Making the Most of The Area By Rex A.C. Silver

MAKING THE MOST OF THE AREA!

BY REX A.C. SILVER

Leigh Winsor has been an Australian Barber Expo Barber of the Year, won a fistful of UK awards and a few more Aussie ones at that. He is an ambassador and national educator with the likes of Andis, Dyson and Osaka, but Leigh Winsor finds the biggest win and most rewarding for him, is not the sparkling crystal trophies.

It’s the sparkling eyes in the room he spots when sharing his knowledge with others…that moment he knows he has hit the sweet spot and connected and taught someone something.

Let’s find out more about Leigh and later in the piece, all about AREA Academy and AREA CONNECT, projects he and his partner in crime, Eoin McCarthy, have co-founded together, and a platform that is quickly gaining traction and getting attention in our industry here in Australia.

How did things begin?

My journey in the hair industry started at a young age, as a Trainee at Bowlers Hair & Beauty (Plymouth, UK) in 2006, before commencing my hairdressing apprenticeship in September 2007. Hair has been a part of my identity for half my life now. It’s the craft for me; a never-ending learning cycle, with endless possibilities when it comes to methodology, design, creativity and innovation. I spent the early years of my career heavily focused on developing my craft with every chance. Focusing on the technique and detail of hair. I had great teachers and mentors from day one. The two brothers who taught me were both NHF British Hairdressing Team alumni and both won 1st Place NHF British Hairdressing Awards respectively. Naturally this catapulted me into the competition scene. I loved the whole experience and had great success, eventually becoming the NHF Southwest of England Senior Champion. When I look back now, I really think that was an anchor point to me staying the distance in my career. I work great under pressure, and I think I have these early competition experiences to thank for that!

And the move to Oz?

2011 came around and I made the bittersweet decision to whisk myself off to the sunny shores of Australia with the motivation to make this country my primary residence. After travelling the country for a short while I settled in regional Victoria and fulfilled my sponsorship requirements at a hair salon and became an Australian Permanent Resident. Area Studio has been my home since 2017. A gift that just keeps on giving. Area Studio has helped me channel energy and enthusiasm into the creative process, developing as a human and learning what it means to be a great contributor to a team and to this industry. As a team we secured HBIA Small Salon of the Year in 2017 and 2018. I am a full-time stylist at Area Studio. Helping the younger team members on their journey to becoming successful stylists is a role that I take great pride in. I’m always encouraging them to watch haircuts, ask lots of questions and soak up as much information as possible! I’ve entered and had success in creative comps including HBIA, American Crew, Hair Expo Australia and Barber Expo (Barber of The Year 1st Place), presented onstage at various industry events and Expos, and it’s allowed me to share and impart my knowledge as an Educator, competition Judge and Ambassador for brands like; Andis Clippers, Osaka Scissors, Motion Cosmetics, Kofer Suitcases and Dyson Hair Professional. Continuing to up-skill and be the best version of myself within my craft, will be a lifelong pursuit. These days I find myself sharing knowledge and mentoring others more than ever. It warms my soul the second you see the light bulb moment go off in someone’s mind. I split my time between Area Studio, educating for Area Academy in person and online, and educating for Andis Clippers. One of my proudest moments to date is becoming an Australian Citizen. What a wonderful gift to have, and to be able to pass on to future generations.

“Hair has been a part of my identity for half my life now. It’s the craft for me; a never-ending learning cycle, with endless possibilities when it comes to methodology, design, creativity and innovation.”

ACCOLADES AND EXPERIENCES

Sorry Leigh but I wasn’t expecting 4 pages of accolades and experiences, let me break it down: • 7 x Winner Various Comps - AU and

UK • 7 x Place or Finalist Various Comps - AU and UK • 1 X Judging Role • Multiple Education Appointments/

Stage/Workshops • Multiple Demonstration

Appointments/ Stage / Workshops • Multiple Advanced Up-skilling

Diplomas • Multiple Charity/ Fundraising contributions • Multiple Editorial Features and a

Front Cover. • Partnering with Osaka, Dyson, Andis and Kofer There’s more but I’m dizzy! Well done, Leigh!

Leigh, what motives you, who are your mentors and beacons of inspiration?

My motivation to get up in the morning has changed a lot since I was a younger man. These days my motivation comes from constantly trying to adjust my moral compass and bring as much value to this world as a human being. Whether that is through meaningful connection with clients in the salon, helping other stylist on their transformational journey or simply helping myself. I have many mentors in my life, some close to me, some far and some that aren’t even alive today. Learning to be wise when choosing mentors is a skill, I encourage everyone puts time into developing. I am careful with my choices when it comes to mentors, but when one does come along, I appreciate and enjoy every ounce of value! I look to many different avenues in life too, not just hair, I enjoy being mentored in, business, relationships, health and philosophy just to name a few. When it comes to inspirations, I am very fortunate to be around a team who inspire me on a daily basis. The environment at Area Studio and Area Academy is inspiring even If you are not into hair. There’s an energy about it! Everyone brings a unique skillset, a unique area of expertise and an interesting point of view when it comes to all topics in life. The Australian hair industry as a whole inspires me to continually stay on top of my game. We have some fantastic talent in all corners of this country. I actually get my greatest inspirations from outside of the hair industry these days. I enjoy people with a clear message from the heart and people who strive for excellence in their given field.

Tell us what products you love, choose to use and recommend to your guests.

My products of choice come from a company called Motion Cosmetics. Not only have they searched for high quality natural ingredients, the product performs miracles every time. The unique ingredient profile lends itself firstly to conditioning the hair and prompting hair growth complimented with honest styling capabilities. Motion Cosmetics products do exactly what they say on the tin, beautiful styling with forward thinking hair and scalp care. My favourite Motion product has to be MSF1: CLOUD, a revolutionary Matte Styling Balm. You can find out more information at www.motionlab.space

What is your signature service?

We are so fortunate at Area Studio to have an extremely diverse team. We have people who specialise in extremely short hair and others who enjoy the longer length haircuts. (And everything in between) Right now, we are seeing a lot of longer length haircuts coming into the studio. I think this was encouraged by the long lockdowns we’ve had here in Victoria coupled with the current trends going in a new direction. For me this is where I really find my groove, as scissor and razor work has been big focus in my hair career! I believe its paramount to have a wellrounded skillset when trying to become a successful modern men’s hairstylist. This will have you armed and ready to deal with any changes in fashion or trends ultimately keeping you relevant for longer.

Can you tell us a little about becoming an Ambassador for Andis?

My journey with Andis came about quite suddenly and at the time caught me by surprise. I look back and only now do I realise the relentless work that subconsciously went into securing a position like that. So, let’s rewind back to hair expo 2019. I had just come off the back of winning The Barber Expo - Barber of the Year competition and I was at the expo as an annual tradition, attending education seminars and supporting industry peers. My colleague Eoin McCarthy who is a Global Educator for Andis was doing some stage work for them over the weekend and I was helping out with models and prep work etc. I was slowly getting to know the Andis education team after seeing them all at multiple competitions and shows. As I was mingling, word on the street was the Andis were putting together a National Education team and were auditioning at the expo. Shortly after, I was chatting to Jordon Tabakman, another Global Educator for Andis and he mentioned that I should get up on stage and have a crack at a demonstration. I took the opportunity gladly and threw myself in the deep end! Eoin took me under his wing and made sure we were on stage together, this certainly helped to ease the nerves! The stars aligned that day, and I nailed my demonstration, articulation was on point and in the weeks coming I was signing the contract to officially become a National Andis Educator. Now this all may seem like it happened by chance,

This year alone we have managed to put on fundraising events in three separate states raising money for The Jack Reed Foundation pulling in almost $15,000

Leigh Winsor & Eoin McCarthy

but it’s a direct result of putting in the years of prior groundwork and never being afraid to be the guy on the side-lines, showing your face and doing work for free. Moral of the story… you never know who’s watching! My dream team Andis setup is the Supra Zr2 for its unbelievable power, there isn’t a hair type it won’t cut through! The Slimline Pro trimmer, for its design comfortability and sharp finish. The Foil shaver for the ultimate smooth skin experience with minimal irritation and lastly the Cordless Us Pro for the cleanest fades you will ever see, the taper blade allows for free moment when executing and a softness in finish that you don’t get with any other clipper! This year has been tough when it comes to education with Andis. We’ve sadly had to clear the calendar for obvious reasons. Things are looking up though, I have some demonstration work booked in for the Perth Hair and Beauty Expo in September so fingers crossed we can get across the borders safely!

Tell us more about AREA Academy.

AREA Academy was founded in 2020 by the core team of multi-award-winning salon - AREA Studio in Melbourne, Australia. Our mission as an up-skilling facility is to challenge the way stylists think about & approach men’s haircutting. We want to help people in discovering an alternative belief system & different perspective that will ultimately help them in realising their potential.

We have many ‘in person’ programs available: • ‘EL3MENTS’ - This is a one-day workshop tailored to the class needs, showcasing our interpretation of the most up to date looks and cutting methodology in modern men’s hairdressing. • ‘CONC3PT’ - This is a one-day workshop tailored towards a specific cutting methodology e.g. (Scissor and Razor work). • ‘Private Group/Team Training’ - We design these workshops around helping teams build their skillset according to their desired needs. • ‘1 to 1’ - This workshop is our most intensive form of development for one student working directly with one educator. • “CR3ATE’ - Create is a service we offer as a creative team to other Brands/Artists, helping in the development and creative process behind campaigns. This year alone we have managed to put on fundraising events in three separate states raising money for The Jack Reed Foundation pulling in almost $15,000. These numbers would have been higher, but we’ve had to postpone/cancel too many times to count, due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. Even with the tough year this world has had, Area Academy has managed to reach almost 400 people through our workshops and fundraisers combined. We appreciate each and every one of you! Although our relentless efforts have given us a fantastic first year in business, we couldn’t help but feel there has to be a more efficient way to get our message out there. This leads us to our most recent endeavour: Our online education platform “The Network” was designed with the intention of providing consistent, easily accessible education and value-based content for hair professionals. The goal is furthering our members career and personal development journey. We go beyond hair with “The Network” - our emphasis is in building connections within an online community so we can all help one another grow! ‘The Network’ will be available in early September as a pre-launch special for a limited number of members. Full access to the general public will then be available in late September. As an added bonus Eoin McCarthy and I will be releasing frequent podcasts where you can learn all about our mindset behind the why and the how of everything that we do. We will be touching on all sorts of topics with thought leaders from all different industries and walks of life. Our first episode is out now! You can listen on all major Podcast platforms or alternatively head over to YouTube to watch full episodes.

Join our private Facebook community group for early access and discounts to courses/ events, BTS footage and more.

@area_academy @thenetwork_areaacademy @area_studio_ @leighwinsor

Alternatively, if you need more information or have other enquiries please email academy@area-studio.com.au or visit our website www.areaacademy.com.au