“Dominic Raab this morning has said that hospitality and ‘personal care services’ such as hair and beauty salons and barbershops in England will not be able to reopen until 4th July at the earliest. It is our view that this is the right course of action, as the safety of the people in our industry is paramount.
Scotland and Wales have also spoken of their determination to take a cautious approach and their current restrictions remain in place.
We hope to be able to provide more clarity later following a meeting with representatives from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy this morning. There are still many concerns within our industry and we are working hard to get answers so that we can plan to return to work safely when the time is right.
We were delighted to be joined on EVOLive on Monday 11th May by CEO and Registrar of the Hair and Barber Council, Keith Conniford and by the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hairdressing, Barbering and Cosmetology, and former barber, John McNally MP.
We discussed the most recent UK Government update pertaining to the possible re-opening of UK Barbershops, as well as the key issue of industry regulation and more.
“We know that these are hard times, and we’re glad we can partner with PBA to help further contribute to the COVID-19 Relief Fund,” says 1919 Product Manager, Allan Vodicka. “We know that others want to help, too, and this an easy way to do that. Every little bit – even the purchase of a tube of pomade or hair gel – can help a barber or stylist get through this difficult time.”
Wahl is no stranger to lending a helping hand to the industry during tough times. In addition to the 1919 donation opportunity, the company has also made a direct donation to the PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund. And in an effort to keep barbers and stylists learning and growing during this time, Wahl Professional has been providing free online education, taught by members of the Wahl Education and Artistic Team, each week on its social media sites. Information about when W.E.A.T. members are going live can be found on the Wahl’s Instagram (@wahlpro) and videos are housed on its Facebook page, allowing viewers the opportunity to re-watch the educational videos.
Follow Wahl Professional on Instagram (@wahlpro) and on its Facebook page to stay up to date on its partnership with PBA and to see how as a company they are helping give back to relief efforts. Click here to see how each 1919 men’s grooming product can be used to style any cut.
To purchase 1919 by Wahl Professional men’s grooming product click here and use the coupon code PBA to have 50% of your purchase donated to the PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund. To learn more about the relief fund, to see if you qualify to receive a grant, or if you wish to donate go to ProBeauty.org/PBA-Charities/COVID-19-Relief-Fund.
To learn more about how Wahl is making face shields for hospital and healthcare workers, click here.
The National Hair & Beauty Federation is working with the Government to deliver guidelines for how the hair, beauty and barbering industries can safely return to work. These will be released in line with the Government ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown which is expected to be announced this week. However, the Government is not yet prepared to discuss the times when different industries will be allowed to re-open.
The NHBF is part of a number of working groups made up of trade bodies from a range of different industries. The NHBF has informed the government of industry-wide concerns based on recent survey findings.
This NHBF survey attracted almost 2000 responses from hair and beauty salons and barbershops. When asked what their biggest worry was about re-opening, 84% of respondents said they were concerned about how to maintain social distancing when working in close physical contact with clients.
Nearly three quarters (74%) were worried about what kind of personal protective equipment (PPE) would be needed, its cost and availability. Almost two thirds (64%) did not want to see business disrupted again by a second wave of coronavirus infections or a second lockdown period.
Hilary Hall, NHBF chief executive, said: “We have taken our survey findings to government at the highest levels, including a round table meeting with Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, about the need for sector-specific guidance that everyone can rely on. These discussions are about how we can return to work safely, not when. A key concern for Members is PPE, but until the government has issued advice on this important topic, we still cannot answer questions from Members about exactly what will be required.”
Not sure what tool you need for a cut? Check out TOOL SELECT by Andis.
With so many clippers, trimmers and tools on the market, this simple, free to use online tool selector, created by Andis Company, helps barbers and stylists find the right Andis tools for every style, every cut.
Visit TOOL SELECT at https://toolselect.andis.com and the resource guides barbers and stylists through every technical need to arrive at a selection of tools perfect for the job in hand. For example: Choose HAIR and you’ll be invited to select from FULL HAIRCUT or DETAILING, OUTLINING OR TRIMMING…Go the FULL HAIRCUT route and you are presented with a range of different cuts and then hair types to tailor tool choices to your specific requirement. In just a few steps, a wide range of Andis tools is narrowed down to a small selection compatible with the cuts and styles that you’re looking to create.
‘This innovate online resource helps barbers and stylists to find the perfect tools for every cut and style’, says Angie Perino, Andis Global Education Manager – Barber and Beauty. ’This simplifies the task of finding the right tools and ensures barbers and stylists get what they need quickly and effectively.’
Discover TOOL SELECT at https://toolselect.andis.com to find out what tools you need to create the ultimate cuts and styles.
KNOWN FOR HER EDGY, EDITORIAL CREATIONS, WHITNEY VERMEER HAS BECOME A HIGHLY RECOGNISED BARBER, PHOTOGRAPHER AND ANDIS PLATFORM ARTIST. BARBEREVO TALKED TO WHITNEY RECENTLY TO FIND OUT WHERE IT ALL STARTED AND WHAT SHE HOPES TO ACHIEVE IN THE FUTURE
“I’ve been doing hair for 10 years now,” says Whitney, who started out in cosmetology, covering everything from hair coloring to spa services. After two years of cosmetology, Whitney made the move to Minneapolis and began working under a barber who trained her in traditional barber methods.
Despite never going to barber college, Whitney took an unique approach to her own education. “I didn’t get to finish my training, so what I started doing was taking pictures of my work and then critiquing it, training myself to get better at cutting,” she explains.
What started as a self-teaching method quickly developed into a passion, and photography is something that now plays a huge role in Whitney’s life. Known for her unique portfolio of photography, she says she would do a shoot a week if she could!
She certainly has her own style and anyone that follows her on Instagram or has seen her body of work, knows she loves to work in black and white. “I love those kinds of images. I’m always attracted to artwork in black and white too so it just felt right. When people want me to do a color shoot, I always think to myself ‘yeah that looks cool but it would look so much cooler in black and white’.”
At her studio in Minneapolis, Whitney splits her time between cutting clients and styling and shooting her editorial work. “My ultimate goal is to be focusing solely on visuals and spending less time behind the chair with clients,” says Whitney. For now, though, she still has a pretty long list of loyal clients. “I’ve been working with most of my clients for about three years now, but I only work behind the chair three days a week and I’ve gone down from around 300 clients to about 40-60.”
How then, did she go from a career in cosmetology to a client list of 300? “I guess what’s really funny is I still don’t really feel like a big success. I always put out what I want to put out when it comes to my work, I like to push boundaries. I always say my goal is not to be the best at something, it’s to change perceptions and that’s what’s most important to me.”
What certainly put Whitney on the map was her win at the North American Hairstyling Awards in 2017, where she was crowned Men’s Hairstylist of the Year. “Winning that award got me a lot of exposure, but I’m not going to enter that category again. My goal is to win Hairstylist of the year. Ideally, I’d like to try to win every category!”
Whitney specializes in cutting short hair, whether that’s on men, women or non-binary individuals. “When I first started cutting men’s hair, a lot of people asked me if I was just doing it because it was easy, but it’s not and I really wanted to show them that it was an artform. I feel a responsibility to help push the industry further that way.”
In her quest to push the industry into the spotlight, Whitney has involved herself more and more in education over the years, and last October she became a platform artist for leading clipper brand, Andis.
“I’ve always only used Andis, it’s always been my go-to. I am longtime lover of their products and when I started meeting people from the company, I saw how passionate they were about family and I just fell in love with the brand.”
“I’ve been using them ever since I got out of cosmetology school. My favorite one is the Super ZR, but anything from their cordless range really. When I first started cutting with cordless, it changed the way that I cut hair because I just wasn’t restricted anymore.”
As well as her role as a Platform Artist, her proficiency in styling and shooting editorial has opened up even more opportunities with the clipper brand, creating editorial work for both herself and Andis. “It’s more or less coming up with unique haircuts using the Andis range, while also creating some more dynamic shots of the products themselves,” explains Whitney.
The project will allow her to organize shoots with other artists, as well as putting together two photo- and video-based shoots a year for Andis, creating the concept and assigning different roles to other members of the Andis team. “It’s really awesome, I’m so excited about it!”
It’s safe to say Whitney likes herself busy, as on top of her editorial and educational work with Andis and her 40+ client list, she is currently developing her own product line, from hair care to even clothing and lifestyle, giving part of any proceeds to a yet to be decided anti-bullying foundation.
Outside of her professional goals, Whitney is also really passionate about supporting women in the barbering industry. “One of the things I’m really passionate about is taking gender away from everything, it’s not a men’s haircut, it’s a short haircut. I’m working on some new initiatives with Andis to support women in barbering culture and I’m really excited about that.”
Sterling, IL (April 27, 2020) – Wahl Professional plans to kick off its second leg later this year of Disruptour, (Disruptour.com) a nationwide barber education gathering designed to teach the latest barbering and business skills. Disruptour successfully kicked off in March in San Diego and Las Vegas before taking a hiatus due to COVID-19. For more information on upcoming show dates and to receive a 25% discount when you purchase your tickets visit Disruptour.com/Tickets. With a VIP ticket purchase, attendees will receive a limited edition Disruptour-branded Cordless Magic Clip.
Disruptour attendees will learn cutting-edge clipper skills to push their cuts and styles to the next level. However, unlike regular shows, the Disruptour will also teach barbers and stylists how to build their brand image through social media, photography, and key business skills. The tour will feature Wahl Education and Artistic Team (W.E.A.T.) members, Nieves Almaraz (@howtofadehair) and Kevin Nguyen (@yakuzabarber), Wahl Professional’s new creative consultant, Byrd Mena (@byrdmena), and other professionals in the industry who all share the same goal of bringing high-quality education to the industry.
The idea of the tour stemmed from a conversation between Lisa Finucane, Wahl Professional’s US Director of Education, and W.E.A.T. member, Nieves Almaraz, who wanted to create an intimate event where people have a chance to learn close up, get their questions answered and meet the educators. This quickly turned to something more when Finucane met Byrd Mena, founder of SharpFade, and an international hair show promoter. Byrd officially joined the Wahl Professional team as a creative consultant with the first goal of helping to bring Disruptor into fruition. His partnership has brought additional industry leaders to the show stops across the country.
Attendees to the first two Disruptour shows were able to interact one on one with the educators without any pressure. “Everybody was so impressed with the barbers and stylists on stage,” said Mena. “Our goal was to bring great education in an intimate setting that was really user-friendly and non-intimidating to barbers and stylists. We were so happy with the feedback. People kept telling us how much they loved what they learned.”
“Wahl strives to be a company that brings the community together wherever they are. The energy from the first two shows was just amazing,” said Lisa Finucane. “We can’t wait to do more of it.”
With COVID-19 currently putting everyone’s life on hold, the Disruptour team pushed back a few of its show dates and took a positive spin on everyone staying at home by offering complimentary online education and a discount on upcoming show tickets:
Complimentary Education
Wahl Professional is holding Facebook Lives every week with W.E.A.T. members teaching various cuts, allowing watchers to have a Q&A session, and the ability to re-watch each video.
The clipper manufacturer is also holding Instagram Lives on their account with exclusive interviews with W.E.A.T. members and how are they are handling their business through COVID-19. Throughout the next few weeks, each educator on the Disruptour will be holding Instagram Lives on each of their social media accounts to stay connected with members of the community and provide free and quality education to everyone who wants to learn.
To view videos and stay up to date when educators will be going live follow Wahl on Facebook and Instagram (@wahlpro).
25% discount on all Disruptour tickets
To purchase a ticket visit Disruptour.com/Tickets. With a VIP ticket purchase, attendees will receive a limited edition Disruptour-branded Cordless Magic Clip.
Sterling, Illinois manufacturer quickly works to produce 100,000+ within days.
Sterling, IL (April 20, 2020) – With the world currently turned upside down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wahl Clipper Corporation has stepped up to help produce and provide face shields for healthcare workers. The clipper manufacturer is working with its trusted manufacturing partners to make the face shields and will produce 100,000 by mid-April with the ability to produce larger quantities within very short lead times. The 101-year-old Sterling, Illinois-based hair clipper company is best known for manufacturing products for the professional, consumer and pet grooming industries.
“We understand there is a great need for protective equipment among our healthcare workers right now and we want to be as helpful as we can to those who are doing so much for all of us,” says Lance Wahl, global vice president professional products.
The face shields have been redesigned by Wahl’s top engineers, who have also made the design available for makers and creators to use and expand upon in good faith. Wahl will distribute these products to local and regional hospitals as a public service. The face shields are not FDA certified and cannot be sold to any reseller.
To learn more about the construction of these masks and how healthcare organizations can place orders, visit c19protect.com. To learn more about Wahl Professional, visit wahlpro.com.
While this remains a difficult time for us all, we truly hope that Issue 13 of BarberEVO North American brings you some inspiration and a little bit of light in the dark.
In these uncertain times, when barbershops across North America have been forced to close, it is important that we continue to inspire each other, knowing that this will come to an end.
To provide some hope, we spoke to Anna Elliott, owner of Doc’s Barbershop in Shanghai, China, who has finally been able to reopen her shop doors and is getting back to business. We also asked our columnist and social media guru Tyrik Jackson to share his top tips on how to make the best of a bad situation and use your down time to grow and develop.
Inside this issue, we’re taking a closer look at barbershop interiors, exploring the unique style and décor of some of North America’s most awe-inspiring aesthetics, from the vintage style of Ludlow Blunt to the modern minimalism of Juice Toronto.
Now, we know most barbershops these days offer a nip of whiskey or a cold beer with their service, but what about a full-blown café or even a Caribbean street food restaurant? Yes, they exist and we’re finding out what makes the worlds of food and fading collide.
Elsewhere, we’re talking to our columnists about the world of cosmetology and how the line between it and barbering is becoming more and more blurred – a development that most would agree can only be a positive thing.
If that wasn’t enough, we have a whole host of exclusive interviews with the likes of WAHL Barber Battle winner Andy Rosario, the original barber doll herself Brandi Lashay, Andis Global Educator Lici Lady Barber, the team behind Rum Barber in Scotland, and of course, our cover star, SCurl Brand Ambassador and all-around star, Sipp the Surgeon.
We hope, above all, that you stay safe, stay healthy, and we will see you all soon.
When Schedulicity first launched their small business grant program, #SchedulicityCares, it was in recognition of how important every dollar is when you are working for yourself.
