The world grinds to a temporary halt
The world looked very different when we began developing the content for this spring edition. Coronavirus was still far away from the Netherlands in a distant country. The past few weeks have demonstrated how rapidly the world can change. I’m writing this column at the last minute just before this edition goes to press. Here in the Netherlands, the government just announced an ‘intelligent lockdown’, which also requires hairdressers and barber shops to close if they had not already done so. The ban on events has also been extended to June 1st. In the meantime, it is even extended to September 1st. This means our 5th anniversary edition of BarberSociety Live, which we’ve been preparing for many months, will not be able to go ahead. The pain of having to cancel the event pales in comparison to the tragedy of the situation and the victims of this invisible killer.
Now that the barber shop is closed, it feels to me like the world has temporarily ground to a halt. But I hope that ‘temporary’ really does mean ‘temporary’. It feels as if we’ve all ended up in a bad horror movie that I’d like to fast forward as quickly as possible. The pandemic is impacting everyone around the world, including all of us working in our outstanding sector.
We’re all in this tough situation together and what touches me and gives me hope are the great initiatives being developed by both brands in our industry and among barbers themselves to support our sector. The sense of solidarity and comradery that’s always existed among barbers, has become greater than ever. We phone each other, support one another and give each other tips on how to navigate the financial challenges. The barbering community is also brimming with ideas for how we can encourage and inspire each other and stay in contact with our clients during these trying times. It seems like this situation has made us even more connected. It’s a time of reflection that is bringing us together like never before.
“There’s a greater sense of solidarity than ever”
Even though it seems like my world is very small right now as I am writing this in my home in Amsterdam, in reality the world is opened up through all the social channels. This connectedness transcends all borders even though I’m not allowed to physically cross borders. And through our magazine we’re also bringing the world closer. This edition focuses on Amsterdam – the city that hosts BarberSociety Live.
In the Barbers & the City section, we show a selection of Amsterdam barber shops, which naturally includes my own barber shop Van de Hare Amsterdam Barbers. Our Barbers & Denim lifestyle special in this edition highlights Amsterdam’s role as the denim capital of Europe, with the compelling story of Amsterdam jeans brand Amsterdenim and an interview with top barber and denim influencer Morteza Talebi. And in the ‘All in the family’ section, we’re spotlighting my own father – Wout van de Hare - whose father (my grandfather) opened a barber shop in Amsterdam in 1934.
If you’re thinking of spending this lockdown redecorating your barber shop, be sure to read the interview with interior designer Guy Sarlemijn. You might also have time to work on your own profile so you can expand your clientele when your barber shop reopens. Chris Foster provides some very useful tips on how to optimise your profile in his column. Romanian Barber Babe Mihaela Stelniceanu emphasises the importance of education and continued personal and professional development. The online channels offer a world of possibilities for this, and new initiatives are being launched every day during this crisis.
Also be sure to read the inspiring story of BarberSociety Live sponsor Red Deer and learn about all the latest products in the product news section. In a feature interview, Sheldon Edwards, whose clients include elite athletes Usain Bolt and Raheem Sterling, gives us an inside glimpse of his life as a barber to the stars. We’re also happy to showcase work from homegrown Dutch stars in the Trend pages. This includes work from Luke Blom, the Dutch winner of the American Crew All-Star Challenge 2020 and a barber on our team at Van de Hare Amsterdam Barbers. I’m naturally as proud as can be of Luke’s victory!
I hope the spring edition will provide you with a welcome distraction during these tough times and will be a source of inspiration when the crisis is over and we can start getting back to normal life.
This great profession will certainly bring us together again in the future. Let’s all join forces to make next year’s edition of BSL bigger, better and more inspiring than ever! And I expect the level of the participants in our battles to be higher than ever before after having a whole year to practice and perfect their creations down to the last detail! Be sure to also check out the Amsterdam barbers’ tips for hotspots in Amsterdam ahead of your visit to BSL 2021 for an extra cool weekend in Amsterdam. Because sooner or later we will once again be able to travel to our favourite cities and countries and meet up for world-class events. Once this crisis has been conquered, we’ll all work together to move forward from success to success.
I wish you all good health – take care and stay healthy. We’re one big barber family and together we’ll get through this!
Marc van de Hare
BarberSociety Founder, owner of Van de Hare Amsterdam Barbers
