uk
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xtra soft boar bristles to gently remove hair debris ideal for those intricate clipper fades. Price: £9.99. bluebeards-revenge.co.uk
TAKARA BELMONT DAINTY GROOMING CHAIR Versatile, stylish and robust. 360° lockable rotation, a reclining backrest and adjustable and removable headrest, fully upholstered and padded armrests. Price: £1405 ex VAT. takarahairdressing.co.uk
The Viscount Barber Chair by REM
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vailable in over 20 fabric colours and carrying a 3 Year Warranty. Custom embroidery for barbershop branding available. Price from: £840 ex VAT. rem.co.uk
TIGI BEDHEAD FOR MEN LION TAMER BEARD AND HAIR BALM Light control and a nourishing blend of premium ingredients to soft hair and skin. Perfect for defined looks. Matt finish. Price: £12.95. Bedhead.com/en-gb 58 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
Bluebeards Revenge Fade Brush
BarberPro Gentlemen’s Sheet Mask
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nti-oxidant, antibacterial, anti-ageing and rejuvenating sheet mask that packs in natural ingredients to rebalance oily skin and dry patches while improving skin tone and delivering a youthful glow. Single use. Price: £4.95. barberpro.com
PRODUCTS
Kent Folding Pocket Comb
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00mm fine toothed handmade folding comb, with a pocket clip. Price £5.20. Kentbrushes.com
REUZEL FIBRE POMADE Strong, pliable and controls even the curliest and most unruly hair. Low shine. Water soluble. Available in Piglet, Pig and Hog sizes 35g/113g/340g. Price: £8.99/£15.99/£37.99. Reuzel.co.uk. Uppercut Deluxe Matt Pomade
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hardworking and versatile twist on a modern classic, embraces a diverse range of style. Available in professional 100g size. Price: £17.00. Uppercutedeluxe.com/uk
Premier Gold Chester Single Salon Waiting Seat
FUDGE CLEAN BLONDE VIOLET TONING SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER Keep brassy tones out and cool tones in to blonde coloured hair with this neutralising and hydrating duo. 300ml x 2. Price: £17.95. fudgeprofessional.com
T BEST SELLER
American Crew Boost Powder
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nti-gravity volume powder with a matte finish. This weightless powder adds grit for dramatic, gravitydefying texture. Price: £14.50. Call 0207 391 7440 for nearest distributor.
Wahl Finale 5-Star Finishing Tool
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win gold foils with hypoallergenic properties for a smooth bump-free shave. Quiet motor, lithium ion battery for 80 minute running time. Corded and cordless. Price: £89.99. To find the closest distributor call 01227 740066.
raditional seat upholstered in a smooth easy-to-clean vinyl. Deep buttoned arms and backrest, contrast stitching in white. H:76cm/ W:100cm/D:80cm. Price: £240.00 ex VAT. salonequipmentcentre.co.uk
MATADOR CUTTING COMB Designed with fine teeth on one side and wide teeth on the other side. Perfect for scissor and clipperover-comb cutting. Price: £6.25 ex VAT. denmanpro.com
Label.MEN Texture Wax Stick
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orks for a variety of styling results and any hair-length. No mess, no fuss wax stick. Includes botanicals to soothe the scalp and support healthy hair growth. Price: £11.50. Labelm.com
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SOCIAL
10
The Minute Chat
Karen Waldron grabbed barbering by the balls in 1978 and she’s never released her grip. Her determination, drive and natural talent for business have helped her and her teams thrive in a man’s world. MB got the low down… 60 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
SOCIAL
M
B: You own The Barbershop Group… did you mean to start a chain of shops from day one? KW: Yes! Totally. I saw a gap in the market. I just knew I had to open a shop that was masculine but luxurious. Men wanted more style in their hair and barbershops were losing out to unisex salons. I knew that I could create something that had a touch of luxury, wasn’t posh or expensive but a place where men could be comfortable. I chose a shop in Wendover near RAF Halton and I just threw all my energy and passion into it. I opened in 1982. At one point I had 18 locations, now The Barbershop Group has 11 locations and over 60 staff. I made every shop strong before opening the next and I always have and always will train my own staff. MB: How long did it take you to get the money together to start? KW: I was put in a children’s home at four years old for three years and then I ran away from home at 15. I ended up talking my way into a job as a hairdresser on a cruise liner at 17, then trained with a traditional barber in Oxford before opening the first shop at 22. I have always believed that you can live in your memory or your imagination. I have a lot of sadness and trouble in my memory but I have an amazing imagination! I have always turned my imagination into reality. I didn’t ever consider failure. I sold my car and did a lot of work myself. I was passionate about offering a service and making my vision happen. I wasn’t actually chasing the money. MB: Initially your male customers were suspicious of a female barber, so what made the difference? KW: Theatre, skills and confidence. I made the shops my theatre. Every shop has a cutting platform. We literally put our barbers on the stage and then our customers step up. All my staff wear a uniform and 98% of them are female. A uniform builds trust. Even back then we did wet shaves with cutthroats and made sure each customer saw the barber strop the razor. In the early days I would go around all the working men’s clubs to talk about my shop, I’d whip out my razor and clean a neck line here and there. It was good PR, it was good showmanship. I received great coverage in the News of the World because I kept my Macaw in the shop, the headline read ‘Lovely birds in barbers’. It became a thing and all of our shops had a parrot. Parrots can’t say ‘f’
THE BARBERSHOP GROUP CUTTING ‘PLATFORM’
“A uniform builds trust. KAREN AND SAM Even back then we did wet shaves with cutthroats and made sure each customer saw the barber strop the razor. In the early days I would go around all the working men’s clubs to talk about my shop, I’d whip out my razor and clean a neck line here and everyone up. Many staff have been with there. It was good PR, it me for over 10 years and some 27 years. was good showmanship.” which is useful because everyone taught them to swear! At the end of the day though, I just never let customers get away with bad behaviour. MB: You’ve been in business for a long time. Do you think you’ve seen it all? KW: I honestly think I have. Every haircut is a repeat of somewhere in time. I can teach a proper punk Mohawk and a classic scissor cut and everything in between. We teach fades without guards and back then there were no skull fades, the phrase was ‘to the bone’! I’ve faced every challenge and conquered them all. When I couldn’t get staff locally, I advertised in Scotland and Wales and rented a flat to put
MB: What’s makes you a great businesswoman? KW: I have a gut instinct and I learn fast. I listen to my gut. I don’t trust anyone but I do choose who I put my faith in carefully. I don’t get freaked out by the competition, in fact I never focus on them. I only focus on my business. I cut out negativity and never let it breed. I never compromise and I never poach staff. Integrity is important and remember…like attracts like. MB: What message do you have for the industry? KW: Play nice. Rudeness is unnecessary. Follow thebarbershopgroup.com/insta and FB @thebarbershopgroup/twitter @cutukk WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK / 61
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Welcome to the Team Andrea
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NEW SHAVE RANGE
Quarterly Update
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hat a start to 2017! This has been the busiest start to a year I’ve had in a long time. I’ve already been out of the UK four times, including a great trip to join the US Wahl Educators in Chicago. It was freezing but as always I had a warm reception from our US counterparts and loved exchanging ideas. I am now preparing for trips to Italy, India and Chicago (again) where I will be taking Joth Davies from Savills to attend our global presenters training and we’ll be visiting the new Wahl museum. It sounds glamorous, but trust me…it’s hard graft! With Pro Hair Live in the bag, we now turn our attention to Barber Connect. I know Modern Barber have a live stage this year which sounds amazing. We would love to do every show and exhibition but as you know, when we do something at Wahl, we like to go BIG, so we need to be selective with which shows we choose.
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The feedback since launching our Traditional Shaving Range in January has been wicked. If you haven’t already, head to salonservices.com and pick up the products.
e are delighted to announce Andrea Raymond as the latest Wahl Artistic Team member. She is a real talent and star for the future. I’m looking forward to coaching and working with her, she’ll be doing all of our major shows in 2017 and I can’t wait to see her in action. Andrea is perfectly positioned to educate the next generation of barbers, ensuring quality and diversity across every Wahl exhibition, show and course. You can catch her teaching at Hennessy, Cork on 3rd April 2017 and see her on stage at Barber Connect on the Modern Barber LIVE stage where she is representing Ireland in the Regional Round-Up. For more course info got to www.wahlacademy.co.uk.
2017 will see Wahl recruiting more Artistic Team members, the first new team member to be announced was Andrea Raymond and there are several big name signings in the pipeline. Watch out for two talented brothers from the north, one crazy Irish man and a true gent from Sheffield… You do the math!!! WAHL MUSEUM
ANDREA RAYMOND
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Wahl Academy – Course Focus
O ALAN BEAK
REECE BEAK
Simon’s Shout Out
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lan & Reece Beak These two are not only talented but are really nice guys. Good things happen to nice people, well done guys! For more of their work, check them out on Instagram @ mozambeak @alan_beak/Hair
Dates For Your Diary 27th May FA Cup Final 11th & 12th June Barber Connect
Product of the Month Reiss Streamline Luggage – Wayfarer My girlfriend bought this for me for Christmas – It glides, works like James Bond and is perfect for barbers wanting to transport their tools.
ur mission at Wahl is to inspire and educate every delegate that attends our Academy courses. It’s a great opportunity to draw on the knowledge and experience of the Wahl Artistic Team and to ensure you leave with the skills required to further your career in barbering. Wahl Academy is open to barbers of all levels who want to develop their craft and push the boundaries. There are six courses that cover the basic foundations of barbering through to advanced techniques and specialist sessions dedicated to mastering the fade and shave. We run courses all year round at our HQ in Herne Bay and have also partnered up with Aston & Fincher, Capital and Hennessy, so there will always be a Wahl Academy course nearby that suits your needs. Each issue I will shine the spotlight on one of our courses, the first being Classic Men’s Grooming, which provides the foundations of barbering. Head to the Wahl YouTube to learn more: youtube.com/wahluklimited Course dates: 10th April – Creative Advanced Gents, Aston & Fincher, Birmingham 17th May – Specialist: The Fade, Wahl HQ, Herne Bay 25th May – Specialist: The Fade, Capital, Bournemouth 26th & 27th June – Classic Men’s Grooming, Wahl HQ, Herne Bay Find us on. Facebook: Wahl Professional UK. Instagram: @wahlprouk. Twitter: @ WahlProUK WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK / 63
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Don’t judge MB heard from Tommie McGuckin (@tommie_ hardgrind). He’s got something to say about respecting young barbers. So we let him – in his very own words.
You know respect is a two way street, so when I hear and read senior barbers say that ‘all these young barbers with their tattoos and skin fades’ are sh*t, I see it as disrespectful. I think I speak for a lot of young barbers too. We should be judged on our work not on our appearance. For me I see senior barbers as vital to our industry, in fact they have never been more important. Barbering is so much in the spotlight and the information and knowledge that can be found in a barber that has been doing it for 20 years is invaluable. So it’s sad that so many choose to turn a blind eye to the barber with the skin fade and the tattoos just because he’s young. That’s just arrogance and it’s not helping. Those are the guys that will still be cutting hair when the oldies are hanging up their scissors. We should all be doing everything we can to help this industry blossom and respecting each other. Staying humble and developing talent is where it’s at, not turning to the dark side of social media just to judge people on their appearance. I have been cutting for eight years and I trained with a traditional Italian barber. People look at me and assume I don’t have knowledge or skill. I intend to push barbering to its limits so that twenty years from now I can pass on something great. Barbering is in the 64 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
TOMMIE MCGUCKIN
“it’s sad that so many choose to turn a blind eye to the barber with the skin fade and the tattoos just because he’s young” spotlight, I want to keep it there. I work in a young team, Colin is the oldest at just over 30 but we work at being a team of some of the best barbers in the country and we have
built something really special. We are family. There’s so much talent out there and some of these kids coming through…well I just didn’t know it was possible to reach those levels so young. We have to value all of it on merit. We have to grow as an industry and keep on pushing. I’m going to be on the Modern Barber LIVE stage at Barber Connect in June, I intend to make people remember me on that stage and it won’t be for my tattoos, it will be for my work.”
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EUROPE’S LARGEST BARBER EXHIBITION RETURNS SOON {11.06.2017 - 12.06.2017}
www.barberconnect.co.uk
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+44 (0)800 644 0231
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info@barberconnect.co.uk
TOP 10 REASONS TO GET INVOLVED WITH THIS YEAR’S EXHIBITION • FREE tickets to Europe’s largest barbering exhibition • NETWORK with over 5,000 barbers • SEE launches & innovations first hand • BENEFIT from amazing show offers & discounts • NETWORK with suppliers & build relationships • LIVE barbering competitions • FREE educational & inspiring seminars • FREE car parking at Telford International Centre • AFFORDABLE hotel options & loads of restaurants • CONVENIENT 40 minute drive from Birmingham Airport
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BARBERS IN THE FRAME
ARTIST VINCE KAMP AND MATTHEW ROBINSON
JAMIE CRAWFORD
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PAULY HARMER, FRANK RIMER, ED ROWE
HAYDN WOODROW AND FRANK RIMER
MB dropped by the early showing of this handsome exhibition in Shoreditch last month. Artist Vince Kamp (@ vincekamp) has been making art out of the craft since meeting Pauly Harmer (@paulyharmer) at a pop-up during a Bike Shed event at Tobacco Dock last year.
V RYAN COSTELLO
ince says “I was looking for a theme to explore and Pauly had such a strong look. The facial hair, tattoos and the movement in the hands were all captivating. They are challenging things to paint and it inspired me. So I took some pictures and did a study in oil and took it to him at Thy Barber at the Bike Shed, he was really excited. I met Frank Rimer there and he introduced me to Haydn Woodrow and this whole barbering world started opening up to me.” Vince has completed 18 portraits and his work has captured the rare interest of Clarendon Fine Art on Dover Street in London, a revered gallery. Vince is now working on large figurative pieces with barbers for a London show at Clarendon Fine Art on April 6th. Can’t wait! For enquiries contact Rachel Simkiss at Clarendon Fine Art. Photography by Arthur de Lvivsky @mrlvivsky. Thanks Arthur! WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK / 69
NEW CATALOGUE & WEBSITE Launching Spring 2017
Following the success of the Barber Connect website relaunch comes the much anticipated, new and improved Barber Blades website; along with an updated catalogue, stacked with hundreds of new items.
www.barberblades.co.uk
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+44 (0)800 644 0234
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admin@barberblades.co.uk
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ROBERT PEWSEY -
NOW
ROBERT PEWSEY - SECOND FROM RIGHT
THE WAY WE WERE MB took a stroll down memory lane with two mature barbers that have done the distance. 72 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
R
obert Pewsey – 52 years in the trade
Robert Pewsey took retirement, for two whole weeks but a lifetime behind the chair sent him back into the barbershop this time to work at Andy’s Barbers in Bicester (@andysbarbershopbicester). Robert works three days a week and spends the balance of his time with his grandchildren, supporting his local football team or on the golf course! It’s a well-earned balance too because Robert began his apprenticeship in 1965. “I spent three years as an apprentice and two years working on approval. I didn’t earn a full wage as a fully qualified barber until I had been there five years. The shop was called Christo’s in Banbury, Oxfordshire and I looked after eight barbers. I started with sweeping and shampooing. Brylcreem was about the only product and it had to be washed out, so everyone got a shampoo. We did sell
a lot of Gossamer condoms. It really was the days of ‘something for the weekend, Sir’, mostly because our shop was the only place in town to get them. We went through 144 a week. There weren’t any college courses for me to attend and I was left handed but I had to learn to use right handed scissors because no-one made left handed scissors. When I was learning and watching the other barbers I had to do the opposite of the way they cut. Besides that, not much has changed about life in the shop. I love people and a good chat is still as good now as it was then. There are some subjects you never talk about though and that’s religion
JOHN SMITH AS AN APPRENTICE AND INSET NOW RIGHT: JOHN’S PAID INDENTURE DOCUMENTS BONDING HIM TO HIS ‘MASTER’
and politics,” says Robert. Back in the day Robert charged 10p (two shillings) for a haircut which would still only work out at £1.80 now. His first weekly wage was £2.10 which would be £27 in today’s money. After 10 years at Christo’s, Robert opened his own shop in Oxford which is where he stayed until his very short retirement. Robert concludes “When I started my career the Rolling Stones were in fashion and I can see it’s all going back to longer lengths. I think it’s tremendous how barbering has grown and I think it has changed for the better with all the competitions and interest from young people. Barbering is a good career and if you’ve got a talent for it you can do well. I’ve always had money in my pocket and I can walk down any street in Oxford and meet people I know. That’s worth a lot!” John Smith – 44 years in the trade John Smith owns and runs Smith & Weston Barbers in Liverpool (@ smithandwestonbarbers). He’s had the shop for eight years but his hair story began in 1973 when he became an *indentured apprentice at a weekly wage of £2.10 (£13.35 in today’s money). His apprenticeship lasted three years after which he undertook a two year ‘improvership’. He worked a 5 ½ day week with Wednesday afternoon’s off when he got the bus into the city to attend college until 9pm. His parents paid £100 for the indenture which is the equivalent of £850 today. “I served as a ladies hairdresser until I bumped into a friend who was a barber. Long hair was in fashion and barbers were cutting men’s long hair but couldn’t blend it below the occipital bone, so I decided to open a barbershop. I opened Shapes Men’s Hair
“I served as a ladies hairdresser until I bumped into a friend who was a barber. Long hair was in fashion and barbers were cutting men’s long hair but couldn’t blend it below the occipital bone, so I decided to open a barbershop.” Design on the Wirral. Barbers charged a lot less than hairdressers even then. In 1986 I was charging 95p for a wash and blow dry but I loved it so much, it was like getting paid to do a hobby all day,” remembers John. John momentarily fell out of love with barbering when ‘hair got boring for a time’ and sold up, but after six months he was back in the barbershop freelancing around Liverpool. Then came Adee Phelan… “I saw Adee Phelan’s winning collection for Men’s Hairdresser of the Year in 2000 and it just blew me away. I spent ages trying to work out how he had done it and after
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seeing him at ProHair on stage, I finally worked out that he was texturizing with clippers, it looked great. David Beckham was all over the news for his hair and men’s hair really took off. Back then if hairdressing had been a club it would have been Stringfellows and barbering was the local British Legion. These days things are different,” explains John. John acknowledges that times are tough for new barbers as there is a huge increase in competition and so many cut price cuts on offer but he still loves the trade and the fact that he gets paid to do a hobby! *An indentured apprenticeship was a binding contract between an apprentice and his/her ‘master’ defining the terms, conditions and mutual obligations of a professional relationship and an exchange of labour in return for training. The indenture began in the middle ages and was typically issued by a craftsmen’s guild. Originally only training, shelter and subsistence was offered for a seven year apprenticeship.
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Guitar Solo Barbershops host some curious objects. MB spotted this one and wanted to know more…
D
ean Cunningham (@deancutshair) has been a barber for 4 ½ years and works at Iconic Gents Hair in East Kilbride. This stunning electric guitar has pride of place next to his chair and just like a client, it comes with a story. “I actually won this Eddie Van Halen guitar in a competition. I was celebrating my 15th birthday at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood and they were running a competition for the best Van Halen solo. I was about to get the cake but I decided to enter and play. I just play guitar for my own pleasure, I can’t read music but back then I had been practicing this really famous Van Halen solo called Eruption. So I gave it go and I won!” Dean even gets it down for a bit of a play at the end of the day and most working days end with a little Van Halen on Spotify. Post pics of your strange shop objects, tag @modernbarbermag and #mycuriousstuff.
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ADAM O’CALLAGHAN
MODEL IMAGE CREDIT: SHAUN BARRY @ SHAUNDEBARRA
TIPS
Adam’s tips on moving to work abroad
Research everything before you leave! Try and find a location that you feel will suit you and then make a hit list of potential employers and reach out. Research your equipment. You need to be good to go from day one so, sign-up to local trade suppliers as a trade customer and take your favourite tools with you. If your employer doesn’t have business cards you can use, then make your own but ask permission. Then hand them out everywhere you go – restaurants, clubs, hotspots. Rebook EVERY client you can (if they have a system). If you do the best job then you have a loyal client for as long as you are there but build that regular business by rebooking. Manage your social media around the time zone! Stay relevant at home. Adam makes sure he posts work to time with the morning commute, after work chill out time, etc back at home. Have great hair. Looking sharp shows you care about your appearance, so that you will care about theirs. Educate yourself, always. Commit to learning everything you can and pushing your knowledge. Be humble and be hungry!
Off to Canada, eh? Portable barbering skill can take you anywhere. It took Cork barber Adam O’Callaghan (@adamoc_hair) all the way to Canada.
A
trade-in-hand is a powerful thing and can grease the wheels of every life journey. The reality of making those journeys happen can be quite a learning curve though, so MB spoke to Adam O’Callaghan. Adam and his girl Leanne and their pug Millie (@ milliemoopug on insta!) made the move to Vancouver, Canada from Ireland late last year. Like many barbers Adam connected with his future employer through social media. He wanted a chance to grow, not just a job, so targeted shops whose work and standards would reflect that need. Adam found his place alongside Matty Conrad of Victory Barbers (@ victorybarbers). Adam says “It only took
a few weeks to get a two year working Visa for Canada and it was a pretty simple process. I’ve been a barber for four years and my biggest fear of moving wasn’t about the move, as much as the fear of going stale in my work. There are loads of good things happening in barbering in Ireland and the UK and I didn’t want to get left behind.” Adam is staying with family outside Vancouver and has found the Canadian way of life really easy going. He is happy with his growing client base and has already flown the 3000 miles for a one day course with the Menspire Academy in Toronto. For now Canada has only one downside…the choice and quality of barber kit…Thank God Adam took his with him!
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TIPS
THE SHOEMAKER Shoemaker Guy West is cofounder of Jeffrey West (@ jeffreywestuk), he’s all about standing up for stand out footwear; it’s dapper with a difference.
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uy West left school at 15 with a plan to join the local shoe trade in Northampton but by 17 he and his friend Mark Jeffrey had developed an irrepressible entrepreneurial streak, that saw them buying up seconds and rejects from local factories and selling them at weekend markets. After a short stop as employees learning every aspect of shoe construction and sales, the pair began ‘range building’ with a clear vision to take that Northampton classic welted footwear and transform it into something extraordinary. Guy says “We developed our own handwriting that was individual and not classic. We wanted a quality Goodyear welted construction that was fashionable, even flamboyant. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. We were influenced by punk, new Every shoe begins GUY WEST wave, rockabilly, psychobilly. with the last (the It was the end of disco and foundation shape) jazz funk and there was so and that process can much inspiration to be drawn from street take two years. “A millimetre too deep or culture and music. Fashionable footwear too long can completely change the shape, just wasn’t available. So we made it and it takes time to get it exactly right and I can we probably changed the shoe trade. have up to 100 prototypes made before We wanted to serve men that were real a shoe or boot makes it into production,” individuals…we were inspired by hell says Guy. Jeffrey West footwear is rich in raisers like Peter O’Toole and Richard gothic detail and beautiful leathers. The Harris…the men that wanted to dress punches in a brogue can be shaped like up and look well. It didn’t matter if our a rat, a snake or a death’s head moth; the customers had just come off a shift on the heels are cloven; the zipper fobs have bins, they could dress up and put on blue skulls; the soles can be red and carry a crocodile boots and look different and motto. Guy is always seeking new ways feel confident.” Turning that vision into a to surprise and has introduced ‘shoe reality took a little longer than planned. engraving’ that can even be done to order. The banks wouldn’t touch Guy and Mark Guy says “You can’t print on black leather initially so they saved £2k, made shoe and I wanted to add detail to black shoes samples and hit the road until they had 12 and boots. I worked with a paper artist and orders in hand. They took the orders back using a tattoo gun we created detail in the to the banks, it worked and in 1987 they leather.” Well, Jeffrey West isn’t called the founded Jeffrey West. ‘Celebrated House of Intrigue’ for nothing! 76 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
Guy’s advice on buying quality footwear Feel the weight – good shoe construction means that good shoes should have weight to them. Goodyear welted is the best – look out for the stitching around the perimeter of the sole. It’s the most traditional and labour intensive. Check leather quality – a quality leather can be seen in the depth of the shine not a surface shine. Look at the sole – leather soles show quality and will be most comfortable over time. Price point – you don’t get quality shoes for less than £150. Jeffrey-west.co.uk/@jeffreywestuk
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TIPS
Before
SHOP FLOOR STEPBYSTEP Tariq Howes of Avenue Male Grooming in Cardiff has a strong afro and mixed texture clientele. Here he shares his skills to demonstrate how to create an awesome rounded afro with taper plus a handful of tips on working with this hair type. See more of Tariq’s work on FB @avenuemalegrooming/Tariq Howes
Using an Afro comb pick out the hair to its highest state and then assess the length and consider the shape that you want to create.
Using the clipper start through the centre from the front hairline and work backwards towards the crown to establish the guideline.
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TARIQ HOWES
Begin working from side to side to level out the top section, working to the established guide. Work visually to assess the shape as you go.
Establish the side guideline above the ear working without a guard. Work up the head towards the top and leave the shape quite square initially. Follow the guideline around the head to the back.
TIPS
Tariq’s Top Tips Afro Hair Always assess the texture of afro hair. It’s very varied and diverse. You need to decide if it’s soft, thick, brittle etc. Add a little Soft Sheen oil to moisturise.
Connect the fringe with the top by removing the overhanging hair and connecting the front hairline to the top section to meet the guideline.
Now work around the head removing the corners/edge of the shape created by connecting the sides and top. Work visually to create a smooth rounded shape.
Work through the head and comb/pick the hair again to reveal any varied lengths or imperfections in the shape.
Work against the grain with strong texture. Go with the grain first on going shorter. Afro can look thick but quickly reveal skin, a 2 can look like a 0.5, so go with the grain first to be sure. You cannot work technically only visually on afro texture. Comb it out thoroughly, remove the bulk with clippers and then comb again to make sure that you have a solid shape.
Now the shape has been created and the bulk removed with clippers, refine with scissors taking away stray hairs and compacting the shape.
Now line up the haircut across the fringe, temple and around the ear in a nice sharp line.
Comb down the sides and remove weight around the neck line, nape and sides.
Create the bald line for the taper at the nape and sideboards. Blend out the taper working through the grades 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 then 0 to take away the bald line repeat at the nape and opposite side.
Be very careful with Afro Caribbean skin as it is high risk for ingrowing hair. Foil shavers particularly can irritate the skin, so take care when taking hair very short.
Finished Look
Refine and cross check for a neat perfect shape.
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TIPS
HAIR BY WEZ OMELIO JONES/ INSET WEZ AT WORK
THE HARD PART Wez Omelio Jones (@the. heartbreak.barber) from The HeartBreak Club Barbershop in Leigh-on-Sea makes the hard part easy. Here’s how…
T
here’s lots of reasons to create a hard part – to give it stand out, to help the client find their parting or to give a classic look a little sharpness but if you get it wrong, it can look REALLY wrong. Too wide, too low, too high, wrong for the head shape, wrong for the cut, just plain wrong. Wez Omelio Jones owns his own shop delivering a broad variety of work from the classic scissor cut to every kind of fade. Wez shares his tips on making the hard part easy. “Just wet the hair down with a bit of tonic and comb back from the hair line. A light push from the crown reveals the natural fall. If you don’t find an obvious natural parting then comb the hair right then left until you see where the parting suits the client’s face shape best. Take the time to work by eye. You need to check the head for funky hairlines and growth patterns and work with them. Talk to the client, let them know what their hair can and can’t accommodate. Asian hair for example generally just wants to fall in the centre and forcing a parting looks bad. So be honest. If it won’t work, let it be,” says Wez. A natural look should always be the goal whether you use a cutthroat or clipper. Wez recommends keeping 80 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
“A light push from the crown reveals the natural fall. If you don’t find an obvious natural parting then comb the hair right then left until you see where the parting suits the client’s face shape best.” the parting no thicker than the teeth of the comb or the clipper and starting at the front hairline and working back. Go easy on the journey and be careful where you stop. Wez concludes “You’ve got to feel your way. I had one guy that was going to a fashion show and wanted something to stand out from the crowd so I put a cross at the bottom of the parting and made it into a bit of art. It’s horses for courses but 99% of the time keeping it looking natural has to be the way to go.” Thanks Wez, easy as…
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Easydry Barber Towels and Thermal Towels are the best thing to happen to male grooming – I cannot recommend them enough. Easydry towels are ideal for male grooming as they are hygienic, highperforming and cost-effective. They are three times more absorbent than cotton and are the best towels for barbers in my opinion. Leave cotton towels and outdated laundry in the past. Easydry is the better way to dry! Gary Machin SRSB Chairman of the Barber Council Founder RB Training
Order now: 0845 300 7764 info@easydry.com
www.easydry.com
TIPS
TOP TIPS
Jim Williams (FB Jim Williams) of Baldys Barbers in Buckinghamshire (@ baldysbarbers) wants the best from his tools and keeps them in tip top condition. He zero gaps his clippers for the closest cut and sharpest lines. Done right, zero gapping won’t pinch or rub. Andis (@ andiscouk) even offers a tool for it. Here’s how Jim does it…
PHOTO: GARETH CLARK
HOW TO…ZERO GAP YOUR CLIPPERS.
HOW TO… PREP A RAZOR WITH FIRE!
Unscrew the blade slightly. Using a back mirror, gently and firmly push the blades flat until the blade is closer to the outer teeth. The reflection gives you the feedback you need to do it correctly. Spray with Andis Cool Care and put a little oil on the blades. Tighten the screw. Test the clipper on your hand before you attempt to use it on a client. Check and re-zero regularly. 82 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
MB spotted Jamie Crawford (@jamie_mrrobinsons) of Mister Robinson’s in Rugby prepping his blade at the Britain’s Best Shave regional final with The Bluebeards Revenge. It’s a little piece of pyro theatre that is Jamie’s habit and the client’s love it. Here’s how Jamie does it…
Jamie is right handed and holds the blade in his left hand. He locks in a new blade and sprays it generously with aerosol disinfectant. Holding the blade upside down at arm’s length and away from client, body and any flammables, Jamie lights the alcohol spray on the blade with a lighter. He then holds the aerosol at least 15cm from the flame and gives it a three second burst of spray. Plenty long enough to disinfect and heat the blade for a smooth start to the shave and deliver a little bit of drama. Not long enough to allow the flame to follow the spray into the can. No scarier than the Christmas Pud! Disclaimer: Jamie’s tips work for him and Jamie and Modern Barber take no responsibility for any risk to barber, client or shop. Stay safe out there people!
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TIPS
HOW TO… HANDLE NEGATIVE ONLINE REVIEWS. The NHF has the backs of its members and offers advice and info services on any number of issues for barbershops. Here’s their chapter and verse on what to do when those keyboard warriors go into battle.
1
Make contact with the reviewer
Make direct contact with the client in the hope that you can eventually change their opinion of your business. Ensure this initial message is personal and avoid posting on any public forums.
2
Change their opinion of your business
If you can entice the customer back into your barbershop, wow them with a top-notch experience to ensure they receive the VIP treatment.
3
Encourage your clients to engage with review sites
Barbers often build strong relationships with their customers who will have only positive things to say, so tap into this client base and encourage them to post an online review for prospective clients to see.
4
Disingenuous reviews
Be cautious of reviews posted online from family or friends that look obviously inauthentic. And never fall into the trap of paying people to write positive reviews.
5
Taking further action
If an online review is defamatory or libellous, you can take legal action under the 2013 Defamation Act to get it removed. Although this should be a last resort, contact the NHF’s free Legal Lifeline (01244 687600) to discuss your situation in detail and gain the legal advice you’re after. nhf.info 84 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
HOW TO… APPROACH A CHILD WITH AUTISM. James Williams (@jim_jimthetrim_williams) founded and runs Autism Barbers Assemble (@autism_barbers_assemble). He dedicates one Sunday a month to appointments for clients on the autistic spectrum and he’s connecting likeminded barbers across the UK in a network of support. Here he offers his tips on approaching a child with autism… Patience and understanding are key when working with somebody with autism. Jim’s ‘Autism Sunday’s’ runs one hour time slots at £15 for the appointment. All the parents that attend understand the time commitment. Don’t approach them with tools first. Sit with them and interact. The experience can be scary and a friendly approach is pivotal to success. Every autistic person needs an individual approach, so every haircut has to be approached carefully. Think outside the box, a simple counting game up to five or 10 to number the snips can help. Never say the word CUT as the child can feel that you are going to hurt them. Jim uses scissors due to sensory issues. The vibration of a clipper to a child with autism is terrifying. Constant communication is important. Jim often shows the scissor and comb and how it will work on his own head first. Help
the child understand before jumping in for the cut. Children with autism don’t like to be restricted to one space, so sitting in the chair is difficult. Work around them. Don’t insist on confining them to the chair. Bring the world of barbering into their world rather than the other way around. Be prepared. Plan the haircut to suit the child. Find out what they like and use it to their advantage such as toys or an iPad. Distraction can play a big part. Be aware of the environment; if other barbers are working and using clippers and a dryer it can be sensory overload. Don’t insist on a gown as the touch of the gown on the neck can be unpleasant. Sometimes Jim suggests removing the child’s top as hair inside the clothes can cause them great distress. For more information on joining Autism Barbers Assemble go to FaceBook @autimsbarbersassemble.
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OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD! Gentleman and Rogues Club in Poole is a real time barbershop brilliantly illustrated by Lee Dixon (leorarts.weebly.com/@ leorarts). Here Craig takes off a little too much – mind ‘yer fingers Craig! Follow the boys on insta @gentlemanandroguesclub with @bearded.vegan, @craigbarret_ barber, @theprospecter, @yngcuts, @blackeyebarber. 86 / WWW.MODERNBARBER.CO.UK
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