ANDREW CANNON
11:50, Monday 26 March, Mainstage
“The rise of the grooming industry over the last five to ten years has directed a new man towards our doors,” says Andrew Cannon, founder of (and chief Ruffian at) Ruffians, the multi-award winning barber shop. Launched in Edinburgh in 2012 to widespread acclaim for its acute attention to detail and impeccable customer service, Ruffians soon ventured south with a well timed and calculated move that has seen the group spread across London’s menswear and grooming spectrum – from the youthful Shoreditch crowd, to the hustle-and-bustle and diverse melting pot of Covent Garden to Marylebone, which attracts a more mature and refined man.
Ruffians’s most recent opening is within the Liberty store, taking up residence in an all-new men’s grooming space. “I wanted to create a new sort of barbers that had the skills and prestige of a top hair salon, but with the attitude and charisma of traditional barbering,” says Andrew.
Inspired by the sociable nature of America’s barber shops in the 1950s, and the formal service of London’s prestige barbers in Jermyn Street and St James’s, Ruffians also embodies the efficient and skilled technique of Turkish barbers. Adds Andrew: “You have to have the right personality to work for Ruffians. It’s not a place for egos and trend-followers. It’s for enthusiastic, passionate individuals who love the industry.”
Ruffians was a finalist in Creative HEAD’s Most Wanted Best New Salon and Best Salon Experience categories 2017.
Get the full Salon Smart experience with a Weekend Pass (£245 plus VAT), which includes overnight accommodation, breakfast AND a three-course dinner with wine. A Monday Pass (£100 plus VAT) is for the Monday business programme only.
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