Welcome to BarberEVO UK & Ireland Issue 38 and EVO’s 101^st magazine – can you believe it? Thank you to everyone who has been along on this journey, subscribing, reading, following, sending in your questions and sharing your wisdom. Where would we be without you?  

We kick off this issue with a feature on Grooming. For some, the word grooming is synonymous with barbering, but for our editor and the team, it’s not just about cutting hair and giving a shave, it is all about the transformative experience you give your clients. We feature a few shops and pros that excel in providing that unparalleled experience, with great technical skill. 

Next, let’s talk about education. There are so many avenues through which barbers can gain education, whether it’s at the beginning of their career, or years into it. In the post-pandemic world, there is now more access to virtual education than ever before. However, nothing can fully replace the efficacy of hands – on education. We cover all the options and their pros and cons in this feature. 

Do you identify as a tech-head, always getting your hands on the latest gear with the most up-to-date technology to make your work and home life easier and more efficient? Or would you say you’re more of a technophobe? Well, regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, there’s no denying the power of technology in this modern world, and if you can learn to embrace it, it can change your life, and your business for the better. 

Finally, to celebrate Pride month, we have a whole feature on Pride and Inclusivity. We talk to folks who are making waves in this industry to close the gender divide and create safe spaces accepting to all, where diversity can be celebrated. 

Also — we are celebrating that @barberevo has reached over 60K followers on Instagram. So, if you’re reading this and you’re not one of that 60K, go check out our page to make sure you are up to date with all of the latest and greatest content!

We hope you enjoy this issue! Order your beautifully presented print copy here. 

BarbersRide 2023 is thrilled to announce that Denman has agreed to be the official sponsor of this year’s ride which kicks off in August around Ireland.

Denman will be providing VIP toolkits for the riders and brushes for all the goody bags at each stage of the ride.

The charity of choice for this year’s ride, ‘Make a Wish Foundation’, has a special place in the heart of Denman Chairman John Rainey MBE. Back in 2000, Denman sponsored a child through Make a Wish foundation. That child was James Baker, a boy suffering from a life-limiting condition that causes tumours and a series of complex medical conditions. James had just one wish, which was to stay in a hotel in Belfast.

John Rainey wanted to do even more, so when he discovered that James had both a passion for the Belfast Giants Ice Hockey team and art, John arranged for VIP tickets to a Giants Hockey game and coaching from two local artists too.

James Baker is now 33 and has gone on to be a thriving artist as well as creating designs to decorate Denman brushes – he even has his own private box donated by the Belfast Giants Ice Hockey Team to protect him from infection.

Recently Xavier Berrell and seven riders dropped by for a visit to Denman HQ in Bangor to meet the team and say hello to James. James is pictured centre with all the bikers.

BarberEVO are proud media sponsors for BarbersRide and you can find out all about this year’s incredible event at www.barbersride.com/theride#full-ride-details

The Fellowship for British Hairdressing has launched its Fellowship Luncheon & Hair Awards for 2023 – the biggest and best independent awards event in the industry.

The Awards are split into four different categories, the Image of the Year Awards, Art & Commerce Awards, Honours Awards and new for 2023, the SPOTLIGHT Award. All of these can be easily entered online using The Fellowship’s Awards Platform.

All awards winners will be celebrated at The Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Luncheon & Hair Awards taking place at the Londoner in Leicester Square, London on Monday 4^th December 2023, which is assured to be the hottest ticket in town, where Fellowship members, sponsors, brand partners and their guests can network alongside the coolest new talent, whilst celebrating the evolution of the Fellowship as it continues to shape the future of hairdressing.

Commenting on the awards launch, Barry Stephens CEO, The Fellowship for British Hairdressing, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our 2023 awards, including the brand new 2023 Spotlight Award. There are awards to suit everyone – whether you are a creative with beautiful collection imagery that would be suitable for the Image of the Year Awards, or more business focused with our Art & Commerce Awards. We also have our Honours Awards, which allow us to reward our Fellowship Team Members for their hard work and dedication to The Fellowship.”

Fellowship President Robert Eaton added: “Awards are a fantastic way to celebrate the exceptional talent we have within the industry, their passion, skills and expertise and we’re thrilled to have our own awards that allow us to give back to the very best in hairdressing talent, our members, and Fellowship Teams and Projects.”

CATEGORIES

2023 SPOTLIGHT AWARD

Split into two categories, the over 25’s and under 25’s, SPOTLIGHT is a virtual competition and the latest initiative from the Fellowship to find the next generation of talent and stars for the future.

IMAGE OF THE YEAR AWARDS:

• Fellowship Image of the Year Award
• Colour Image of the Year Award
• Men’s Image of the Year Award
• Afro Image of the Year Award
• Snapshot Image of the Year Award
• International Image of the Year Award

ART & COMMERCE AWARDS:

• Salon Group of the Year Award
• Individual Salon of the Year Award
• Session Hair Stylist of the Year Award
• Educator of the Year Award

HONOURS AWARDS:

• Hairdresser of the Year Award
• HALL OF F.A.M.E. Award
• Gold Medal Award
• Fellow with Distinction Award
• Fellow with Honours Award
• Member of the Year Award
• Projects – Achiever of the Year Award

Criteria for each of the categories can be found here: Fellowship Luncheon & Hair Awards Brochure 2023 and all entries should be submitted here: Fellowship Awards Platform

Men are increasingly making an event of getting their wedding haircut just right – taking their cue from how women have prepared for weddings for centuries.

Wedding haircut events – where a barber is booked to set up in the groom’s home and good friends are invited around for drinks and food – are the latest wedding trend.

Giuliano Dore, who set up Get Groomed Mobile Barbers as a response to a surge in demand for home haircuts and beard trims following the Covid pandemic, has seen a huge rise in demand for wedding events.

He said: “There is a tradition in many cultures of brides gathering with their bridesmaids to have their hair done and make-up just before a wedding. But in the past in the UK, men and the groom simply queued at the local barber shop waiting their turn!

“Now, everyone wants to have memorable photos and videos and to look their best. Men also want to make more of the preparations with both same-sex and heterosexual wedding days now including a barbering experience.

“It is quite common for two grooms to want identical haircuts and getting them done together ensures they look just right. Heterosexual men now want to ensure the best man and other male attendants look just right. Throw in some drinks and music; it is another fun aspect of the wedding.”

Get Groomed Mobile Barbers are booked online and can set up anywhere, bringing with them everything needed to ensure hair is styled, beards are trimmed or shaves are perfectly smooth. But Giuliano Dore says planning is essential.

He said: “I would advise grooms to consult with the barber first about the style they want. A dramatic change for a wedding day may not always be the most sensible thing to do. In many ways, it might be better to have a restyle a month or two before so the wedding cut is just a tidy up and there are no shocks for any party involved.

“A buzzcut is stylish on most people and suits men who want to look good on a formal occasion, but there is a danger you can go too short too quickly. For those who want to look more stylish with a bit of panache and individuality, a pompadour may be the right answer, but everyone is individual and it is an important day, so take time to get it right.”

In the home and workplace barbering has grown in popularity with both customers and barbers. Many traditional barbers have been struggling with the overheads of shop premises. At the same time, the public appetite for crowded waiting rooms reduced during the Covid pandemic and people prefer to have a home visit rather than sit being watched by a room full of strangers as they have their hair styled.

Said Giuliano: “People shop online for just about everything now, rather than wander down the High Street hoping to find the holiday, music, or service they want. The first place they turn is their phone and we find people want to book a haircut on our website and fix it for a time to suit themselves. We also have a number of corporates who book our barbers for workplace events.”

Get Groomed Mobile Barbers www.gogetgroomed.co.uk have qualified and skilled barbers operating in London, Birmingham and Manchester along with Guildford, Surry with plans to expand to other areas of the UK.

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.

To enter the raffle, please donate what you can. The suggested donation is £10.00, please remember to add your name to be added to the raffle, and support the #justicefortommy campaign. You can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/justicefortommy1?utm_term=eRbNx6XyWo,

Welcome to BarberEVO issue 37! Let’s talk about style, baby! This issue is all about finding your unique style as an artist, keeping up with trends, and ensuring your space matches your personal vibes.

Gracing our coveted cover this issue is American Crew’s latest ‘AC-iD’ collection – a tribute to the style and music of the ‘90s, using AC’s iconic collection of styling pucks. We caught up with the AC Creative Team on the set of this shoot to see how the magic all comes together.

The man with style for days, Tariq Howes, kicks off our styling feature by sharing his experiences in the session styling world and as a BaByliss Ambassador. Gio Uktolsej based In Rotterdam talks about developing your own iconic style, and Liam Lovetts gives us the facts on short vs long styling. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Next, EVO goes ECO. In this feature, we talk all about how to eco-ify your barbershop, not only to help save the planet, but to save money, and bring in more clients too! You don’t have to go vegan, but maybe your hair products can. Food for thought. 

Finally, we take a peek into some of this season’s best barbershop interiors. How can you add style to your space? Maybe it’s in investing in the best chairs, customising your furniture, finding a theme, or investing in a new state-of-the-art technology? We love Jazzman Grooves barbershop, which boasts an eclectic mix of industrial furniture and artistic, street-inspired décor. RUGER give us a look inside their contemporary space, while Gents @ 27 tell us how to take your barbershop ideas from pitch to brick and mortar premises.

We hope you enjoy this issue! You can order your print copy here.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The latest issue of BarberEVO UK and Northern Ireland is OUT NOW.

Get your copy here!

LONDON CALLS FOR THE ALL-STARS 

The latest issue of BarberEVO is OUT NOW! This issue is headed up by a composite shot from American Crew’s outstanding All-Star Challenge collection.  

We were thrilled to be invited to get the chance to peek behind the scenes of the shoot, called ‘London Calling’ which included the work of the incredibly artistic talent gathered from all over the globe. Check out the full collection and a look behind the scenes in this issue. We are beyond excited to be working closely with American Crew in the future, watch out for more content coming up.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Also, in this issue we are giving away Simon Shaw. Take him, he’s yours! Well, for one day only. Win Simon to come to your barbershop or take your team to the Wahl Training Academy… however you want to use Simon’s knowledge, he’s up for it… nothing weird mind, that’s his only condition! See pages 34-35 to find out how to enter.

TECHNOLOGY

Love it or loathe it, tech is now an essential part of a barber’s business. There are so many options now to make life easier, and you don’t have to be a tech whizz to get your head around them. Whether it’s booking apps, marketing, POS options, reminders, there’s so much out there that can streamline your day to day. Have a read and see if it’s time to trade up with tech

BEARDCARE

Beard services – how do you view them? A quick add on or an essential part of the barbershop menu? The beard remains on trend, and we talk to the barbers who are making the most of what is currently an essential service to many clients.

WELLBEING

The wellbeing of staff, clients and the ever-stressed owners, is more important than ever, and we look at ways the industry is embracing wellbeing practices into the barbershop. We speak to the Podbarber about how listening is as important as talking, and we investigate the spa type services that barbers are introducing to aid client relaxation. Sit back, relax and read all about it.

SCISSORS

The humble scissor is the tool you can’t do without. But how much do you value your scissors? We look at what’s on the market – from the budget options to the wallet busting top enders. It’s not all about cost, there are great options for all budgets, and we talk to Rum Barber about the best options for the beginner barber as Yoi Scissors talk about which performs best in each cost category.

We hope you enjoy this issue! You can order your print copy here. 

BARBEREVO UK AND IRELAND #33 – OUT NOW 

Get your copy here!

A summer of connection

The latest issue of BarberEVO UK and Ireland is OUT NOW. This issue is packed full of advice, features and trends to keep you up to date with what’s current in the barbering world.

Check out our front cover featuring two young barbers from Glasgow that are making their mark in the industry as they attract a celebrity clientele off the back of their work on textured hair. @exthebarber and @destacuts have ambitions for the future… keep an eye on them, they are going places.

We can’t not mention the UK event of the year, Barber Connect which certainly lived up to its name as the place to connect and forge new friendships. We feature a review of the show and a selection of the many hundreds of images we took in our exclusive BarberEVO front cover booth… it’s been a smash everywhere we take it. 

SUMMER TRENDS

Trends come and go but when summer hits, there’s always a style that makes its mark. And this year it’s all about the crop. We talk to some top barbers and ask about what they are being asked for in their chairs on the daily, and they share what the looks are, the techniques to create them and the products that keep them in place. 

TEXTURE

The skills needed to excel in textured hair takes time to master and we interview Tariq Howes, 5ive, Ex from EXStudio and SCurl, the biggest brand in textured hair, about how to tame the curls and create a silhouette to be proud of and what their advice is for those that want to be confident in this field.

EDUCATION

Barbers are always learning, and we talk to Vikki Harrison-Smith about her teaching techniques at her SB Barbering Academy about what she expects from her students and the level she wants them to achieve. Also sharing their knowledge is Skins and Needles barbering academy and we have a controversial column from master barber Rob Rix about how the education levels of today leave him feeling less than impressed.

HAIRLOSS

The solutions to hair loss have increased tenfold over the last decade and now is the time to invest in some training so that you too can be part of the solution to those that are suffering with it. We talk to the brands and practitioners that are giving back a confident future to men that are struggling with hairloss in this feature and see the incredible transformations that can happen. 

FURNITURE

Are you even a barber if you haven’t admired a classic barber chair and wish you had a line of them in your shop? We are exploring the world of barbershop chairs and what remains the classics, what’s new and the options for buying them… buy the best you can afford, and if you can’t afford them, then leasing is now an incredible option for barbers to have the shop of their dreams.

We hope you enjoy this issue! You can order your print copy here.

BARBEREVO UK AND IRELAND #32 – OUT NOW 

Get your copy here!

Take ‘pride’ in your business

The latest issue of BarberEVO is OUT NOW! This issue is headed up by a shot from the latest Kevin Luchmun Andis Fluid Vol.3 collection.

This inspirational and diverse collection headlines Andis’ new step-by-step educational resource for professionals to learn Kevin’s haircutting process. We also talked to Kevin about the process behind the scenes of shooting the collection and his inspirations on why he chose these styles.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

We are all looking forward to June and when Barber Connect brings together the UK’s barbering community and we have a list of some of the big names to look out for. Also, in this issue we are giving away Simon Shaw. Take him, he’s yours! Well, for one day only. Win Simon to come to your barbershop or take your team to the Wahl Training Academy… however you want to use Simon’s knowledge, he’s up for it… nothing weird mind, that’s his only condition! See pages 92-93 to find out how to enter.

PRIDE

Barbershops are all about a welcoming environment and that should mean for everyone. We highlight the barbershops that are embracing gender-neutral pricing and offering a chair to anyone who walks through their doors, no matter their gender or sexuality. Blacc + Blond salon shows us a perfect example of how to be leaders in knocking down barbering gender stereotypes.

We also feature lots of fantastic gender-neutral styles from a selection of top barbers who treat hair as hair, no matter whose head it is on!  

CLIENT COMFORT

How do you make your clients more comfortable… we don’t mean a padded chair! It’s about what other things you do to make the barbershop more welcoming. We talk to the owners of Rag and Bone about their beer vending machine, which has changed the atmosphere of their shop for the better and also to Paul Hewitt of Brislington Hill Barbers which has a coffee shop in-house for the clients and how both the barbers and clients love it.

SHAVING

Shaving services are always going to attract a new clientele and the more luxury you add to the experience the better. We speak to the shaving experts at Murdock about the benefits of having shaving on the menu and we also have a step-by-step from shaving supremo Kevin Vorley, we also have a look at the best shaving products on the market.

ELECTRICALS

The buzz of barbershop activity is accompanied by clippers, trimmers, hairdryers and all sorts of electrical paraphernalia and we have a close look in this issue at barber’s hairdryers with our friends at Rum Barber who pick out the best on the market.

We hope you enjoy this issue! You can order your print copy here. 

Robert Eaton has been welcomed as the new President for the Fellowship for British Hairdressing at a star-studded event in London.

Ken Picton, who has led the organisation for the past three years, handed over the reigns to British Hairdresser of the Year Robert Eaton in front of industry peers at the President’s Night.

Held at the Brewery in East London, Ken relived some of his favourite times as President – and the challenges brought with the pandemic. But before he could leave there were a few surprises – he brought his Drinks with the President live to the stage with some of his favourite guests including Sally Brooks, Mark Woolley and Michael Douglas, while a video highlighted just some of the things he has implemented during his reign.

The F.A.M.E team presented their first show, Evolution. Alex Cook, Darrel Starkey, Jessica Hau and Lydia Wolfe – a showcase of their skills learnt so far this year, with stunning 5ft colourful ponytails, precision cuts and dynamic shapes.

Ken recalled: “When I took over as President in 2019 we had no idea what was ahead of us. But we have worked hard to modernise the Fellowship for a new era of hairdressing. It’s been a privilege to lead the Fellowship through these turbulent times and I look forward to being part of the future.”

Receiving his regalia, Robert added: “Today is very special for me, when I started my journey in the family business it was about networking and making friends. My whole career has been shaped by the Fellowship; I was part of the 2003 F.A.M.E. Team which was incredibly special and instilled in me the importance of nurturing the next generation. Now, it’s my time to give back and help young people in this industry. I want to work with as many people as possible to evolve the industry and continue the heritage the Fellowship has always had.”