For our Digbeth campus, there’s nothing like the sounds of razors at dawn! That was our Barbering students getting an educational and banter-filled showcase from trusty hands at The Great British Barber Bash.
And though the name might get you thinking about a certain Bake-off’s soggy bottoms and Hollywood handshake, The Great British Barber Bash is a national group holding major barber shows around the UK & Ireland. They also run practical workshops full of golden industry secrets.
The session on Thursday 30th March was led by Ollie Foster and Brodie Raeside – two sultans of style, salon owners with real experience, and brand ambassadors with surging social followings. Ollie and Brodie started with a demonstration on volunteers in the Crossing, giving tips and answering questions, before taking to the Digbeth salon to see the students put what they have learnt to work.
It’s the side of Barbering that only pros would know, covering techniques like grading, blending, fade and blow-drying. But it was also about standing out with styling in the social age. Using Instagram as a portfolio for growing barbers. Tips of the trade like safe stances and scissor holds to protect yourself from over-straining. How to read what a customer really wants and what will suit them. It was an excellent set and the students learnt a lot of valuable lessons.
For our students this is more important than ever. The barbering scene has exploded in recent years. It is a competitive market where you need to be trained and think big to stand out. So according to the Barber Bash, a travelling team that’s been all over the country, where are the standards highest?
“Birmingham,” Ollie says confidently. “In Birmingham the customers are pickier, the people really know what they want. That means you have to work to deliver the highest standards here.”
This can only be good for our South & City College Birmingham students that already work in the local area. Learning styling with customers that want the highest standards will only create greatness.
We thank Ollie and Brodie from the Barber Bash for bringing their nation-wide wisdom to our future barbers. You can see where their next shows will be on their website.
Ready to pick up your razor and start turning your casual cuts into real art? Start a Barbering course at Digbeth campus.
