“I’M NOT REALLY A PERSON WHO TENDS TO FOLLOW TRENDS, I LISTEN TO CLIENTS” – WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA OF DYLAN BRADSHAW

May 6, 2024 | CREATIVE PROJECTS, EXPLORE

CREATIVE PROJECTS

“I'M NOT REALLY A PERSON WHO TENDS TO FOLLOW TRENDS, I LISTEN TO CLIENTS" – WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA OF DYLAN BRADSHAW

No longer just a hair salon, Dylan’s renovated Dublin space is a lifestyle store for the modern consumer.

Dylan Bradshaw, Dublin

The idea for the refresh of the iconic Dylan Bradshaw salon in Dublin had started gestating before Covid. It had been a decade since the last refit, so Dylan and his wife and business partner Charlotte were keen on a change. Then the lockdowns hit. “It makes you have a serious rethink about what you want to do, where you want to be,” he recalls.

Dylan Bradshaw

With a reputation for high-end service and luxury experience, would the new era of Dylan Bradshaw see him pare back as the cost of living crisis hit? “We’ve doubled down,” he laughs. “The consumer has changed, and the industry has changed. I’m not really a person who tends to follow trends, I listen to clients. We’re a high-end brand, and our business comes from all over the country. In a world where everybody’s trying to simplify and dumb things down, and I want to give more of a luxury experience. We went from a salon to a store; we’re a lifestyle space now.”

About 18 months ago, the salon increased prices by 25 per cent across the board, giving clients six months’ notice. The cost of running a business had increased, and he had to act accordingly. The business also heavily invests in upskilling staff to ensure that elevated salon experience. “Our job is to take care of people, we’re professionals giving the very best service. At the same time, we can’t be stupid, we must charge accordingly. If you treat it like a serious business, people will take your business seriously.”

ku.fee: The speciality tea and coffee shop called with its bespoke La Marzocco Linea PB S ABR espresso machine

And serious he is, as the careful thought behind the new look business attests. The front of the late eighteenth-century Dublin townhouse – originally occupied by the salon’s front desk – is now a speciality tea and coffee shop called ku.fee. Dylan spent a year tasting coffee roasts to find the perfect choice, has a €12,000 bespoke La Marzocco Linea PB S ABR espresso machine and even completed a barista course with the manager. While it’s a new business for Dylan to reach fresh customers, ku.fee baristas are also on hand to brew the perfect beverage for salon clients as part of their service.

Once inside the store, you’ll discover a carefully curated collection of lovely things in home, hair, beauty and personal care. It’s a shopper’s paradise. And he’s pairing up with Dublin-based barber brand Faction, which will take the top floor of the building. There’s also a space that can be rented for shoots or events, used recently by Hair by Sam McKnight for its Irish launch.

Yes, you can buy shampoo, but you can pick up so much more with
the curated retail selection

Renovated backwashes: The iconic Gamma & Bross Teknowash Plus units

Seating pods: For those wanting to work or enjoy a coffee

Within the hair salon, Dylan hasn’t taken the easy path, opting to reuse and repurpose as much as possible with a firm eye on sustainability. He points to his Gamma & Bross Teknowash Plus units as an example, all stripped, rebuilt and reconditioned with new motors. “It’s not saving money, it would be cheaper and easier to buy new stuff. We have a huge focus on our waste,” he admits. “I want to do better, I want to move in a different direction.”

He’s also ensured with the renovation that the team had a proper space to relax in between clients, rather than a staff room the size of a broom cupboard. “They work hard on their four days, but then they get three days off, and then they come back into the salon focused and ready to work their socks for the business. It’s very important that we have a team that’s happy to work within the space.”

In the middle of the salon, you’ll find six pods where clients can sit and plug in with their laptop and have a coffee (perhaps while their colour develops). The space also feels much bigger, thanks to the clever lighting and more soothing material choices (repurposed Connemara marble, pure oak wood, and terrazzo floors). The reception desk is a long and spacious island, akin to a luxury kitchen to avoid any kind of divide between front of house and guests. It’s all part of the brand becoming more closely knit to its neighbourhood. Has the introduction of the coffee shop confused clients? “There’s a lot of head scratching when people come to the door, they’re not sure. ‘I’m going into a cafe?’,” he laughs. “And I like that, because that means we’re shaking things up.” And that door is open for lots more opportunities to defy expectations…

CATEGORIES > INFORM

NOW OPEN: IHF STAR TEAM APPLICATIONS

The Irish Hairdressers Federation seeks new wave of talented stylists as the competition for 2025 team begins.

The Irish Hairdressers Federation is launching its annual search to find passionate and highly motivated individuals who will make an impact on the future of the industry. Candidates must complete an application and virtual interview process, those who make a lasting impression on the judges will be invited to the semi finals to showcase a Colour & Cut model before the judges whittle it down to a handful of finalists. Applications close at the end of May.

Here’s what you need to know

Applications open to all trainee stylists currently undergoing training and will still be undergoing training by November 2024
You have 300 words to grab the attention of the judges
Entry is FREE
Applicants must be over 16 years of age
Applications close Friday 31 May 11:59pm

CATEGORIES > INFORM

MEET THE ARKITECTS – ARKIVE BY ADAM REED UNVEILS EDUCATION

A talented team from the Covent Garden salon joins forces to create accessible and affordable education.

Adam Reed, the 2023 Most Wanted Session Stylist, is unveiling Adam Reed ARKIVE Education to share the salon’s techniques with a wider audience. Andrew Plester, director of education at ARKIVE by Adam Reed, heads up the team of John Spanton, Sam Bickle, Janet Barone, Luke Logan and Adam Reed himself. Collectively, they’ll be known as The Arkitects.

“Andrew has created this education programme for hairdressers to come and learn how ‘we do hair’,” explained Adam. “With a history of sharing knowledge, our team is anything but gatekeepers. In fact, we want to make our tricks and techniques accessible to everyone. We want to change the face and pace of learning.”

“The Arkitects is an amalgamation of great talents,” said Andrew. “We’ll be offering a mix of structured and unstructured learning from core, classic cuts to more creative courses. Sharing knowledge is powerful. I’ve got a strong background in stage work and education, and I’ve been lucky to have been around great people so far in my career. This takes it to the next level.”

At its official launch, all proceeds from the evening were donated to Haircuts4Homeless. The event was supported by L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, Akito Scissors, Equip the Creative and ARKIVE Haircare.

ARKIVE Education kicks off with two courses: Core Men’s with Andrew Plester on 27 May and Core Classic Cut & Colour with John Spanton and Andrew Plester on 23 June.

CATEGORIES > EXPLORE

"ONLY ONCE WE FEEL IT, CAN WE START TO MOVE THROUGH IT” – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...FAILURE

Things fall apart, it’s inevitable, but it’s how you respond to failure and grow from it that will lead to success.

Unsplash/Bernard Hermant

That fuzzy feeling when you attract a new client, turn a lovely profit, or receive a pat on the back for a job well done… it’s great, isn’t it? But life can’t be all good news. We humans are bound to take a wrong step and face failure at various points. Instead of seeing failure as the bogeyman of business, see opportunities for improvement, suggests Gina Conway, owner of Gina Conway Aveda Salon and Spa. “I had to close two locations after lockdown. But I looked at the positives. I had more time and energy to put into one salon and academy, and breathed fresh life into it. Knowing what I know now, and after many ups and downs, I feel I’m in the best professional place in my life.” Failure can be used as a litmus test to figure out whether you’re on the right track in your business. “Sometimes, the world isn’t quite ready, and it’s telling you to listen harder and make some changes,” adds Gina.

Ben Lifton, founder of social media marketing brand Content Kweens, marketing services firm UGC Creators, and a speaker at Salon Smart 2024, advises to check if what you’re experiencing is actually failure… “or does the thing we wanted not serve us anymore”? If it is failure, sit with the feeling as “only once we feel it, can we start to move through it”. Then he advises to process that but “don’t look back and regret”, because that leads to resentment. Afterwards, “identify what influenced us to end up where we are now”, then finally learn and take that learning forward.

“Knowing what I know now, and after many ups and downs, I feel I’m in the best professional place in my life.”

Gina Conway

Perceived failures can leave everyone in a business feeling deflated. But at hair and beauty salon Fringe Benefits in Gloucester, owner Marina Hodgins employs a positive approach to turn things around. “When team members have left and taken their clientele, which has a detrimental effect on turnover and team morale, we dust ourselves off and start again,” she says. “We contact clients to offer an alternative team member that they would be suited to, offering a bonus such as a free reconditioning treatment to demonstrate how we value their support. This helps to grow a team member, boosting confidence.”

Constant success could lead to complacency. Failures, on the other hand, encourage business leaders to stand up and fight. In the case of Fiona Canning Allen, owner of Ark-i-tec Hair in Bradford, failure wasn’t the end “but a stepping stone to growth”. “I’ve learnt to adapt and seek support to navigate the evolving landscape of salon ownership,” she admits. “Through these experiences I’ve become resilient, determined to flourish even amid challenges, and focused on fostering a salon environment where both clients and staff thrive.”

Unless you’re superhuman, failure is an inevitable occurrence in your career. When faced with it, listen to these voices above and unpack them first. Use the experience to grow, learn and get better. Once a positive analysis of your perceived failure has had its use, move on with your chin up, head up, and heart full…

CATEGORIES > EXPLORE > CREATIVE PROJECTS

THE ART OF BALANCE – MAKE-UP PRO LAN NGUYEN-GREALIS ON WORKING ON HAIR SHOOTS

From minimal to otherworldly, these are the top 10 make-up looks from Lan’s hair shoot career – as selected by her.

Lan Nguyen-Grealis working at Creative HEAD cover shoot

An iconic MUA in the world of hair photography, Lan Nguyen-Grealis is the go-to beauty perfector for so many top name hairstylists, working on collections that have won multiple awards and featured on lots of magazine covers. Outside of hair, her client list name checks Burberry, Dior, Vanity Fair, Glamour and celebrities including Raye and Paloma Faith. She’s even authored two books – Art and Make-Up and ProMakeup Design Book. We set her a challenge – to select the top 10 make-up looks she’s created on hair shoots, while explaining how she approaches a shoot where the hair is the star…

How much of your work would you say is made up of hair-led shoots?
Most are hair led. When I collaborate for me it’s all about bringing the best into the model to help sit in the world of the theme that the hair wants to bring. I love bringing characters to life so it’s all about the feeling.

How do you approach a hair-led shoot differently to a fashion/make-up shoot?
The hair shoot requires me to really hone my skills for understanding face structure and how the hair affects the face. I have to really be quick and think on my feet as sometimes it doesn’t work and I have to be able to add or take away to help the look. There is an element of balance to the overall image that is required and to figure out if the make-up is adding or distracting. If it’s creative it still needs to be considered with hair balance.
When it comes to a fashion or make-up shoot, it’s all about moodboard and referencing to add to the theme. I come up with various concepts to give a directional make-up look. It’s experimental and strong and always open to push boundaries so requires lots of research and play with products colours and basically sometimes anything goes from bodypainting, SFX, making and customisation.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from hair shoots when it comes to doing the make-up?
My biggest lesson has definitely been ‘less is more’, because it’s all about creating a collection that fits the hair than make-up. Sometimes when the make-up is strong it can date the look or overpower the image.

What advice would you have for any hairdressers reading this about approaching make-up concepts/ideas on their shoots?
I think it’s important for hairdressers to really consider the models first, not just about the hair but the looks because make-up has to follow. If the make-up is strong, you really need a good canvas to carry off the looks. And definitely think about the theme. What world do they see their models in. It’s important to be flexible with make-up as clothes and lighting are just as important. When it comes to the image especially in hair shoots your restricted more because the way it’s shot to showcase the hair.

Hair: Errol Douglas MBE, Errol Douglas. Photography: Richards Miles. Fashion styling: Leticia Dare 

Based around the ’80s and colour clashing, this image is striking because of the contrast between the hair and make-up. I loved using the acid green and yellow tones to pop against the model’s skin tone. An homage to Grace Jones, the colours were carefully placed to bounce off each other. I also used the reds and black to create shades of darkness and colour such as blue and brights to lift and highlight. 

Hair: Sally Brooks, Brooks & Brooks. Photography: Jenny Hands 

This particular collection was fun to work on because all the models had characters. I loved this duo set because it was playful and the clothing to the hair was graphic. The make-up needed to follow in contrast as they had beautiful soft features. I played with their eye shape to give a strong dramatic lines and shade that opened the eyes and made them look alike. Using tonal skin colours like brown to black and white, it allowed the light to play with the shadow.

Hair: Cos Sakkas, Toni&Guy. Photography: Jack Eames.
Fashion styling: Borna Prikaski.

This look was purely about skin. The raw, polished shine that bounced in the light helped bring a beautiful dimension to the look. I used oils, balms and mixed-in highlighters to accentuate the features of the model. I created a beautiful glow that was shimmering and reflective, then kept it wet by spraying the model with a pre-mix shine and shimmering formula all over and throughout the shoot. 

Hair: Gary Ingham, Gary Ingham salons. Photography: John Rawson.

A challenging shoot that required lots of prep work, but it was so much fun. First I took away the models’ brows and toned her skin to be like a blank canvas. I ensured I used skin tone nudes and peaches to warm up the sockets and open up the eyes to allow her beauty to shine through. There was still the usual contour and structure so when the light hits, the right places of the face lifted. Using loose powder pigments, I placed and blew the pigment on, carefully dusting with my brush into certain areas of the skin to focus on the bone areas. I was blowing onto the skin when the picture was being taken. It’s something that had to be carefully done otherwise it would have spread everywhere!

Hair: Sally Brooks, Brooks & Brooks. Photography: Jenny Hands 

The simplicity of this shoot just says it all. The essence of ‘less is more’ was the brief here and only essential make-up required to allow each model to shine. Taking into consideration the camera and lights, usually I work backwards to see how the model photographs first and only filled in what I needed to elevate the models’ looks. To take it to that beautiful angelic soft realm, I ensured taupe and skin-like colours were used. So, just barely there on brows, lids, skin, and lips. This required a very considered and delicate touch and understanding of the feeling of beauty.

Lan Nguyen-Grealis Sophie Springett and Hayley Bishop

Hair: Sophie Springett and Hayley Bishop, Toni&Guy. Photography: Jack Eames.

The theme for this look was elevated beauty with a feminine touch. Colours were real, soft and pure. I added a glossy lip soft cherry stain in the centre of the lip and blotted outwards to create a pout. Focus was on the lips so everything else on eyes and cheeks was just a highlighted sheen of metallic that gave a dewy finish. Where the hair was striking, we kept everything to a minimum. But lots of considered shine and highlights on the higher points of the face. 

Hair: Efi Davies, Toni&Guy. Photography: David Mannah
Fashion styling: Borna Prikaski.

The make-up look required was an ethereal alien. I used face tape to stretch out the eyes and elongate the space for each model. This lifted into a higher wing and gave more space for sculpting and shading around the eyes. Colours are kept to cool tones that were matte and a clever placement of reflective balm sheen on higher point of the face to give a glass-like finish. Brows were paired back with bleach or concealer to keep it all tonal to the skin.
The important factor of this look for me was to ensure the colours I used were pretty and feminine. The overall look was so beautiful and with the directional clean lighting and background – everything looked earthy and effortless. 

Hair: Silas Tsang. Photography by John Rawson.

This shoot was based upon Futurism and projection. Lots of colour and interesting art shapes and colours were used instead of clothing. I had to work within each backdrop and decide on the paint strokes and colours, which then were painted all over the face and body to work with the model. There were many moving parts but it worked so cleverly to merge the model into a different world. That allowed the purest of hair to stand out with the lights and texture. This was so beautiful to watch being captured.

Hair: Indira Schauwecker, Toni&Guy. Photography: Andrew O’Toole 

A very strong backdrop and direction for details, this look created a futuristic drama with textures and cool tones. Using crystals and various textured products and accessories, I placed these around the features to suit the look. As an extension to the hair, the make-up had to flow in the same way of the hair’s texture. There’s a mixture of contouring and play with the crystals in the highlight points of the models’ eyes and brows. I loved experimenting on this collection. Skin was soft with pink flushes and silver metallic washes. 

Hair: David Barron, Barron Salon. Photography: John Rawson

The make-up look here was based around illusion and dimensions. With the Cubist hair shapes, I gave the model a bald cap to take off any base hair for a smooth finish. Then I created a mock shape of cubes that contoured around the head and body to follow the flow of the hair. Using differently drawn sizes of cubes, I then shaded to give it all a 3D feel with light, medium and dark tones. Against the dark background and warm lighting, everything fused together.

“I'M NOT REALLY A PERSON WHO TENDS TO FOLLOW TRENDS, I LISTEN TO CLIENTS" – WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA OF DYLAN BRADSHAW

No longer just a hair salon, Dylan’s renovated Dublin space is a lifestyle store for the modern consumer.

Related

NOW OPEN: IHF STAR TEAM APPLICATIONS

The Irish Hairdressers Federation seeks new wave of talented stylists as the competition for 2025 team begins.

Related

MEET THE ARKITECTS – ARKIVE BY ADAM REED UNVEILS EDUCATION

A talented team from the Covent Garden salon joins forces to create accessible and affordable education.

Related

"ONLY ONCE WE FEEL IT, CAN WE START TO MOVE THROUGH IT” – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...FAILURE

Things fall apart, it’s inevitable, but it’s how you respond to failure and grow from it that will lead to success.

“Knowing what I know now, and after many ups and downs, I feel I’m in the best professional place in my life.”

Related

THE ART OF BALANCE – MAKE-UP PRO LAN NGUYEN-GREALIS ON WORKING ON HAIR SHOOTS

From minimal to otherworldly, these are the top 10 make-up looks from Lan’s hair shoot career – as selected by her.

Related

Instagram

Success!