Australian born men’s grooming brand, Uppercut Deluxe, has announced its newest addition to the Uppercut Deluxe Team, Charlie Venn. 

The Uppercut Deluxe Barber Ambassador Team is made up of the very best barbers from across the globe, with each Ambassador passionate about the industry and devoted to the craft. 

Charlie has been on the radar of Uppercut Deluxe for over four years, gaining attention as a young barber with natural talent, but Charlie had been interested in the brand for even longer. 

It was when Charlie sat in the chair at an Uppercut Deluxe popup and purchased his first tin of Monster Hold that he decided he was going to pursue his interest in Barbering and take up the trade. 

From there, Charlie’s passion was ignited as he dove into the history of barbering and began cutting hair, a passion within him was ignited and hasn’t since slowed down. 

Charlie has proved that hard work pays off; from first gaining attention, to becoming a member of the Uppercut Deluxe Collective and now moving into the Ambassador team. 

“Charlie’s passion for the industry is second to none,” said Uppercut Deluxe Founder Steve Purcell. 

“Charlie first got our attention a few years ago just tagging us in photos, and his raw talent was unmissable.  

“When we first introduced the Collective Charlie was a no brainer. Since then, Charlie has always jumped at everything thrown at him and gone above and beyond for the brand. 

“That attitude, his passion for the industry and then, of course, his skills behind the chair make him a really natural fit for our Ambassador team. 

“Charlie is a welcome addition to our team, and I am beyond stoked to have him on board.” 

Charlie’s shop, Lucky Sevens is a mix of old and new, he has taken his favourite elements of the classic American Barbershop and combined them with modern touches like bright lights and vibrant colours. 

The shop is really a reflection on Charlie and his style, a guy who pays respect to the past but isn’t afraid to put his own spin on things. 

The same thing can be said about Charlie’s approach to cutting hair. He is a master at ‘modern classics’, cuts that are inspired by classic 40’s style but bought into the 21st century with extra volume, texture and a softer finish. 

Devoted to the industry and beyond passionate about barbering, Charlie Venn is a valued addition to the Uppercut Deluxe Ambassador team.  

Wahl Professional® has announced that it has now released its ‘Off The Top’ podcast onto all major platforms, giving a wider audience the chance to listen to interviews with educators and rising stars.  

Being a global industry leader means constantly finding new ways to reach new audiences. And it’s in the spirit of connecting with—and serving—their community that Wahl Professional created its “Off the Top” podcast.  

Co-hosted by Aaron Flick, a Senior Marketing Associate for Wahl, and Byrd Mena (@byrdmena), Sharpfade Founder and Wahl Pro’s creative consultant, the podcast had been planned for years, only to be put on hold by the pandemic. 

“We’ve been itching to get this out there,” says Flick. “We wanted to show that Wahl does more than make tools for barbers and stylists. And there’s no better way than to connect with the industry and communities that have supported us for more than 103 years.” 

True to the free-form nature of the industry, there’s also bound to be a little fun and unpredictability in each episode. 

“We go into these podcasts with no script at all so we can have the most organic conversations with our guests,” said Byrd. “It’s literally off the top of our heads.” 

“People ask for ‘A little off the top and short on the sides’ when they go to the barbershop, so that plays into the theme as well,” adds Flick. 

Only the Freshest Cuts 

There are thousands of podcasts out there competing for attention and only 24 hours in a day. How will this new show break through? 

Wahl’s answer is expertise and variety. “Off the Top” features the latest insights, new release information, must-attend events, education and more. There’s really something for everyone, including segments for people interested in industrial design, social media marketing—even pop culture.  

“We want to grow this with segments as time goes on. Right now, we have ‘What’s Inside The Box?’ where we share a surprise with our audience. It can be an unreleased tool, a Sharpfade project or something else,” said Byrd.  

With their deep industry connections, Wahl has developed relationships with legendary artists as well as up-and-coming industry stars they can call on to talk about their life stories and career passions. 

“There are a lot of amazing people out there who are making a major impact not only in their local communities but across the globe,” says Flick. “For instance, I’m really stoked about our episode with Luis Rivera (@elboribarber). He is a phenomenal artist that cuts some of the biggest Latin pop stars and athletes. His story about growth is worth hearing.” 

Wahl enthusiasts will also enjoy a “backstage” look into the roles of Wahl employees, tales from its headquarters in Sterling, Illinois, and the latest news about its Fade It Forward® scholarship and mentoring program.  

Ever mindful of how visuals dominate the barbering and styling sector, Wahl posts the podcast across multiple mediums, some including video. 

“The fact we provide video and audio versions through several channels separates us from those who do their podcasts on Instagram Live,” says Byrd. 

Three episodes are out now, with more slated to be released every three to four weeks. 

• Episode 1 features the new Cordless Legend, a recap of the 2021 Disruptour, Wahl’s Fade it Forward® Program and more. 
• In Episode 2, This Barber is How Old???, barber prodigy Cam Mahar (@cam.mahar) gives an exclusive interview about his passion for cutting hair,  TikTok insights, and what’s next for his career. 
• In Episode 3, Changing Careers Later In Life, Wahl educator Tina Sapia (@sapiathebarber) sits down to talk about her transition into barbering later in life, where she finds her inspiration,  TikTok trends and more. 

Listeners can stream the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Suggested topics for upcoming shows are welcome by commenting on the company’s YouTube Page.  

BLACC + BLOND, a hair salon based in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, has ripped up the classic perception of what a brand can be within their industry. 

Whether it be virtual haircuts during lockdown, raising funds for mental health and anti-racism or becoming one of the most sustainable salons in the world, it’s remarkable what can be achieved during a global pandemic if you genuinely care about making a change. 

This International Women’s Day (March 8th), they are now taking the huge leap of becoming a Gender Neutral Salon. The goal? To create more equality within the hair industry. They believe the traditional pricing model within the salon is an outdated concept that highlights the disparity between men and women in society. 

Their “40/40 vision”, in regards to their new haircut price, is teamed with the slogan “Length Doesn’t Matter, Time Does.” Based on the fact that all of their haircuts are the same time (one hour), so why should women pay more? 

Going Gender Neutral with pricing isn’t necessarily a new thing, however, Owner, Anil Salhan, claims that most of these salons have a predominant female client base. Whereas BLACC + BLOND has a 50/50 split of men and women as their clients, which makes their initiative that extra bit riskier. 

He states that it’s important for men to help create more gender based equality, because of how privileged men are at times. From his own experiences with racism, he mentions how empowering it is when Caucasian people help the anti-racism cause. “I hope that this inspires other men in society to at the very minimum, at least acknowledge the inequalities that women can face”. 

BLACC + BLOND are in the process of compiling their Sustainability Report, with supreme confidence that they will be accredited as Carbon Neutral in the near future. This means they will become one of the, if not first, gender and Carbon neutral hair salons on the planet. 

A status that would be remarkable for an independent business that fought to stay alive during a global pandemic. Whether it’s been his personal life or career wise, Anil has had to battle to get to where he is today, which he believes has made his brand foundation so strong. The fight for gender equality is just another chapter for BLACC + BLOND. 

Martyn Wady becomes a trained First Responder. 

WFH has its benefits and being on hand to save a life has to be one of the best! Martyn Wady, Denman’s International Business Manager spends much of his time in his home office in rural Bedfordshire and took on the challenge of training to become one of Britain’s First Responders. Martyn says “I live in a rural village and even at the best of times it’s a challenge to get an ambulance here in under 8 minutes. In recent times with the pressure on the NHS, it’s even harder. The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest after four minutes reduce massively with every passing minute, so the sooner you can start CPR the better. I’m trained to use oxygen and a defibrillator too and I can get pretty much anywhere in my local area faster than an ambulance.”

Martyn undertook five full days of training and 25 hours of online learning and commits to further monthly training. He is ‘on call’ weekly and attends Category 1 and 2 emergencies (life in danger and possible life in danger) which can include anything from an elderly person taking a tumble to catastrophic bleeds and heart attacks. “Our role is to provide First Aid where needed and assess and monitor patients until the ambulance arrives. Often, we carry out the primary assessments and vital statistics which enables the ambulance crew to act fast and provide the necessary treatment when they do arrive. We are often first on the scene and with long ambulance wait times, we can be looking after a patient for hours, so a lot of what we do is monitoring and reassurance,” explains Martyn.  

When on call Martyn must be ready to drop everything and go and ensures he has his kit prepped at all times. While the idea of being called to an emergency can be scary, Martyn admits that when it happens his training kicks in and he just follows procedure. Martyn concludes “It’s scary but you just have to remember your training and the fact that in pretty much every case you can’t make it worse. What you can do is buy the patient crucial time that might just save their life.”  

British-based manufacturers of superior barber tools; Dark Stag are pleased to announce the expansion of their ambassador team!  

Introducing two new members to help the company’s ever growing online presence. 

Congratulations Deone Luke and Ross Mathieson! 

Ross has made a name for himself already with many accomplishments such as: BBA Hall Of Fame Winner, Barber Of The Year Winner, BMB Barber Of The Year Finalist, Josh O.P Hair Awards Finalist. Ross has also recently completed a teaching qualification with Train Aid. 

Dark Stag says “We are excited to take on such great barbering talent as part of our ambassador programme and can’t wait to see what the future holds!” 

Deone started her apprenticeship in 2017 and in 2020 she went on to have an award winning year.  

With a recent promotion to senior barber and head of social media, Deone says “I’m 21 and have a very strong passion for my career. I love doing all the social media and editing.” 

Business consultant Phil Jackson from Build Your Salon, offers these tips for avoiding being overwhelmed.  

We all know that business can be brutal, life can be challenging, and being overwhelmed can be a frequent struggle for salon owners. But many salon owners are making things worse for themselves. That’s because, on the surface, their overwhelm looks like procrastination. 

Perhaps your goals are a little woolly.  Maybe you’re inattentive or you seek distraction when you should be working. Or it could be that you find you are constantly inventing excuses not to do something. If that sounds at all familiar, you’re procrastinating and a stern talking to might well be what is needed. Eliminate distractions, switch off your notifications and find the best time of day to focus on your work. Rekindle the passion for the task by reconnecting with the reason behind it. Getting more organised can help with procrastination too. Schedule your tasks and break them down into smaller chunks. 

But trying to deal with overwhelm the same way is a recipe for disaster. Imagine you have a friend who feels small and alone. They appear teary or irritable. They might even have physical symptoms of overwhelm. Anxiety makes their heart race or they feel short of breath. How would you treat that person? With a stern talking to? With a kick in the butt to get things moving? With scheduling and discipline? Of course not, yet we treat ourselves this way all the time. 

So many of us are over critical. The way we repeatedly speak to ourselves, in our heads is beyond anything we would dare say to someone else. Yet this continual chipping away of your own self-esteem has long-term effects. In fact, it can be devastating if you are feeling overwhelmed. 

The better approach is to increase the time and effort you put into self-care to reduce your anxiety. Take out your journal and try to identify what is at the root of those feelings of fear. Break overwhelming tasks down into tiny chunks. Celebrate each time you make progress. Delegate as much as you can to your team, to outsourcers, even to your children! But most importantly, be kind to yourself. 

As Cruz Beckham is snapped on the cover of I.D Magazine with a pink buzzcut, the team at The Lounge in London’s Soho has seen a rise in requests for neon and bright hair from their male clients. 

Senior stylist Rosie Swindell says since lockdowns, more men are coming in to get their hair brightly coloured. “A lot more men are discovering there are more ways to express themselves with hair colour rather than just a cut, which is very exciting.  

“A lot of guys who have coloured hair in our salon tend to have shorter hair, but when the bleach has a regrowth it’s nice to keep the sides short and keep the length on top to retain the colour. Anyone can have fun and experiment with their hair, if they have the confidence to wear it you’ll suit it. It’s an amazing feeling having bright coloured hair and I’m super hyped that now guys are open to this more.” 

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While vivid colours are hard to achieve, Rosie and the team are applying pre-lightener we make sure the hair is lifted low and slow to maintain the condition so the toner lasts longer. “If the client is completely new to the whole hair dying situation I always recommend to come in for a top up whenever they need it. There is no right or wrong with this and some clients love the colour it fades into too.” 

Images: Hair by Louis Souvestre and Rosie Swindells 

Session stylist Matthew Curtis made an offer PROJECT: X couldn’t refuse – to come and assist backstage at New York Fashion Week. And with just a few days notice, several members gathered their kit bags and jumped on a plane to the city that never sleeps!  

Matthew, who also has a salon in Straford-upon-Avon, invited the team to join him to work on three shows. “I’ve always been a huge ambassador of supporting the next generation of stylists and, this year, one of my team members is taking part in PROJECT: X and given the great opportunity of being mentored over the course of a year by leading figures in the industry.” 

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Having led shows around the world for the past 12 years, Matthew extended the offer to the team with several agreeing at short notice. The weekend saw them work on British band Hardware LDN, designed by Jessica Horwell, followed by leading South Korean designer, Son Jung Wan, and a New York based collective of designers at Flying Solo. 

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Matthew added: “The PROJECT: X team is varied and obviously each individual had different strengths, which made for an intriguing and versatile team to have joined us at NY, and when it came to work, they embraced the looks for each of the shows really well. The team were happy to take on these new looks and adapted to each of the shows straight away. It was great to work with the team and give them an insight into what session work is really like. Most of all, it made me realise that what I can take for granted and the position I’m in is where I would of loved to have been at their stage so although I’m still striving for bigger and better myself, if I can give back and help guide more and work with a legacy foundation like the Fellowship, I will always be at the end of the phone.” 

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PROJECT: X leader Sam Burnett, said: “This was an incredible opportunity for the team members and they haven’t stopped talking about it since they returned. It gave them a real insight to working in a fast-paced environment and big thanks to Matthew, Unite Hair and Olivia Garden for making this an unforgettable experience.”  

NEW EDUCATIONAL STEP-BY-STEP COLLECTION FEATURING 5 VERSATILE LOOKS AVAILABLE ON ANDIS.COM

STURTEVANT, WI (March 2022) – Andis® Company, a leading manufacturer of barbering and grooming tools, announced the debut of its FLUID Vol. 3 Collection led by Andis International Artistic Team Lead, Kevin Luchmun. This educational step-by-step video collection consists of five hairstyles, ranging from a low tapered afro to a modern bowl mullet, giving detailed steps, and guiding barbers and stylists through each look using Andis®cutting tools.

“FLUID Vol. 3 is a collection of five unique haircuts working with all types of textures and various lengths. It draws inspiration from around the world through my travel and doing various shows and seminars,” said Luchmun. “We have worked with a variety of Andis tools to create different haircuts and in each one of these step-by-step videos I’m showing you the techniques to create each specific look.”

Each FLUID Vol. 3 Collection hairstyle has a video tutorial demonstrating Luchmun creating and styling the finished look with Andis tools including: the iconic Gold Master Cordless Clipper, ProFoil Lithium Plus Shaver, and GTX-EXO Trimmer.

Andis International Artistic Team Lead, Kevin Luchmun, is an award-winning London-based barber, stylist, and photographer. He’s renowned for his blend of traditional barbering and high-end men’s hairdressing. During his formative years, he would continuously seek educational opportunities to further hone his craft and rose through the ranks where he held the position of International Art Director for Toni&Guy, heading up their men’s education division. Continuous learning helps drive Kevin towards a clear artistic vision and his technical haircutting skills have led him to become a huge inspiration to the industry and a member of the Andis team.

Barbers and stylists can purchase on-demand access to each FLUID Vol. 3 video directly at andis.com/BarberStylistEducation/VirtualEducation/ (choose the On-Demand Video section to find the collection).

The cost is $50.00 per video, with the first look of the series, The London Crop found at https://andis.com/BarberStylistEducation/VirtualEducationDetail/?EduItemID=1346. The Fluid Vol. 3 Collection videos will be released once per week on Tuesdays throughout the month of March.

For nearly 100 years, Andis Company has been a leader and innovator in the men’s grooming industry with its innovative technology and top-tier educational offerings. And is now offers a new online educational website andis.com/BarberStylistEducation. This one-of-a-kind site features incredible educational resources, including a suite of free, step-by-step video tutorials led by Andis Company’s world-class global educators to help expand skills, and much more.

Green Salon Collective have released details of its upcoming monthly events, aimed at educating both existing members and those interested in finding out more about the collective’s work. 

The company understands the importance of knowledge for addressing environmental and social issues and so has curated a series of events – both virtual and in person – designed to empower its members – and the wider industry – with up-to-date information on sustainability. 

The programme for the coming months is as follows: