Man Up for 2012 and Beyond (Ivan Zoot talks hair)
2012 is going to be an exciting year for Empire Students and the world of men’s hair. I am looking forward to using this forum to share my view of it all. Join me, it’s sure to be a “buckle up” wild ride!
I will talk technical. The hands-on world of men’s hair is loaded with tips, tricks and techniques to develop your skills, and expand your creativity. We will roll up our sleeves and put some hair on the floor together.
The hair business is a business of new and hot. I will be talking trend, too. I will polish the crystal ball to see what is coming. I will polish our rear view mirror to examine and interpret what we have seen and experienced. Celebrities and fashion trend have much to tell us about what has happened already, and what will be happening soon.
I welcome your comments and contributions along the way. But, before we take off, lets take a look at the landscape, shall we? The best way to look ahead is to look back a bit.
The 1970’s in the hair business were all about Sassoon inspired precision hair cutting. Sassoon taught us how to cut with scissors (until him all haircuts were done with razors). He taught us how to blow dry (before that everyone went under the hood dryer).
The 1980’s were all about perm. If it moved, we permed it. Big hair ruled the day and the sales dollars of chemical services built the salon industry we enjoy today.
The 1990’s was the decade of professional hair care product, the decade of retailing. All of the major hair care brands that we know and love really came into their own in the 1990’s. We learned how to retail and why to retail hair care product to our clients. The revenue from retail made the 1990’s rock and roll!
The 2000’s – The first decade of the new century, was the decade of hair color. Greying baby boomers flocked to salons and drug store hair color – and we flocked to the bank. Hair color drove the boom in smooth straight styles and the frenzy for flat irons.
Welcome to the teens. We are two years into this decade, the “decade of men’s hair“. More guys are finding their way into more guy-focused haircutting establishments than ever before. More new barbershops are opening every day. Not since the golden age of barbering at the beginning of the last century have we seen more opportunity and more optimism for the world of guy’s haircutting than we will enjoy in this decade, YOUR decade.
I am to be your tour guide, your coach and your cheerleader as we jump into the world of guy’s hair. It is my goal to help you find your place and your version of success!
So strap yourself in, and get ready for the ride!!
Thank you.
Ivan
(Next upcoming post: 2012 trends in guys cuts)
