Andis Company recently hosted the first ever virtual Copy the Cut Challenge, which saw 50 barbers and stylists competing virtually from their own shop or salon. Participants recreated their best version of the Andis Fluid Vol2 Modern Day Frederick Douglass cut for a chance to win up $500 and an Andis Limited Edition Copper ProFoil Shaver.

Top three winners:

1. Eddieberto Martinez (@_Techneek_)
   • Owner of Techneek Studios in Philidelphia, PA
2. Louis Rexach Jr. (@earsthebarber)
   • Owner of Always on Point Barbershop in Philidelphia, PA
3. Manny Weston (@there__e_go)
   • Student at Hair Lab Detroit Barber School

The NHBF had its annual evidence session with the Low Pay Commissioners this week to discuss the impact of the latest increase in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage.

The NHBF supports the principle that everyone is entitled to a fair wage, and reinforced the point that there must be a fine balance between increasing wage rates and allowing businesses to recover from one of the worst economic episodes of our lifetime during a very fragile and unpredictable period.

The NHBF representatives who met the government’s Low Pay Commissioners were:

• Richard Lambert (NHBF chief executive)
• Paul Elliott (Elliotts Hairdressing, Bedford & Northampton)
• Edward Hemmings (Alan d Hairdressing Education – London)
• Amanda Lodge-Stewart (The Link Academy, Huddersfield; NHBF Vice-President)
• Mikaela Martin (Ginger Rabbit, Farnham)

They made the following key points:

• As a sector, hair & beauty has been hit worse than most sectors by the pandemic and still faces an uncertain future.
• Profit margins are already squeezed and there is little expectation that clients will accept an increase in prices.
• Lowering the threshold for paying the National Living Wage to 23 has already prompted employers to reduce hours or make staff cuts.  We may not see the full impact until furlough ends.
• Many businesses have either cut apprenticeships or do not plan to offer them because of the increased cost of employing them. 
• The additional cost when an apprentice turns 19, or is an older starter moving into their second year is a particular issue.

The Commissioners asked specifically about the perception of enforcement – that is the fining or name-shaming of employers who do not pay staff their legal wage. The NHBF responded by saying that the industry view was that this seems to focus more heavily on those who make genuine mistakes rather than pursuing those who actively ignore the law, paying cash in hand and exploiting self-employed hair & beauty professionals who need to earn money above all else.

NHBF chief executive, Richard Lambert says, “It’s a relief that salons and barbershops are re-opened and without wishing to focus on the negative we have a duty of care to our members to lobby all government departments and representatives about the laws that affect them, both now and in the future.

“The National Living Wage is expected to rise to £9.42 an hour in 2022 and to £10.33 by 2024. Employers can’t guarantee that kind of money. Increases in the National Living Wage would mean that the minimum you must pay is nudging up against what is currently offered to more skilled and experienced staff – who will then also expect an increase in their salary to reflect this difference.”

He adds: “Wage costs currently average around 60% of turnover, so increases will add to the squeeze and profitability vanishes completely when wage costs go past 70%.”

The key points raised were taken from the results of the NHBF State of the Industry surveys undertaking throughout the pandemic plus the commissioned report, Hair, beauty and the pandemic: An industry at the sharp end. The impact of coronavirus on business vulnerability and the potential for mitigating measures, undertaking earlier this year.

The Low Pay Commission is due to make its recommendations to the government by October.  The government will then decide on the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates for the following year.

Dark Stag are proud to introduce you to Bridey Jo and AJ Rapture, two of the UK’s brightest barbers.

The British-based manufacturers of superior barber tools are making a push to offer barbers superior online services to complement their acclaimed equipment; that starts this month, with the onboarding of two official ambassadors spearheading the company’s online expansion.

With work featured in high-profile publications across the barbering and haircare industries, Bridey and AJ truly reflect the modern face of barbering.

On welcoming the pair to the Dark Stag family, founder Andy Wiseman said, “We are very excited to announce, and get started working with, our Dark Stag UK ambassadors AJ Rapture and Bridey Jo. These two great barbering talents are responsible for some impressive work and we can’t wait to share what we do together going forward!”

Bridey Jo

Of the exciting news, Bridey, who runs her own store – Bridey Jo Barbers in Wombourne, Wolverhampton – shared on her socials: “Been keeping this quiet for a while now… I AM SO EXCITED to announce I’m officially part of Dark Stag’s passionate team! I’ve used their tools since I first started out barbering & I’ve not looked back ever since, so it’s a huge honour to be working with such a growing and trustworthy brand. Buzzing to unlock more creative potential together! 🤘🏻✂️”

AJ Rapture AJ, who leads the remarkable team at Hayes’ Rapture Barbers said in his social post about the announcement: “I’m absolutely ecstatic to be part of this amazing brand having already been a fan and user of they’re tools for some time due to their undeniable quality! Dark Stag has integrity and holds true to the heritage of barber tools with a vision to grow and evolve alongside barbers and modern barbering. I am so humbled to have been recognised by them and I am extremely proud to be an ambassador for them! I’m excited for what’s to come! 🙌🏽”

OSMO ambassador and celebrity barber, Justin Carr and his team at That Feeling have hung up their clippers (temporarily of course) and turned their hands to television presenting. Chop & Change is the new bi-weekly game and talk show on YouTube bringing you entertainment, fun, and laughter.

Featuring celebrity guests each week, this will be one to watch for sure.
Justin and the That Feeling team are used to making people feel good with their razor-sharp hair-cuts but with lockdown restrictions meaning they were unable to work for the best part of a year, Justin had time to think about channelling his creativity and energy. His plans for That Feeling have always been about creating more than just a barbershop but to become a lifestyle brand – bringing into the mix music, fashion, production, modelling, photography, rappers, and even content creation, so the Chop & Change series was a natural direction for Justin and his team of creatives.

With 14 episodes planned, the new Chop & Change series guests include musicians Aston Merrygold, Dappy, Tion Wayne, One Acen and Gassed Up Lighties, footballers Dele Ali, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and William Ekong, content creator Sarchie, music producer Hargo and radio presenter Jourdan hosted by Justin and the That Feeling team.

“That Feeling is more than just barbering, we’re all creatives and have this energy and passion to really show how barbering can open up opportunities and be a really exciting industry to be a part of. Chop & Change helps us break out of the barbering box and branch into even more creativity. We want to show the next generation of barbers that anything is possible. This was all financed independently and has taken time to write, produce, film, and edit – something we did during lockdown. I know that content creation and social media is where it’s at, so we need to embrace it and play to our creative strengths. I’ve a great network of well-known clients and friends, so it seemed natural to get them involved in the series,” says Justin Carr, owner of That Feeling Barber Shop and OSMO Ambassador.

Check out Chop & Change, airing every Wednesday and Sunday at 8.30pm on the official Chop & Change YouTube page.

The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) is excited to announce the opening of the 33rd Annual North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA), the most prestigious professional beauty competition and awards,
on June 14, 2021. As the top hair and makeup competition in North America, NAHA is the premiere platform for beauty professionals to push the boundaries and bring their artistic visions to life

This year, NAHA will feature the following categories:
• INSPIRING SALON OF THE YEAR
• EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
• AVANT GARDE
• MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• MASTER HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR (by invitation only)
• EDITORIAL STYLIST OF THE YEAR
• HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR
• TEAM OF THE YEAR
• TEXTURE
• BARBERING (replacing Men’s Hairstyling)
• STYLING & FINISHING
• HAIRCUTTING
• HAIRCOLOR
• STUDENT HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR

“We are thrilled to introduce the category of Barbering to replace Men’s
Hairstyling,” shares PBA Events Brand Manager Sheri Rearick. “NAHA has always broken barriers, and our categories will continue to evolve to reflect the pulse of the industry. Expect more changes soon.”
NAHA is also pleased to announce the return of the NAHA Remix! NAHA Remix allows artists to enter previously submitted collections as long as they were not selected as finalists. Remix collections can be updated and must follow the current category and overall NAHA rules and regulations.
NAHA submissions are judged online, in multiple rounds, by a blind panel of judges.
The judging process is completely anonymous with no contact between judges or knowledge of artist names to ensure anonymity and fairness during the judging process.

Key dates for NAHA 2022 are as follows:
Entries open: June 14, 2021
Entries close: September 10, 2021
Finalist announcement: November 10, 2021
NAHA 2022 Award Ceremony: January 30, 2022—Long Beach, CA
For specific category rules and to enter, please visit probeauty.org/NAHA2022. Get inspired and learn more about the most prestigious competition in beauty.

World-leading manufacturer of grooming tools for barbers and stylists, Andis Company, is delighted to announce that renowned barber, men’s stylist, educator and photographer Kevin Luchmun has joined the brand as ‘International Artistic Team Lead’.

INSPIRATION MEETS EDUCATION

In a newly created role that seeks to accelerate Andis’ international presence by building upon its global reputation for world-class tools, education and creative inspiration, Kevin will play a pivotal role in the development of educational programs and artistic directions for photoshoots. He will also be instrumental in the formation of new programs to continually develop the creative and editorial talents of Andis’ audience of creators.

BEHIND THE CHAIR & BEHIND THE LENS

As one of the UK’s most recognisable and respected men’s stylists, Kevin’s technical hair cutting skills have positioned him as one of the industry’s most inspiring barbers, men’s stylists and educators.            

A multi-award-winning stylist spanning barbering and men’s hairdressing, Kevin’s work on editorial photoshoots and collection photography, and the relationship between hairstyling, fashion and the visual presentation of technical cuts, has seen his creativity extend into a signature photography style. As passionate about photography as he is about hairstyling, both are approached and revered in equal measure with his work appearing on the covers and in the pages of international trade and consumer magazines, on the catwalks, online and across social media where Kevin has amassed a following of over 90k on Instagram alone.

According to Angie Perino, Andis Global Education Manager, it’s Kevin’s multi-faceted skills base, creative vision, technical precision and stage craft both as a hair artist and educator that led to the creation of this new role. “We’re so delighted to be partnering with Kevin as we continue to expand our outreach to barbers and stylists around the world. 

“We pride ourselves in providing world-class educational programs and inspiration that provide the road map to a successful career! Kevin will be working closely with our other internationally renowned educators, including Kenny Duncan – our North American Artistic Team Lead in the USA and Canada – to merge all strands of our educator network into a global vision that empowers barbers and stylists to express their individuality, maximise their creative talents and exceed their artistic potential through hair and imagery.” 

THE FIRST MISSION: FLUID VOL3

Following the worldwide success of FLUID Vols. 1 & 2 – a combined artistic hair collection and educational concept that integrates with Andis’ groundbreaking Virtual Education resource, Kevin’s first assignment will be to lead the creation of FLUID Vol.3.  Angie Perino: “This program will include educational videos, learning modules and a stunning look book with steps to teach our learners how to create the featured looks.  Kevin will be contributing to creating a vision for the collection, selecting models, orchestrating photography and video and finalising all details of the final edits. I can hardly wait to see Kevin’s inspiration come through in our very first Andis FLUID collection captured in the UK!”

KEVIN LUCHMUN – ‘JOINING ANDIS WAS MY DESTINY AND A DREAM COME TRUE’

For Kevin Luchmun, joining Andis is a dream come true. Unlike ambassadorships that hinge on commercial arrangements alone, Kevin has long-held a deep rooted respect for Andis and was determined to work with the brand from the outset. “Very early in my career I got the opportunity to work on the Andis stage at Salon International. From that moment I was passionate about Andis and I was always intent on working with the brand. For me there was never an alternative to Andis; I’ve waited a long time for this to come to fruition.

“Now I’ve reached this point in my career and have so many achievements and accolades, the timing and the type of position couldn’t be more perfect. I look forward to working with Angie and the global team to elevate Andis’ brand appeal and educational resource base, as well as highlighting the precision and performance of its industry-leading tools.”

Kevin officially joined Andis on May 1st 2021.

Do you rate yourself enough to compete alongside 120 talented barbers in the Texas Barber Battle and Expo, being held on July 17/18 at the San Antonio Shrine Auditorium in the heart of San Antonio, TX.

The event will be filled with barbers and stylists from all over the United States, competing in a range of battles from the Fastest Fade, Traditional Haircut, Freestyle Design, Fade W/Beard, and a Student Battle (Traditional). 

Attendance at last year’s event was more than 3,500 people, and this year’s event will not only feature the Barber Battle, but will have a range of vendors at the event. There will have educational classes in the morning from several educators/platform artists demonstrating different techniques and products.  

Where:  San Antonio, TX

When:  Sunday, July 18, 2021 with classes starting at 9:30am and the Barber Battle starting at 3pm.

By Who:  Texas Barber Battle & Expo is proudly presented by Wahl Educator and Platform Artist, Rick “Da People’s Barber” Morin.  Rick has traveled all of the United States, Mexico, China, and India educating barbers and stylists different styles of clipper cutting techniques. 

For more details go to: www.txbarberexpo.com

To register to enter for the Barber Battle click here

Barbershops are spaces where men shoot the breeze, hang with friends and get a trim. Thanks to a new Case Western Reserve University program, it’s where they’ll be able to learn about prostate cancer by year’s end.

In Cuyahoga County, Black men have a disproportionate risk of being diagnosed and dying from prostate cancer as compared to white men. Researchers at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center are addressing this health disparity with a community-based program that will disseminate prostate cancer information in the Black community through barbershops.

CWRU’s Cleveland African American Prostate Cancer Project received a new $2.75 million, three-year grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, the university said.

Cancer of the prostate gland — a small, walnut-shaped organ that produces fluid that nourishes and transports sperm — is the second-leading cause of death in American men, behind lung cancer. There will be nearly 250,000 new cases diagnosed n 2021, and about 34,000 deaths, the American Cancer Society estimates.

The Cleveland African American Prostate Cancer Project will train community navigators to visit participating barbershops to pave the way for the businesses to host prostate cancer educational events,said prostate cancer project director Erika Trapl. Attendees will be encouraged to get a prostate cancer screening from their regular doctor.

Urban Kutz Barbershops owner Waverly Willis began encouraging conversations about diet and health years ago, when he realized he was losing clients who refused to go to a doctor until it was too late. “(Men) don’t go to the doctor unless something is falling off,” said Willis, who is a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Community Advisory Board and executive director of the Urban Barber Association nonprofit group.

Now the conversation in his two Urban Kutz barbershop locations are just as likely to be about veggie recipes and the Keto diet as the Browns and Cavs, he said. Willis wants to get a clinic mobile unit to visit his barbershops to run prostate cancer screenings as part of the CWRU initiative.

“Barbershops are one of the most trusted institutions in our community,” Willis said. “Cancer affects all of us in some way, shape or fashion. I just want to change the conversation.”

Community education events in barbershops will start at the end of the year, if it’s safe to hold in-person events by then. Trapl plans to look for additional funding to allow the education and screening program to continue beyond its initial three years.

She hopes the barbershop outreach program will make it more normal for men to discuss the illness. She finds it curious that men wear pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness, even though they are much more likely to get prostate cancer.

“It doesn’t get talked about,” Trapl said about prostate cancer. “I think there is a growing recognition we need to elevate it as a discussion, because as soon as we do that, having that discussion in a barbershop doesn’t seem quite as weird.”

A new vintage-themed Diesel Barbershop opened in April at CityLine, Richardson. The business, located at 1150 State St., Ste. 170, Richardson, is described as “part barbershop, part salon, part old school record store, part mechanics garage and part vintage arcade,” according to a news release. The local franchise is owned by brothers Spencer and Garrett Watkins.

“We knew we wanted to open our new franchise somewhere that was well-populated and exuded excitement, and CityLine fits those qualities perfectly,” Garrett Watkins said in a statement.

“With great restaurants and really cool live events, there’s always something going on at CityLine, and it’s definitely a place we want to be. We are excited for the opportunity to bring our barbershop to this area of Richardson.”

In addition to haircuts, the shop will offer shampoo service, scalp massage, hot-towel face treatment, back of the neck shave and relaxing shoulder massage, among other services.

www.dieselbarbershop.com/location/cityline

The Boston barber who accidentally stabbed himself with scissors in February has recovered from his injuries and returned to work.

Steve Silva, who cuts hair at Boston Barber Co. on Beacon Hill. said: “I’m happy to be back, it’s good to see my customers and everyone I work with.”

Silva, 30, who lives in Wilmington, was cutting a customer’s hair at the barber shop on Feb. 12 when he slipped and fell on his scissors.

“The floor was a little wet from me spraying the kid’s hair…and my foot went off the mat and kind of slid away.”

Trying to break his fall, he landed heavily on the pair of shears he was holding, and the scissors plunged into his chest.

At first “I didn’t know I stabbed myself,” he said. “It didn’t hurt too much.”

Silva was bleeding heavily, and his co-worker Sarah Santiago rushed over to help him.

“Sarah, she grabbed paper towels and put pressure on it,” he said. “My customer laid me down.”

Silva said he could have died because the scissors “punctured the sack that your heart sits in” and if they “went in any further, I would’ve actually hit my heart muscle.”

Silva had to undergo open heart surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He spent about a week in the hospital (at one point, he was in the intensive care unit) and it took him about a month and a half to recover from his injury.

Silva is now back to working at Boston Barber Co. three days a week.

Silva said he was grateful to Robert Dello Russo, the owner of Boston Barber Co., for being so supportive and for helping him out while he recovered from the accident. “He texted me every day,” he said.

He’s also thankful to everyone who donated to the GoFundMe fundraising campaign that was created on his behalf, and for all the well wishes and messages of encouragement that he’s received.

“I’m just grateful for the support,” he said.