Stephen Farrar, owner of Custom Belmont is joining a band of friends to raise money for the #justicefortommy campaign. Tommy Kneebone was a thriving seven-month-old baby who passed away suddenly. The Kneebone family are raising funds to help cover costs as they strive to obtain justice by challenging the hospital care he received.
Tommy’s father, Josh Kneebone is a barber from Kent who has Strops Barbershop in Crowborough and is a friend of Stephen. Having seen firsthand the devastating effect of losing Tommy, Stephen has decided to raffle off a Takara Belmont Dainty chair to raise funds.
A Takara Belmont Dainty Chair is a much-coveted item to barbers, as it is seen as the pinnacle of quality in barbershop chairs. This is the perfect chance to have this iconic chair in your barbershop for the cost of a £10 donation. They are worth in the region of £1500.00 and he hopes to draw the raffle at the Barber Connect event in June in Telford.
Giuliano Dore, the owner of Get Groomed talks about how he was begged to break the law during lockdown.
The creator of a mobile barber website has revealed people were begging him to break the law during the lockdown and were asking for him to send a barber to their homes to give them a haircut.
Giuliano Dore, founder of Get Groomed, said: “We learned that a lot of people were trying to have haircuts regardless of a law stating that they couldn’t, which came as a surprise.
“We received so many messages each day from people wanting one of our barbers to come to their homes with us telling them: “It’s not going to work. It’s not possible. We can’t do that”.
“Although, we couldn’t satisfy their requests, as a young business it was great to know our website was making its mark and that promised good times ahead once the restrictions were over.”
Giuliano said the website, launched in London in 2017, was now back in full swing and expanding nationwide with new services in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, and existing services in London, Kent and Guildford.
“At the end of the third lockdown in April 2021, we able to fully reopen, albeit with very strict restrictions, and we were astonished at the response,” he added.
“Within 24-hours we saw a real spike in bookings, including a demand for haircuts, beard restyling and luxury shaves, which was so heartening after all the quarantine restrictions.
“Many of our clients told us they were opting for our at-home service to avoid being exposed to the virus in crowded barbershops and happily have stayed with us ever since.
“We also have a number of businesses looking for ways to attract workers back into the office who have started holding events where we set up mobile barbershops in the workplace.”
The Get Groomed website was founded by Giuliano and product manager Sabrina Vjaykumar.
The Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Project Men welcomes three new Brand Partners to work alongside the mentoring programme.
Captain Fawcett, Matakki Scissors and Wahl will be working alongside project leader Simon Shaw to ensure the project members extend their knowledge and skills in all things men’s hair and barbering, as well as product knowledge and education in the latest techniques.
Simon says: “We’re really excited to be working with our new Brand Partners, which will bring even more opportunities for the team members. Our calendar of events and education continue to raise the standards of barbering and men’s hairdressing, bringing together some of the best names in the industry to mentor the next generation.
“Wahl is excited to be the Electrical Partner for Project Men, it’s a great opportunity to show the next generation what we can offer, and allows us to do more project days and offer amazing education to inspire the future generation of men’s hairdressers and barbers.”
Captain Fawcett Founder Richie Finney, comments: “Captain Fawcett is simply delighted to have been invited to supply the wet products for the Project Men programme. This opportunity is hugely exciting for ambassadors and brand partners alike. Suffice to say that the Captain is chuffed to bits to be involved and further looks forward to welcoming the Project Men Crew to Fawcett HQ.”
Matakki Scissors Director James Curd says: “We are delighted to collaborate with Project Men and the Fellowship for British Hairdressing. In the short space we’ve been working with this Project we have been blown away by the talent we have witnessed and the level of the work that is being produced by the team under Simon’s guidance. The opportunities for the delegates on this course are unreal, and we are excited to be recognised as a part of that in providing our scissors.”
Director Emma Curd added: “We were incredibly excited to be asked to work alongside Simon Shaw and some other fantastic leading brands in the industry. Coming from a regulated professional background, I personally believe that excellent training, standards and continued professional development, is essential to any industry. We have always worked to provide opportunities for our ambassadors and working partners to meet those standards and share their knowledge.”
Drop by booth #181 and see some of the industry’s top barbers doing cutting demos throughout the day today, Monday at the world’s largest Barber Expo, the CT Barber Expo which is now in its 11th year.
Cutting today at the BarberEVO booth are:
Alex Rivera, Johnny B educator – 2.30 pm @chinnossalon
Come by and pick up the latest issue of BarberEVO and get the chance to feel like a BarberEVO cover star. Grab your best buddies and get a picture taken in the EXCLUSIVE COVER PHOTO BOOTH. You’re Instagram will thank you!
The team at Aaron Michaels barbershop in Livingstone in Scotland were treated to a morning of education from Reuzel educator, Paul Taylor Clinch @pirate_paulus.
Paul was showing the team some of the expert techniques he has perfected over the years following his training at the world-famous Schorem barbershop in Rotterdam, home of the Reuzel brand.
The team asked him to demonstrate the specifics of side parting placement. Paul spent the morning showing them how he approaches a haircut by using varying shape patterns, and by starting on the top of the head first, perfecting the style and then finishing with the fade, if required.
Finding the baseline, working with precision, how to make the client feel relaxed and the importance of the final silhouette was all discussed.
Paul is a great advocate of letting the head shape and hair dictate the finished style using his experience and knowledge as a barber. Also, he taught the importance of working efficiently.
He finished the session by going through the Reuzel product range he recommended and what particular product to use to get the best hold for the specific style. He encouraged the barbers to use the product in the hair before the blowdry, as there is no point in finishing a cut, then having to misplace the look by adding product later.
Paul finished by showing the silhouette of the pomp he created, saying “This cut was designed based on the style the client asked for, the growth pattern, and the shape of the head.”
Aaron Michaels, owner of the barbershop said: “We were delighted to host Paul here today, I’ve been following his work for some time. We have all learned new techniques, loads of tips and tricks and it has given my team a new level of confidence. It has reiterated some of the techniques they already knew but Paul has explained them in detail showing them exactly why they are doing them and the results they can get.”
The event was part of a Reuzel tour, and the team has visited Rum Barber barbershop in Glasgow the day before to educate on specific techniques as well as Reuzel product use.
Simon May of Dapper Dan hair products has put in many hours of hard work in order to enjoy the success he has today with his brand, and over the years, he has learned some invaluable lessons he would like to share on product development in the barbering industry.
Simon takes up the story. “The hardest part of product development is knowing when to stop! Dapper Dan’s first offering ‘Matt Paste’ took me 10 years and five different cosmetic labs to perfect. But in reality, the time spent agonising over this exceptional product was as much to do with my own inexperience as it was the difficulty in creating such a unique styling product.
“As the Matt paste was my first product, I wanted it to be everything to everyone. And although we achieved as close to this as humanly possible, as time went on and as the Dapper Dan styling range grew, it became easier to focus in on the unique attributes of each product. Tailoring each development to specific requirements, in order to build a balanced and effective range of grooming products for men.
“Cosmetic product development is all about consistency! The process of development is long and difficult, with many obstacles and disappointments. This is why staying consistent with the brief and objectives from the start is paramount.”
Simons top tips for product development.
1. Be confident! Remember that you are a professional in your field, and the chemist or company you commission to produce your products don’t have that same level of practical experience.
2. Trust your gut! If you’re talking to a potential cosmetic company about developing a bespoke range of products, Make sure you feel they are suitable from the start and are listening to your unique requirements.
3. Start Small! We all have two or three favourite products that we work with as barbers. Start by developing one or two of these first. You know these products best and you can keep costs down with development fees.
4. Be original! As the barber industry has grown over the past 10 years, so has the amount of men’s grooming brands along with it. Avoid market saturation by developing products and a brand that offers something new.
5. Have Fun! The road to completing a successful development and taking delivery of your first batch of products can be long and hard. I remember looking forward to the early Dapper Dan samples turning up like it was Christmas day. Then testing the products in my shop with my team and involving clients etc was all very exciting.
Over the past 10 years, Dapper Dan’s global presence has grown exponentially. As has the range of Dapper Dan products.
“Considering we started with just one product, it’s crazy to look at how the brand and range of products has grown and evolved. This is mainly due to Dapper Dan being represented in so many markets around the world. Each one having slightly different hair types and cultural styles.'”
Due to the rising number of Covid cases, TheProfessional Beauty Association (PBA), the largest and most inclusive trade organization representing the entire beauty industry, has made the difficult decision to postpone January events until the spring and summer months.
NAHA, the most prestigious professional beauty competition and award show in North America, will be shifting to Sunday, April 3 and will remain at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, CA.
Beacon, the elite student program, will also be shifting to April. It will now take place April 2-3 at the Long Beach Convention Center, where top students from across the nation will come together to learn critical skills to help successfully launch their careers in the beauty industry.
ISSE will also be shifting dates, moving to June 25-26 at the Long Beach Convention Center. ISSE 2022 will feature interactive education from the industry’s top hair, skin, nail, and makeup educators and influencers, unique experiences, along with new and innovative exhibitors.
“While moving dates is not ideal, we felt it was the safest way to move forward for all in attendance,” says Nina Daily, Executive Director of the Professional Beauty Association.
“Protocols will be in place for the new event dates to ensure the continued safety of attendees and exhibitors.”
Previously purchased events tickets will simply transfer to the new dates, or contact isse@csreg.zohodesk.com for refunds and ISSE@probeauty.org for questions. New hotel reservation links will be available in the upcoming weeks for all events.
Every day, children in South Florida are finding a passion for reading through an effort to put bookshelves in barbershops. According to The Children’s Trust, studies show that students who master reading are more successful throughout their academic and professional careers.
But, in Miami-Dade County, nearly half of all third-graders fail to read at basic grade level. A program is focused on changing these bleak numbers by exposing children to reading in a place they are likely to visit: the barbershop.
Small wooden shelves are brimming with children’s books like “The Moon Speaks, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Joy to the Worlds.” It’s an idea that’s a cut above the rest sparked by local author and Florida Memorial University professor Jefferson Noel.
“This is giving kids the opportunity to read books while waiting for a cut, then take the book home with them to build their own personal library,” he said.
Noel started Barbershop Speaks five years ago. It’s a group dedicated to encouraging enlightening conversation in the community and in the barbershop. Since then, the program has expanded to include bookshelves.
“The reaction from the kids and the parents… it’s amazing,” said Dewis Avila, a barber at Cibao Barbershop in North Miami. “Me growing up, I always wanted a bookshelf at the house. We never had a bookshelf at the house. Now that we have it at the barbershop, it’s amazing.”
The project is in partnership with The Children’s Trust “Books for Free” program and the Kiwanis Club. They provide the books that are meant to expose young children to read in a place they are likely to visit.
“In Miami-Dade, right now nearly half of all third-graders are not able to read at a 3rd-grade level – which programs like this is so important,” said Michelle Lopez, media manager for The Children’s Trust.
There are now seven barbershops across Miami-Dade County with these special bookshelves, turning these shops into places of empowerment.
“They say, in the beginning, you are learning to read and then-once you do that and master that you can read to learn. We want to make sure that children have that early foundation,” said Diana Ragbeer Murray from the Kiwanis Club.
Due to the recent announcement from the Government on the compulsory wearing of face coverings, VTCT has released a statement.
“During the course of the pandemic, VTCT has remained steadfast in our advice — one of the best practices for personal protection is to use PPE appropriately.
“This includes the use of face masks, especially due to the nature of the services our practitioners provide, i.e. the close proximity of clients.
“Whilst we are waiting for the main guidance to be updated, the government has published an amendment stating: “Face coverings are legally required indoors in shops, personal care services and public transport in England, from 4am Tuesday 30 November.”
“As outlined in our Infection Prevention Qualifications, we recommend using disposable/single-use face coverings that are changed for each client. It’s important to ensure these are close-fitting, cover both nose and mouth, and avoid touching the face coverings once in place.
“Additionally, do not allow the mask to dangle around the neck and it should be disposed of once it becomes damp. For further information, visit: https://www.vtct.org.uk/coronavirus-latest/.
Sport Clips is like no other place, there are sports everywhere, TVs playing all the latest scores, with teams of highly trained staff looking after guests. If you are on the lookout for a new opportunity, Sport Clips are hiring talented stylists and barbers and with 1800 locations to choose from, you’ll find a Sport Clips near you.
With a culture and environment like no other, there are many reasons that the brand retains some of the most talented stylists and barbers in the business, with great career paths; leadership training and personal development, medical benefits and paid vacation and a relaxed culture, it is an excellent opportunity to further your career.
We spoke with Frankie Perez who has been with Sport Clips for eight years, and now works in San Diego. “I had a misconception of what Sport Clips was and what they were all about, until my wife introduced me to them. Honestly, I just didn’t feel like I fit in there. I felt like everybody had a certain look, and everybody was a certain way, and I realized real quick that wasn’t the case. I realized that I did fit in there, and there was a place for me there.”
“When I actually got in there and started to learn all about it, I was like, man this company has everything, everything that you need to succeed, everything that you need to feel welcome, everything that you need to feel part of a family, part of a team. And to be honest, I’ve worked for different franchises, different corporations, and I’ve just never experienced anything like that. So, it was really surprising to me.”
“The training is incredible, and we are all put through it. It is geared to people that are new to the business all the way to the ones that have been in the business for 25 years. We really invest in our team members and set them up for success. The culture is strong and it’s more of a family environment than a job. We want to see you succeed. We want to see you grow. We want to see you buy that car, that home that you always wanted. We want to see you go on those vacations. So, I think it’s really personalized to each team member.”
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