1. You and I met and started chatting via Twitter and then Facebook, has the internet helped you and your business? Also What do you use these social networking websites for? And do you have an agent?

I don’t have an agent and it is amazing who you can meet and network with via the internet. Twitter and facebook are just the beginning, they have helped a heap in getting a buzz about into the world. You have to make noise somehow and not everyone is willing to listen to you yelling in the street (most people will think you’re crazy!) I guess its less frightening to people to interact using these kinds of methods. Also its assessable, its less in formal and everyone knows what you’re doing without asking you directly.  I use them a lot from booking appointments for clients and getting new jobs for photo shoots. I post as much as I possibly can so people feel connected and can create an opinion of you and your work.

2. I have noticed via your Facebook account that you are involved with lots of fashion parades, how did you get involved with that side of hairdressing?

The salon I worked at did a couple of hairdressing shows and I always helped with them. I also started volunteering to help out backstage at fashions parades while I was still working in the salon. I didn’t really have a day off most weeks. I involved myself as much as I could. Hard work pays off.

3. For me, I have found doing hair for a shoot, and doing hair for fashion show and in the salon means I have to have a completely different approach to hair in these mediums. How do you balance them?

It’s a hard balance that you cant fall behind in… you have to stay on the pulse of things. Continue to learn your trade and constantly evolve. I think still working in a salon keeps me grounded. You’re working with everyday people who want different things from their hair. Sometimes it can me more challenging then fashion hair. Where as photo shoots and fashion shows it’s all about a particular image, it has to be perfect for that one photo or the 10 minutes the model is out on the catwalk. But they do work together at times, generally fashion hair filters through to commercial wearable hairstyles that clients will ask for. I think it takes about 3 to 6 months for the general public to get used to the new ideas in the industry.

4.Where have you worked previously?

I worked part time when I was 15 in a salon in a shopping centre. It’s a really big salon with a retail shop attached, Ross Caia is a franchise of three.  I finished high school and started my apprenticeship there. I was there 5 years in total. I wanted to learn more so I moved to a boutique salon in Malvern, Victoria,  called Madd. I really learnt a lot there and perfected my trade. I had a very passionate mentor, I have a lot to thank him for. I wouldn’t be the hairdresser I am now without his knowledge. At the end of the day I’m just too eager to succeed.

I now work for myself freelancing under my own name ANNIKA’S, I do clients from their houses, work casually in a salon, do hair and makeup for photo shoots & runway shows. I also do a lot of work for Model Academy, they train young models to prefect their job. This is a term course that goes through everything, its great fun and I find it amazing to watch these students turn into top models.

5.How long have you been doing hair and when did you have your first hair “epiphany”?

Well I have been playing with my own hair my whole life (laughs) but as an actually professional trade… full time seven years and three years part time before that.

First hair epiphany would be..? (thinks) When I was eight I had all my hair cut off into a graduated bob I couldn’t believe the feeling I got when I left the salon, I was in love. I always wanted to be a hairdresser and I wanted to make people feel the way I felt that day. I wanted to give people style, an image to call their own and make them look & feel better about themselves. Hairdressing is very rewarding if you let it.

6.For readers who want to become freelance hairstylists themselves…what advice would you give to the up starters?

Volunteer as much as you possibly can and yes you wont get paid for volunteer work! But that brings a lot of other work, you have to be dedicated and network with people in the area you want to go into. Say it is more photo shoots you want to get into, talk to photographers and get to know them.  Backstage Fashion Runways you would get to know designers. Be yourself people like to work with people that they get along with and that are friendly and hardworking.

7.Top five favorite tools?

Just 5, I could pick so many more but 5 things I don’t think I could live without is..

1. Hairdryer – I can’t go past my twin turbo 2600 its my favourite

2. Straightens (I have many but the main ones are GHD and T3)

3. Hairspray – I can be picky, I worked in a tigi salon so love their products, I normally use the S Factor or rockahollic they are both medium hold and not tacky like a lacquer, easy for models to brush out too.

4. S Factor Creamy Molding Wax

5. Bobby pins

I also do love label.m dry shampoo and label.m sea salt spray & my crimpers that are from the 80’s.

8. What do you feel are the problems facing the industry right now?

I think there are a lot of problems with our industry…

I think people don’t realize how hard we work and how little we get paid. The general public is unaware and most don’t think of us “hairdressers” as professional, which is our problem because we make them think that.

Attitude is very important and I think there needs to be more training across the industry. We are creative people and need to be inspired and constantly motivated. I also think the colour company’s should have the same numbering colour system. And don’t get me started on competitions. I could go on and on about ways to improve our industry but I wont…

9. My research tells me you worked in a salon prior to freelance work, could you tells us how did you make the transition from hairdresser in a salon to freelance?

Gosh, I actually asked to go part time and my boss wouldn’t let me so it was a hard decision to make but I knew it was the right one, I quit completely and knew my love and passion would some how support me.

10. Lets talk make up. How did you get involved with that? And which came first hair or make up?

Hair came first. I never really thought I would really get that into makeup but it does work hand in hand, same as fashion. Its all about a look and its has to follow through head to toe. I never really wore that much makeup myself until I started working full time at Madd Hairdressing and I learnt how to apply it. It came fairly naturally, I love colour and did a lot of painting at high school (I think that helps) now that I think about it… it’s kind of surprising I didn’t get into it sooner.

11. What are you working on at the moment?

Just the general stuff as well as setting up a website that will have an online portfolio. I would love to work Internationally. Also planning a working holiday in October, always wanted to go to Salon International.

12. What are your plans for the future?

I would love to have my own salon one day… have a happy balance of salon life and freelancing. I want to inspire others and keep the passion alive and pass on my knowledge to anyone who is willing listen.

Find Annika Bowen on Twitter http://twitter.com/annikabowen and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/annikas.hair

Written by Jean-Paul Rosette, author of Heads Will Roll.

This month we talk to Nick Downie, salon owner of All The King’s Men.

Your shop has an excellent name.  “All the king’s men”, In my mind it conjures up the infamous Alexander the Great, who made his soldiers shave their beards off for the purpose of gaining an advantage in hand-to-hand combat so that his warriors were able to grasp an enemy by the beard, while themselves were safeguarded in this method of fighting. Is there any correlation between this story and your shop? How did you come up with the name of the shop?

Wow! I’ve never heard that story before but i really like it! I came up with the name when i was at trade school in my apprenticeship. In fact my cousin and I came up with it. He was studying hospitality at the same tech and we had a hairbrained scheme to start a barber shop/cafe. It sounds completely bonkers to me now but back then it seemed like we had come up with the greatest idea ever.

It’s a great looking barbershop, the old movie posters, especially the 1949 movie of the same name. How long have you had the shop, and how long did it take to get all the memorabilia?

The shop opened in 2007. I have been collecting all sorts of bits and bobs forever really. The first thing I got were the chairs, they are vintage Takaras and are incredibly beautiful to me. The lines on them are so classic and so sleek. They remind me of the classic, huge American cars of the 50’s. I had them for about a year before the shop opened and in that time i had them in storage. I used to go to the storage unit and visit them regularly, and really built the rest of the shop around them. The posters are all vintage Italian action movies and I have sourced them from all around the world. They are so dramatic and so visually engaging, and so old and creased. I love that old world aesthetic. Then the cut throat razors I’ve collected from op shops and antique dealers, and from friends who have found them in their shopping expeditions and also a few from clients who have had their grandpas razor floating around and don’t really know what else to with them, and I like that they have all ended up together in the cabinets. All the other stuff has just turned up over time.

My research tells me you worked at Dr Follicles for a time. Was it hard to start your own shop? And what sparked the idea of going starting your own?

I worked at Dr Follicles for a long time, and it was a great place to work and I made some very good friends there. But my idea was always to open my own shop and that really started back in trade school. In the time between starting my career and opening my own shop, I had been involved on some level in a few different shops from early on in their operation, so when the time came to open my own, I’d seen first hand and learnt from watching what other people were doing in starting up their shops. Some were more successful than others and I think I sort of watched and listened as much as I could to what sorts of things worked and what didn’t work. So when the time came to open my own shop, I had a really firm idea of how i wanted my shop to operate.

Where have you worked previously?

I started my apprenticeship in Canberra at Cataldo’s in 1995. I did two years there, sweeping, shampooing, coffee making, colors and perms. Lots of perms. Then I finished my apprenticeship at a salon called Globe. It’s no longer there. It was a crazy little shop with a great 50’s kitsch, John Waters, Vegas, lounge bar sort of vibe to it. It even had a one-arm bandit poker machine in it. It was really different to all the other shops in Canberra at the time, and we had a lot of fun. It was like one big party for a few years. All the staff were really fun and we were like a gang. Then that closed up and my friend Mark Bayre  (owner/operator of Mest Hair) bought it and he’s still there and going great guns!

Then I moved to Melbourne in 2000 and started to move towards barbershops. My first job here was at Wax in the city. It was a great little shop. I worked there for a couple of years and then to Dr Follicles in Richmond and then to their Fitzroy shop. And then opened All The Kings Men.

How long have you been doing hair and when did you have your first hair “epiphany”?

Started in 1995. I guess the most important epiphany I had is that cutting men’s hair is where i wanted to end up. That was very early on in the piece.

For readers who want to be a men’s hairdresser…how did you become a barber, did you at any point in your career do women’s hair?

I did women’s hair for a while, but pretty much two thirds of my career has been men’s hair. When i worked in salons I saw that a lot of the time they were catering predominantly to women and when most men came in they were obviously uncomfortable there. These were the guys that seemed to like me cutting their hair and it just sort of clicked there. And this is at a time when men really, REALLY didn’t get into the grooming thing that much. Now guys are so much more savvy about using products, colors and even straighteners, but at that point guys just seemed to get haircuts to get the hair out of their eyes. But that shift towards men’s grooming is really why you see resurgence in barbershops now. Guys now not only want to have adventurous haircuts, they EXPECT it. It’s great really. So now not only is there a market for cutting just men’s hair, it’s a really progressive and dynamic market, which is so awesome. It really has changed so much in that time, it’s amazing.

Top five favourite tools?

1- cut throat razor! Easily my favorite!! It’s such a wonderfully theatrical tool. And it’s a great symbol of barbers and barbershops. Like Sweeney Todd or that great scene in ‘The Untouchables’ where Al Capone is getting a shave and the barber nicks him. It’s just such a great way of finishing a cut, tidying up the neck with a cutthroat. It just completes the whole haircut experience. And it’s such a cool looking tool as well.

2- scissors. Obviously. I use 7”, great for scissor over comb.

3- clippers. We do LOTS of clipper work and i mostly use the good old classic Wahl super tapers, although i used to own a fantastic set of

Oster rotary clippers, which I often remember fondly. They got broken when a client jumped out of my chair and hooked the cord around his foot and they fell onto the ground and smashed. That was a sad day.

4- Passion Razor. I have had this for years and i love it. Great for longer shaggy, rock’n'roll stuff. Such a simple tool, but I cant imagine not having it. And it looks cool too.

5- ipod. Music is so important in getting the vibe in the shop right. Its important to have some sweet soul tracks to start the day, but also to have some proper rock and roll to drive it home at the end of the day. Sounds silly, but I couldn’t get through the day without the right music.

I really love the history of barbering and hairdressing, for example back in ye olde days your barber was your dentist and your surgeon. Another example is the red and white stripe barber pole to signify bloodletting.  Do you feel any connection to that heritage?

I love the history of hairdressing, and especially barbering. The blood letting and tooth stopping and leeches and all that is so interesting. It’s so kind of macabre and creepy to think that people just popped into the local barbers to get a boil lanced and a quick tidy up. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to do it.

What do you feel are the problems facing the industry right now?

The public opinion thing has ALWAYS annoyed me. I sometimes think people don’t really understand what it is we do. It’s such a cliché, but at the end of the day, what we do is make people feel good. We make people feel confident, we listen to people and we form these unique friendships with our clients. That is very important. It’s so much more than people like to make out it is.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m in the process of looking to expand the business into a second location. It’s pretty exciting actually. I have the greatest staff ever at the shop and I have absolute faith in them looking after it so I can go and start all over again in another shop. From there, I’d really like to one day open a really big, really sleek shop. Still keeping the same philosophy of what we do now, but on a grander scale. And then from there, maybe a girls version, maybe.

ALL THE KING’S MEN

16 ERROL STREET, NORTH MELBOURNE.

93285599

click here for more details.

Written by Jean-Paul Rosette, author of Heads Will Roll.

.

Harley Lewis: I’m good thank you very much. I live in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Where I have lived all my life.

SS: How long have you been in the hairdressing?

HL :I’ve been in the game now for about 3yrs,comprising of Hairdressing Pre-Apprentship Coarse, cert 2 at Chisholm Institute Dandenong. And junior apprentice in a salon in Melbourne city I also attend trade school at Biba Academy.

SS: Where have you worked?

HL: I worked at Worksense Haircutters at their Queen st salon for the majority of my apprenticeship, which is best described as an up market
Salon. In truth, this for me was both fruitful and frustrating. I am now doing some part-time work with Elliot Beautiful Hair, which is located in South Yarra Melbourne. Which has been a refreshing and relaxing environment of which I haven’t experienced in a salon so far.

SS: Where did you start and why hairdressing?

HL: I started at Chisholm Institute doing cert2 coarse in hairdressing to make sure that it was a right fit for me, and also to have some basic skills for work in a salon.

I tend to get that question a lot, it’s a bit frustrating. I tend to say why not hairdressing? Visually I find hairdressing interesting and creative especially cutting! To see a client visually change from new style excites me.

As a career its always changing which is good as you will never get bored with your job an the industry will never die

SS: What are you working on at the moment?

HL: I’m not working for a salon as such at the moment, however, I am studying at Biba Academy for two days a week while I seek an apprenticeship with a salon, or I may continue at Biba Academy fulltime to get my Hairdressing qualification quicker.

SS: Top 10 products/tools in your kit and why?

HL: Tools-carbon comb create for men’s cutting, ghd’s for styling hairups, good set of clips is a must for cutting an styling, a wooden vented round brush great for blow drying. Fringe pins are a handy tool to have in your bag at all times for hair ups

Products-American crew styling products fiber/defining paste great for men’s styling, Aveada air control hair spray has great hold for hair ups and after blow dry. Kevin Murphy angel wash shampoo and conditioner great for fine and damaged hair.

SS: What has been your career highlight?

HL: To be honest with you my career has been not as fruitful as I would like it to be.
But the one thing that has stood out for me so was the opportunity to work, train and learn from stylists such as Jean-Paul Rosette who has been a great inspiration. He’s a unique individual like I am, so I hope that I can build myself a career around my personality like he has. And there are stylist like Ivan Constable an Daniel Ravech that have been in the industry a long time, I won’t say how long, but I was fortunate to work with these stylists very early on in my career and hope to match and surpass them one day!

SS: What are the biggest problems facing apprentice hairdressers today?

HL: Where to start with this question? Well, I was let go from my apprenticeship very suddenly and without any warning with a year and half left to go, it was very disappointing as I had invested good amount of my time an career with the salon in the hope of getting adequate training which turned out I didn’t get enough, of which is now hindering my chances of getting another apprenticeship with a new salon, as I am behind the eight ball with my training. I spent a good amount of time wining over the senior staff so I could blow-dry and style some of their clients in the busier days and nights. Then suddenly another 2nd yr apprentice was hired who had on-floor experience,, which was very disappointing. The one thing that has kept me seeking employment in hairdressing was the reaction from most the senior staff not to happy about me getting let go from the salon and a few of them have been in regular contact with me and making sure that I am pursuing hairdressing which has given me a lot of confidence that I can succeed in hairdressing as a stylist. So I think one of the biggest problems for apprentices is finding a salon that is committed to seeing you through the three years of your apprenticeship and the training that is necessary.
The one thing I noticed at trade school amongst the other
Apprentices, is they tend to bounce a lot between salons, moving from one job to the next. I believe this is not good to bounce around from salon to salon while you are trying to learn a skill set and a trade for a career.

For me the biggest problem as an apprentice has been getting a real chance to implement what I’ve learnt at trade school to work on the floor in a salon environment. I don’t know if that was just the salon I was working for, however I find that in-salon training is inadequate, as some owners don’t put in the time to teach me or other apprentices. Once a week training after hours on one model is not efficient enough.

I think employers just need to have confidence in their juniors as opposed to feeling like we cost the salon money. We (the juniors) are here to work

SS : How can we get in contact with you?

HL : There are many ways that you get in touch with me in the 21st century.
harlism@hotmail.com

Then there there’s Facebook,
http://www.facebook.com/people/Harley-Clinton-Lewis/646784047

And Myspace,
http://www.myspace.com/heardthatsoundamileaway

And at last twitter,
http://twitter.com/unclerev

Other Links

www.chisholm.edu.au
http://www.biba.com.au/

Pictured is the SK Series Free Form Scissor. This scissor is the most sort after tool in the Shui range. Ergonomic, offset, weighted and balanced this scissor turns hair to butter for both wet and dry blunt cutting, point cutting and all free form techniques it will never let you down.

The new range has been designed by hairdressers with comfort and quality in mind. Part of the Shui range is now available online at Scissors For Stylists. Express post service Australia and Worldwide. Sales representatives are visiting salons around Australia, New Zealand and America.

West End Hair – Chapel Street Windsor

Olga Sutcliffe, owner of westendhair is heading off to London for December, such is the demand for her services on the international scene. Olga will be based in London and able to travel for hair extensions for clients and training courses.
Olga is a hair extensions professional that has catered for a number of both international and Australia celebrities. Check out her site for specials and a look at some of the celebrities she has worked with. Who would have ever thought we’d be calling Kate or Jamie celebrities.

West End Hair featured in the Vogue May 2006 issue which featured  the ultimate hair salons across Australia. Olga has not rested on her laurels and has driven westendhair to new heights. Specialising in hair extensions, but also offering a wide range of other services including cuts, colour and dreads. Makeovers and specialised makeup courses are coming soon.

The West End Hair site is full of great ideas for your clients or your own hair. Whether your thinking a clip in for a wedding or a permanent weave, you’re sure to find something you love.

Back to the 70’s wearing clip in hair extensions and styled into a funky afro. Curls and waves are back!

Olga styled Ashley’s hair with a GHD. Ashley is wearing her clip in long 70’s era Eurotexture clip in hair extensions.

Olga clipped in 3 layers to Ashley’s natural hair and styled them out into a 70’s look (as seen here), a loose but classic hair up an asymmetric loose cocktail wear and a cute pinned pulled back pony tail.

Well I’ll tell you, that sagging comb with to much wet hair weighing it down becomes a thing of the past. That plastic or acrylic comb is no longer the professional’s tool of choice.  The new alternative, carbon fiber combs, don’t flex. They stay nice and rigid holding the hair with clean even tension. Even that really thick, heavy, wet, hair is easy to control with no flex .

As Michael Gordon founder of Bumble and Bumble salons New York says carbon fibre combs can last a lifetime.

Leader Carbon Combs are the first choice for among professionals. Their elegance, refinement and quality are all indications of a first rate product. A quality Leader carbon fibre comb can last a lifetime. They are the ultimate top quality carbon comb from Japan. The combination of carbon fiber and nylon results in a super strong, lightweight, anti-static and chemical resistant comb.

Scissors for Stylists now sells carbon fibre anti-static Leader combs for the special introductory price of $17.95.

I asked Jeremy Hoolihan the owner of Scissors for Stylists what makes these combs so special and whether I should buy one for my kids hair. He said Carbon Fibre Combs are a tool. A professional quality tool that can last a lifetime. He suggested all I needed for my kids was a plastic comb, the inner stylists within me felt crushed. Seeing my disappointment he suggested a Leader 270 would be best for use in the bathroom to comb conditioner through my kid’s hair.

There are different sizes and number of teeth on the combs. Jeremy said the finer the teeth the more tension. While I was trying to put the phone down Jeremy continued to effuse.

“I was very attached to my fantastic plastic, but now my carbon fiber comb is my trusted work mate. I have a new control over hair, one of precision and strength. After ten haircuts in a day, in and out of hot water, bleach, tint, nothing no stains no damage still with its nice smooth teeth solid rigid back. Yes this will be in my kit next to my Shui scissors for years to come.”

Ok you’re getting there. You’ve got that key and the rent free period. You’re still working and not telling a soul at work what you’re up to. Good.

Draw a plan. Grab some graph paper, measure out the dimensions of the floor plan and make lots of copies. You’re going to need existing plans and plans of your layout which in turn gives you your list of equipment.

You now have 2-3 weeks to get open!!!!!

Put newspaper across the windows, you want people to become curious. This is one of your first marketing tools.

Need to get your electricity connected, gas, and that new business phone. Sometimes your utility provider will want security deposits this usually comes in your 1st bill.

As already announced we’re giving away a pair of Shui Scissors. Style Street’s first sponsor, Scissors for Stylists, has now delivered a pair of Shui Scissors as a give away. The first hundred people to sign up at the forum or register for eNews will go in the draw for a pair of Shui Handcrafted two piece forged premium hairdressing scissors. The 99 runners up will all receive a 20% discount voucher on any product* at Scissors for Stylists.

edward beale or another hairdressing legend will draw the winner at the Style Street launch part on October 21. [Update: the response to the competition was poor. As we didn't get the minimum 100 entries, the drawing will be postponed until the 100th entry is received.]

Hurry register now or sign-up for our eNews & Updates.

* Except Joewell Scissors

How much do you spend a month on advertising for employees for your hairdressing or beauty salon. $200? $500? $2000? That is crazy. Hair and beauty professionals can slash their advertising costs by using the Style Street Employment Free Listing.

Enter a job right now! It’s free. More hairdressers and beauticians are setting Style Street as their homepage every day. Join the revolution. Help build our industry portal and reduce your advertising and recruitment costs.

edward beale responds to Industry Alert article which appeared in HAIRBIZ Aug/Sep edition
Productivity Places Program
Threatening the hairdressing industry
By Ruth Brown

Let me say after 50 years in the hairdressing industry, the only thing threatening the future of hairdressing is the hairdressers themselves.

Firstly the government should be congratulated by taking the initiative and making funds available for training.

Ruth’s claim that PPP is aimed at job seekers is probably correct but why not? School leavers are not actually flying through the door looking for apprenticeships and as the price of a course can be as high as $20,000 for a Cert 111 it is out of reach for most, who cannot find a position as an apprentice.

Another point Ms Brown made, was that the hairdressing industry has not been considered or approached. Well that’s probably a good thing, or we would most likely still be discussing it when the next election comes around, waiting for hairdressers to agree.

She also states the funding is capped at $5000 is the reason the high profile providers have not been accepted into the program. This is not true, I have trained literally thousands of hairdressers over the past 35 years and cost has never been a factor. If Ruth chooses not to take up the opportunity the government has offered, that’s fine but don’t condemn those that have. I have always said, he or she who charges the price is the one taking the risk, whether it is high medium or low. However I do agree you can’t train someone in 650 hours. I will be applying the full 1650 hours for Cert 111. Ruth suggests this is a short-term stopgap approach which will have devastating long term consequences. However, it could also mean a future in hairdressing for many who normally would not get the opportunity. You don’t need a high level of education to enter hairdressing. The PPP is open to all over the age of 15 who have not completed year 12. Year 12 is form 6 in old terms which is much higher than what was the norm 15 years ago.

If you take Ruth’s advise and visit www.productivityplaces.deewr.gov.au you will find the name edward beale and many other reputable names, her reference to this as a race to the bottom (lowest common denominator) is an insult to myself and others who have entered the Productivity Places Program. To conclude high quality standards in training in the hairdressing industry also depends on the commitment and dedication of educators and the student alike not necessarily resources.

Yours truly,

edward beale