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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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:
HAIR ROPE MAKING with Lead Researcher Sanne Visser, £100
MONDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 7PM-10PM London
GSC is always looking for ways to recycle the unrecyclable. Our very first R&D partner Sanne is an expert at hair rope making and has been working with hair as a material for over seven years.
This truly unique workshop brings her craft to GSC members and invites hairdressers to try their hands at making hair rope, which is then fastened into hanging planters – perfect for displaying in salon or at home.
Come along and discover how hair clippings can be recycled into a useful and innovative material.
TUESDAY 1ST MARCH 7PM (AND FIRST TUES OF EACH MONTH) ZOOM
This free information session is open to all. Meet some of the team, learn what we do and why we do it. We’ll cover our system, the costs, how it will help your business gain new clients and we’ll answer all of your questions, too. A guest speaker also features every second month.
Sponsored by L’Oréal Professionnel, Green Salon Collective will be joined by guest speakers offering practical ideas on how to help your local communities fight climate change. Featuring Amy Nguyen, Founder & Editor of Sustainable and Social and Forbes’ Sustainability Contributor and Lucy Siegle, author of Turning the Tide on Plastic, the evening is a chance to find out more about the role you can pay in the future of our planet.
The 2021 Fellowship for British Hairdressing Award Winners came together this month for a special celebratory lunch to start the new year.
Efi Davis, Andy Heasman, Ken Picton
The winners, who picked up their awards at the Fellowship Luncheon & Awards at The Londoner in December, enjoyed a three-course Indian lunch at the trendy Dishoom in Shoreditch, London.
Ashleigh Hodges, FAME Team, Errol Douglas
The 2022 F.A.M.E team also came together to mark the start of their exciting year of opportunities, which includes mentoring by some of the biggest names in British hairdressing and a photo shoot with their leaders Gary Hooker and Michael Young.
Errol Douglas, Andy Heasman, Ann Herman
The lunch was also an opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the industry, from sustainability to business challenges and the future of hairdressing.
Errol Douglas, Junior Green
Chancellor Ashleigh Hodges, who welcomed the winners, said: “This is the first time we have held a lunch for our winners, and it was important for us to celebrate their success, especially after the crazy 18 months we have had. It was lovely to see everyone and discuss some of the issues facing us all.”
Michelle Griffin, Ann Herman
The awards have been recognising creativity since they were launched in 1995, which saw Nicky Clarke take the first trophy for his wearable hair.
And the winners were:
Fellow with Honours Jonathan Andrew Andrew Barton Junior Green
Gold Medal Jo Martin
Member of the Year Janene Bush
Individual Salon of the Year Karoliina Saunders Hair Design
Salon Group of the Year Blushes Collective
PROJECT: Colour Achiever of the Year – Darrel Starkey
PROJECT: Men Achiever of the Year–Tammy Reynolds
PROJECT: X Achiever of the Year–Emma Simmons
Snapshot Image of the Year Efi Davies, TONI&GUY
Men’s Image of the Year Charlie Cullen, Charlie Cullen Education at Joe and Co
Colour Image of the Year Hooker & Young
Afro Image of the Year Emma Simmons, Salon 54
International Image of the Year Jacky Chan, Oscar Oscar Chadstone
On Tuesday, 8 February, Skills Minister Alex Burghart met with young people undertaking traineeships – as part of National Apprenticeship Week activity – at Falltricks Hairdressing Academy in Ipswich.
Minister Burghart said: “It was inspiring to meet budding hairdressers undertaking traineeships at Falltricks Hairdressing Academy in Romford during National Apprenticeships Week.”
National Apprenticeship Week 2022 is the 15th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships – taking place between 7th-13th February 2022 across England. The week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
A traineeship is a course with work experience that gets you ready for work or an apprenticeship. It can last from six weeks up to one year, though most traineeships last for less than six months.
Traineeships are a great way for young people to access the jobs market, enabling those aged 16 and 24 (or 25 for individuals with an education and health care plan) who don’t have the skills or experience to progress into an apprenticeship or a job.
Minister Burghart explained: “Traineeships are a fantastic way for young people to get on the path to a good job, offering the necessary training and work experience to progress into work or an apprenticeship.”
Apply now before the March 4th deadline for the Close Contact Services Fund which will provide a one-off payment to support eligible close contact service businesses impacted by the Covid restrictions and guidance introduced from December 9th to January 24th 2022, to control the Omicron variant.
Who is eligible?
The Close Contact Services Fund will provide support to businesses in the close contact service sectors who own/rent premises with a non-domestic rates account (NDR), and self-employed close contact service individuals, impacted by the restrictions and guidance introduced and where they are registered as one of the following:
The British Beauty Council (BBCo) and National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) have joined forces to send an open letter to the Chancellor Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, following hundreds of reports that over 60 local authorities are excluding hair & beauty businesses from claiming the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).
Despite reassurance from HM Treasury that businesses in the hair & beauty sector, including hair salons, beauty salons, barbershops, aestheticians, nail bars, eyebrow bars etc are all eligible for the ARG, the BBCo, NHBF and other sector bodies are continuing to receive reports that these local authorities are either rejecting or not prioritising claims from these businesses. A number of local authorities are also still working out their grant policies since the announcement in December and have yet to make grants available to businesses desperate for support.
The joint letter was sent on behalf of the National Hair and Beauty Federation, British Beauty Council, UK Spa Association, British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology, Hair & Barber Council and the Federation of Holistic Therapists.
In the past the government has stated that the hair and beauty sector is ‘essential’ to the UK’s health and wellbeing whilst contributing almost £30 billion to the UK economy every year and employing 590,500 workers, mostly women and young people, across the UK nations and regions. Pre-Covid, the sector was in the top three fastest growing parts of the retail sector.
Hair & beauty has been one of the hardest hit sectors by the pandemic. The latest NHBF snap poll shows over 84% of hair & beauty salons and barbershops experienced reduced business compared with what would normally be expected between Christmas and New Year (28-31 December 2021).
Staff shortages due to COVID or self-isolation are also having an impact on businesses with 54% reporting staff absences during this period.*
Richard Lambert, NHBF chief executive says, “Whilst we appreciate that each local authority is entitled to create their own criteria about which businesses receive ARG assistance and that funding will not meet the needs of all businesses affected it does appear that a significant number are actively excluding hair & beauty salons and barbershops in their area. This raises the question as to why – is it because despite all the evidence, they don’t accept these businesses were badly hit by the Omicron surge or perhaps because they just don’t think they’re that important.”
The British Beauty Council’s CEO Millie Kendall OBE says, “Having made a strong case to all local authorities as to how personal care has been impacted more heavily than many other business sectors, we would have hoped to see some movement with regards to the release of the ARG funds to salons etc. The Chancellor himself stated that our industry was not just economically valuable but also essential to Britain’s wellbeing. Whilst our previous work ensured personal care businesses were highlighted within guidance as businesses that should be considered for support, local authorities have chosen to disregard this. They clearly do not regard our industry as essential, or the local businesses that operate within them as worthy of support and we would like to know why?”
The NHBF and BBCo are urging all hair & beauty salons and barbershops in to send a message to their local authority to ask why they are excluding fellow businesses in the personal care sector from this much needed financial help.
* The NHBF snap poll, undertaken via Instagram Stories over a 24-hour period from Wednesday 5th to Thursday 6th January, received more than 2000 responses.
Glasgow barber academy welcomes its first eight students
A pioneering barbering academy has welcomed its first intake of students onto a 15-week course that will launch their careers in the burgeoning male grooming sector.
The first eight students have enrolled into the new Sovereign Barber School in Glasgow. It is the first training venture for Sovereign Grooming and the team hope to train around 32 barbers every year, seeing each of them finish the course with sought after formal qualifications.
One of the delighted new students is Glasgow local, Aimee Laws. The 29-year-old applied for the course after discovering a passion for barbering while salons were shut during the pandemic and she found herself cutting her own hair to practice her skills.
Aimee Laws
She said: “The barber school is a great option for people just starting out in the industry as you can learn both the theory and skills while getting the opportunity to put these into practice.
“I’m making a career change from music to barbering, so it is a pretty big jump – but I’m looking forward to it. Previously I taught and played music in social and youth care settings but like many, lockdown gave me a chance to really find out what I wanted my career to look like.
“It’s nerve-wracking to think what the next three and a bit months will have in store but I’m excited to see the skills I’ll have developed by the end.”
The company, which is headed up by award-winning barber Kyle Ross and marketing expert Ryan Crighton, has invested over £500,000 on the purpose-built training facility which sits across three floors (2,570 sq ft) in 38 Renfield Street.
Kyle Ross of Sovereign Grooming training a student
The ground floor will be used as a functioning salon with 12 staff members over the next 12 months. This will also give students the opportunity to be amongst the day-to-day working environment of the salon.
Aimee added: “It’s inspiring to be learning the ropes directly from the Sovereign Grooming founder who is one of the industry’s best barbers. Kyle is known for delivering the highest standards of barbering, so I’ll be looking to pick up as many tips and tricks as I can.
“I’ve done some evening barbering courses in the past but nothing can prepare you like working in a salon. I’m especially looking forward to learning some of the modern barbering that Sovereign Grooming offers.”
3D images from architecture of new salon
The barber school is part of an overall plan to help the grooming industry deal with staff shortages following the impact of the pandemic.
Kyle Ross founded Sovereign Grooming in 2016 in Aberdeen and has since opened a popular salon at the New Waverly development in Edinburgh’s city centre. Kyle will personally oversee the training and want to develop “the best young talent in male grooming”.
Kyle will be joined by fellow barber Barry Doolan, who has been brought in due to his wealth of experience in educating and delivering similar qualifications.
Kyle said: “The Glasgow training academy has been in the pipeline for a while. As a company we’re extremely passionate about learning and development so it was the only natural progression to open our own barbering school.
“Over the 15-weeks, aspiring barbers will become fully qualified, learning typical industry skills whilst gaining important insight into fashion, photoshoot and stage styling – something that other barbering schools don’t offer.”
The school will have up to eight students going through training and qualification every quarter. The three-story Glasgow branch which will also offer luxury hair and beard services and male-focused beauty treatments as well as serving as a brand HQ.
Kyle added: “We want to inspire future generations of barbers to help people look and feel the best they possibly can in and out of the chair.”
After the first salon in Aberdeen proved an immediate hit, Kyle attracted investment to open salons in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, adding business credentials to a CV which had already seen him garlanded with multiple barbering awards.
He was named Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in 2017, a year which also saw him named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year. In 2018, he was named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards and in 2019 was shortlisted for GQ Magazine’s Barber of the Year title, one of only a handful of stylists outside London to have been shortlisted.
Fresha salon software the world’s top beauty and wellness booking platform, announced today their acquisition of Bookwell, an Australian online booking marketplace for salons and spas. The deal follows a recent $150 million Series C investment in Fresha salon software led by leading private equity firmGeneral Atlantic.
The acquisition of Bookwell marks a new phase in London based Fresha’s continued growth story, adding to the platform’s extensive base of over 60,000 partner salons and spas primarily spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Bookwell was founded in 2017 by EatNow founders Matt Dyer and Nathan Airey and have signed up over 5K salons in Australia . Following their first start-up success, Bookwell was set up as a matchmaking engine for Australian beauty and wellness service providers to fill empty appointment slots with customers in their area.
“From my first meeting with William, Fresha’s founder and CEO, I believed in his vision, energy and passion. By helping beauty and wellness businesses grow sales with tools to facilitate online payments, self-service bookings and automated marketing, Fresha provides the perfect opportunity to enhance Bookwell’s offering,” says Matt Dyer, Founder and CEO of Bookwell. “We are thrilled to be joining forces with Fresha, the global leader in the beauty and wellness industry.”
Fresha’s free appointment scheduling software platform is used across 120 countries globally, with tens of millions of appointments booked each month, and nearly $15 billion in value of appointments bookings processed to date. Fresha’s focus on building easy-to-use, subscription-free salon software underpinned by a strong word-of-mouth effect has helped the company build a loyal customer base. Fresha’s partner businesses rely on the platform for its ease of use, time-saving benefits, and embedded features to grow their sales, with end users enjoying a premium booking and payment experience.
“Bookwell’s progress in Australia is commendable, the team have built a strong business model helping salons and therapists save thousands each year on marketing to fill empty appointments” says Founder and CEO William Zeqiri. “There is a natural synergy with Fresha’s own online marketplace and Bookwell’s partner base, who now have the opportunity to benefit from our market leading software including dedicated payments system and marketing tools, all accessed under one roof. Together we are helping our partners make more money, save time and get paid more easily.”
Captain Fawcett flies the flag for the UK. As a Department of International Trade, East of England Export Champion based in King’s Lynn, Captain Fawcett is honoured to feature in the portfolio of British businesses being showcased by the Secretary of State for International Trade, The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP in the current negotiations to establish an important free trade agreement with India.
‘As a company that with the assistance of both the DIT & UKIBC is registering a number of our simply ‘First Class Gentlemen’s Grooming Requisites’ with a view to importing into the world’s fastest growing market. We welcome this hugely exciting initiative.”
Made in the UK sold to the World!
Captain Fawcett shortlisted in the Insider Awards
Captain Fawcett has announced that it is simply delighted to be included in the Export Award shortlist for the prestigious Insider Made in Central & East Awards 2022.
An independent judging panel selected shortlists of manufacturing and engineering businesses with Captain Fawcett proud to be in the company of some of the finest regional contenders. The businesses in question will be showcased at the gala awards dinner, which is taking place at the Jurys Inn, Milton Keynes on the evening of 31st March 2022, an event now in its seventh year. The winners of all the categories will be announced during the awards dinner.
The awards celebrate and reward the excellence of the manufacturing sector and its skilled workforce, recognising companies that have excelled in innovation, product development and growth in either domestic or overseas markets over the course of the last 12 months.
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.'”
