Ask the Expert with JJ Savani

One up-and-coming Indian name you may have heard of is JJ Savani. With a huge Instagram following and his own education programme, JJ Savani is proof that hard work really is the key to success in the barbering world.

For this edition of Ask the Expert Mid Day, we asked the British Indian to share his thoughts on how to make it big in the industry…

Hi JJ! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career in the barber industry?

Yes of course. I started cutting hair in the early 2000s, funny enough it was in Mumbai, which I would always tell people is my second home. Initially the reason I started barbering was because I loved the industry and kind of fell into the role as did not know what I wanted to do after school so did this as a Saturday job.

I then progressed and learnt a lot of skills from Hairdressing to barbering to Make Up, highlights of this included working for Big Bogg Academy in Borivali Mumbai and also for Loreal HQ in Lower Parel, Mumbai, to teaching and this journey was a roller coaster but I loved every moment of it.

The past 3 years have seen be become a lead educator, Ambassador for various brands and pretty much travel a different country every 2 weeks in the last 6 months all whilst trying to balance my regular customers in my studio in Northamptonshire. To name a few I have done India Fashion week, Dubai Fashion week, judged the International EU Barber Awards as well as most recently flying out to the USA for the CT Barber Expo.

But now that travelling has slowed down I am focussing on building my brand, online content, education, fashion work and so much more in this space and I'm so excited for the next part of my journey.

What made you want to become a barbering educator yourself?

When I started in the industry, I realised a lot of the way things were taught made barbering and hairdressing seem so complicated. So, I've tried to find a teaching style that could be easily understood and would appeal to any level. Breaking things down in hair is hard, but I knew that if I felt overwhelmed starting out, then a lot of other young stylists probably felt the same.

I gained so much knowledge from people online and in person, whether it was when learning from my different roles within companies, or whilst learning formal skills from college courses and London school of Barbering or from watching online videos, it really pushed me to give back and start helping others.

I started by creating conscious content through lockdown to help anybody who needed it. I think it's because people enjoyed learning things in a laid back but informative way that my "educator" career took off - maybe a bit earlier than I expected too!

How did you feel the first time you got on a mainstage stage to showcase your barbering skills?

I was so excited I had been asked to get on stage by Modern Barber Magazine Editor Charlotte Grant-, who really has always supported my work, she approached me to get on stage at Salon International London 2021

It was such a busy show, with over 50,000 attending and I knew I was ready for this, I think the barbering scene was just at the beginning of the boom - and people had been asking to see more new faces on stages.

I got to go on stage with two other barbers who were also good friends of mine - and way more experienced at stage than me!. They helped me through it so much, calmed me down and really took me under their wing, a special thank to Mic Damiano or hosting my slot.

I became more confident as the time went by, and getting off the stage I remember thinking how I would love to do it all over again. That was definitely a day that really made me realise how many amazing opportunities there were to get. I decided to push myself from that day forward - fast forward four years and I'm pretty happy with how well things have taken off - it's been a dream!

How important do you think it is for the barbering industry to push boundaries?

I think we've seen over the last few years how much the barbering industry has grown. There is so much respect for barbers and hairdressers nowadays, and people are really starting to understand the art and creativity of it all. I'll always push boundaries in my career, and I think it's important for every barber to realise there are no limits. With hard work, dedication and passion you really can get anything, anywhere you want.

Do you think social media is now an essential platform for budding barbers?

Yes, definitely. I think it's so important to use social media, especially nowadays. It's become like the hair stylists portfolio. Even for salons, it's free advertisement and can be used for so many things. I started using social media more for a diary of my progress. If you go right down to my first post, you can see my progression and journey through the years - and I love that about it.

I've had so many opportunities from social media and I'm really thankful I started using it when I did. I think as long as you have a balance, and a healthy relationship with social media, it can be such a positive thing for your career. Like pretty much all of my sponsorships, shows and accolades have primarily come through my Instagram page.

What direction do you see men's hair and grooming trends going?

I think men are becoming more open with their hair and grooming. Each of my clients completely trust me and give me free range in anything I do. I think that's so important for us stylists. We understand the hair, the face shape, the trends and having trust with a client will allow us to create things on a different level then what it used to be.

I see things getting more creative, and I definitely see such a merge of mens hair and hairdressing. I think having that fusion means there will be a lot more natural looks, softer trims and beautifully shaped haircuts. I'm excited to see what trends will come next, and nothing really surprises me at this stage!

What would you say separates a good barber from a great barber?

I always say the most important thing for me is DETAIL. Detail is everything, and it's definitely something that separates a good barber from a great barber.

I also think passion has a big impact. I love cutting hair, I love teaching, but most of all I love giving my clients a service. Once you love that, your passion, detail and skillset will continue to grow.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in the barbering world, what would it be?

I would say be patient, trust yourself, ask questions and most of all, stay humble.

What is next for your career through 2022 and beyond?

I have so much planned for 2022! One being focussing on my studio Ikon Man UK in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire and my other project being a mini series for Youtube and podcast series named OTT Off the tools with JJ savani coming to all major platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify etc in August 2022. In the meantime to see more you can visit my website www.jjsavani.com or follow me on my instagram handle @Jjsavani