What’s the best thing about being a Ruffians barber?

The best thing about being a Ruffians barber is the diverse team, working alongside very different people make you look and think about things in different ways you usually wouldn’t.

Who is your favourite Ruffians colleague and why? 

If I had to pick one I’d have to go with Mr Ian Fallon, I’ve now had the pleasure of working alongside him twice in my 11 years barbering and I’ve always admired and looked up to him (sorry to the rest of the team! I love them all of course!)

What’s your favourite hairstyle/ type of hair to cut?

My favourite hairstyle would have to be a long textured messy look because I love to get creative and cut with my razor.

If you could cut any celebrity’s hair, who would it be?

If I could cut any celebrity’s hair it would be without a doubt David Beckham because just LOOK AT HIM!

What’s your favourite film of all time and why?

Trainspotting – I love it as it is set in my home town and portrays a gritty antithetical side of Edinburgh that many tourists and visitors are completely unaware exists. 

If I was going to give you a thousand pounds to spend in one shop, which one would you choose?

If I got given £1000 I’d be straight into the travel agents to book a holiday , the beach is my happy place!

To book an appointment with Robyn or any of our talented Edinburgh barbers, click here.

“I’ve been working within a popular chain of barbers based in the north. Their integrity and commitment to what they do was really inspiring and that’s something I’ve tried to emulate throughout my career. I think that’s why Ruffians is such a good fit for me.”

Ryan

Ryan says that he wanted to be a barber for as long as he can remember, and has always been fascinated by what the right cut or style can do for a person, not just their aesthetics but their confidence and for them as a person.

One of his favourite aspects of barbering is the relationship with his clients: providing them with a quality service and a great cut but creating a safe space to open up, have a chat and a good laugh.

“I would say my accent is a solid mix of Mel B and Jon Snow (the Game of Thrones one, not the news presenter!)”

Ryan

Ryan is originally from Leeds, but lived in York for the last 12 years before moving down to for the job with Ruffians and to move in with his partner. And he is excited to see what London life has in store…

What makes Ruffians special? 

Ruffians, for me, is the perfect balance of prestige with no pretension. What really makes it though, is the team… their talent and passion for their craft is really inspiring! 

You work in Ruffians CGN. Where’s your favourite place to eat nearby?

As much as I love working in Covent Garden, the food options are ruining my beach body hopes haha. I’m oddly really repetitive with food. I’ll pick one place and eat there every day until I absolutely can’t stand it anymore!

Who is your all-time hair icon?

Sooo many! Love the classics… Brando, Dean etc but aesthetically I really love 80s looks too…. Think more David Bowie than Pat Sharp though. 

What’s going to be the next big thing in men’s hair?

As much as I love to fade, I’m really enjoying the softer scissor looks that are coming through , wherever I can combine the two, that’s ideal for me.

If I was going to give you a thousand pounds to spend in one shop, which one would you choose?

Anyone that knows me would say the honest answer would either be hundreds of ASOS parcels arriving at the shop… or maybe a clear out of the local Tesco’s Jaffa Cake stock!

Getting a haircut is a great way of taking some time for self-care. How do you like to treat yourself to some ‘me time’?

Me time …. Light some candles, run a bath, play some Marvin Gaye… and eat all those Jaffa Cakes! Seriously though, putting the clippers away and being with family or friends. Sure, alone time is great but it doesn’t beat company.  

To book an appointment with Derek or any of our talented Covent Garden barbers, click here.

You work in Ruffians Edinburgh. What’s your favourite thing about the area?

The people locally. There are a lot offices in the area filled with stressed men who see Ruffians as a sanctuary and who also typically don’t have their hair too short, so it suits my style of cutting. My fellow Ruffians are superior to me in the fade department, but I love a longer cut. Also, I love a man in a suit.

Where should Ruffians open its next shop and why?

Melbourne, Australia. It’s my hometown and it’s super-cool.

Who is your all-time hair icon?

Redken Global Creative Director, Guido Palau. I personally couldn’t keep up in the world of session styling and being a creative director, but I love watching backstage videos of Guido working. He is a sculptor that uses hair as his medium.

How do you stay inspired to be the best barber you can be?

My clients are my directors, I just suggest solutions for their hair issues. Sometimes I make up names for their cuts that will stick in their heads – and mine – so when they ask for it, I know exactly what they want. Also, I love the idea of them telling their mates the names of their hair cuts! Some of them are a little cheeky, I won’t give you any examples right now!

Getting a haircut is a great way of taking some time for self-care. How do you like to treat yourself to some ‘me time’?

I like slow jogs. We have some fantastic walking and cycle paths around my part of Edinburgh. I also like walking while listening to audio books however, I recently leant that’s not the best idea when something devastating happens in the story. Literally doubled over, holding my stomach crying because of ‘Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller in the middle of a cycle path.

If I was going to give you five thousand pounds to spend in one shop, which one would you choose?

Alas, the shop I could have easily spent £5K was the Taschen Book Store in New York but it has closed. I love big hard cover books and also the mystery of how much a book is worth. You could spend £7 on a book or £1,300 on a book and they could both be the same size. It’s so decadent! 

To book an appointment with Ian or any of our talented Edinburgh barbers, click here.

Kentish born Maxwell has over 9 years experience in men’s hairdressing and is a master of both classic and modern barbering styles.

”I am passionate about hairdressing and in particular the freedom it allows us to create, working with the customer to find the perfect haircut and style for them.”

Maxwell Oakley

When Maxwell’s not concentrating on making clients feel and look their best, he spends most of his time on his drum kit, either playing live shows or in the studio – it’s possible you may have seen him perform at Glastonbury or listened to his band on Radio One!

Maxwell is available from 11-8 every day except Sundays and Wednesdays. Book an appointment at Ruffians Shoreditch online, in person or over the phone on 020 7613 2000

New Barbers wanted!

We’re always on the lookout for the brightest and best hairdressing talent and we are actively looking for new barbers for our Covent Garden and Marylebone shops. If you think you’ve got what it takes, check out recruitment page and get in touch!

Ruffians: What’s the difference between a £28 and £58 haircut?

Matthew Heckel: For me, paying a higher price is a guarantee for quality. It acts as another incentive to provide the best service I can. Clients willing to pay this show they take their hair seriously so you want to create something that is worthy of their expectations and worthy of the price tag. It also allows us to do something that is more than just a haircut, we invest time to create an atmosphere that is both comfortable and luxurious, we offer a seamless experience including our front of house that keeps things running professionally and efficiently.

R: What do you look for in a good barber?

MH: I believe the most important quality is enthusiasm. You can’t teach it, and when you find someone that is truly passionate about what they do then it’s contagious and fuels an exciting and creative environment for us and our customers. I find that people will go the extra mile to help you reach your goals if their passion is present. Enthusiasm will carry you through the hard times and as a trainer this energy is key for creating a learning atmosphere. When the enthusiasm has gone, it’s time for a change.

R: How do you stay inspired to be the best barber you can be?

MH: This one is easy, it’s my colleagues. The people I work with inspire and challenge me to consistently bring my best. Whether someone has been in the industry for 5 minutes or 5 years, they will always have something that will make you look at your own work in a different way, which I find so exciting. The people I work opposite produce work that makes me think “I want to do that next time”, and that is always inspiring to me.

R: Tell us your best joke.

MH: I love a pun and am the king of the dad joke, but my current fave is this:

Did you hear the one about the Spanish magician? He climbed up on stage waved his wand and shouted “uno, dos ..”, and in a puff of smoke he’s gone without a tres!

R: What’s your idea of the perfect day off?

Spending so much time in London’s exhilarating busyness I find it very centring to spend my down time in the calm countryside I call home. So, after a leisurely breakfast I’d pack a lunch and we would set out to explore. Stopping off in one of the nearby villages to buy some coffee and a pastry we would aim for the river and follow that until we find somewhere to sit and enjoy the view.  I would stay alert for any photo opportunity I should come across, or somewhere to pause and sketch. Slowly retracing my steps home we would stop off at our local for a couple of drinks before arriving at our little cottage for a movie and dinner, top choice being my partner’s lasagne – bliss!

To book an appointment with Matthew or any of our talented Soho-Liberty barbers, click here.

How long have you worked for Ruffians?
For 3 years now – I started as a barber at Marylebone, then manager of Marylebone and now I’m the group operations manager of the company.  

What’s the best thing about being a Ruffians barber? 
Working in a store where every member of staff brings something different to the table from personalities to talent and I am fortunate enough to call many of them friends

Describe Ruffians in three words
Passionate, Meticulous, Exciting 

Tell us about your most memorable day at Ruffians 
I always love the Friday before everyone leaves for Christmas – we have a full team, everyone’s firing out Christmas specials, the customers have the ultimate Friday feeling, the shops fizzing and I get to work with everyone!

What inspired you to get into barbering?
I’ll be honest, I went into hairdressing originally because it was a room full of girls, I was 15 years old so that was my main focus. I realised soon after that I actually quite liked cutting hair luckily but preferred the technicalities of men’s hair, I wanted to cut all my friends hair. I also have a strong case of verbal diarrhea so can’t stop myself talking all day so I definitely needed a career that this could work for. I wanted to go to work with a smile and leave with one! Couldn’t have gone better to be honest – I’m a firm believer in the idea that, if you don’t like your job, don’t do it. 

Who is your all time hair icon? 
All of the rolling stones. They’ve had it all and even at their ripe ages they’ve got some serious pelt. 

If you could get your work featured in any magazine, which would it be? 
GQ – I grew up reading it, taking advice and trying to look cool. I know it’s a place many people go to for all their questions and info on all things men’s fashion! 

If you could cut any celebrity’s hair, who would it be? 
I’d like to give Boris Johnson a good trim. The guy needs some serious help and maybe I could chill him out abit. 

How do you stay inspired to be the best barber you can be? 
The people around me! I also like to go on at least one course a year which doesn’t have to be men’s hair. I’ve learnt some amazing techniques from hairdressing courses too. I also am fortunate enough to know my clients really well, I want to deliver the best cut every time. 

What’s your idea of the perfect day off? 
Wake up – bacon and sausage sarnie, then I’d walk down to the pub have a pint in the sun and probably stroke someone’s doggo. At this point I’d be pretty snoozy, so, head back –  have a nap probably after watching some Border force Australia. In the evening, meet some friends for dinner, something BBQ related. Inevitably give myself meat sweats and head home. I’d wake up the next day hangover free – obviously. 

Do you have any tattoos? Which is your favourite and why? 
I’ve got quite a few – I don’t really have favourites but if I had to pick it’d be the tiger on my knee  – it does have 3 eyes for some reason which I became aware of after the fact, but it works – although I certainly won’t be getting the other knee done for a while.

Getting a haircut is a great way of taking some time for self-care. How do you like to treat yourself to some ‘me time’? 
I like to take a long walk, I like to look around me, clear my head and listen to music. I love walking through London. 

What’s your favourite song of all time and why? 
Lucky Man by The Verve. It reminds me of a lot of great memories and great people – I also like to think that I’m incredibly lucky, right place right time kind of guy.

To book in with Sam or any of the talented barbers across our five shops, click here

How long have you worked for Ruffians?

I have worked at Ruffians since the 1st of September 2017 – so all in all, that makes it 1 year, 7 months and 10 days

Tell us about your most memorable day at Ruffians

The Christmas party was a grand ol’ time, was great to see all the shops together, mingling and having fun. The awards ceremony was great, seeing everyone support each other, in victory and defeat.

When did you decide you wanted to cut men’s hair?

I got into barbering through my girlfriend, she’s a hairdresser and she used to cut my hair. I used to sit and think “This looks fun! I can do this!”, so I did!

If you could cut any celebrity’s hair, who would it be?

Bart Simpson

What’s the last song you played on Spotify/ iTunes

Concubine by Converge

Do you have any tattoos? Which is your favourite and why?

I have many tattoos all over. My personal favourite is the sunset dude on my bicep. It reminds me of being home

Here’s a video of Michele doing his thing:

To book in with Michele or any of the other talented barbers at Ruffians Covent Garden, click here.

How long have you worked for Ruffians?

I’ve been here for about 8 months now

What’s the best thing about being a Ruffians barber?

Working for a brand that understands that every client is unique. We’re not your average shop – we can tailor to that uniqueness and make sure we give you the best possible haircut.

Describe Ruffians in three words

Unique, professional & creative

When did you decide you wanted to cut men’s hair?

I decided to start cutting gents hair 6 years ago after quite a career change. Since then, I’ve worked with many respected companies and salons before starting with Ruffians.

What’s the best thing about being a barber?

Being able to interact with different people all day, getting to know what their needs are and making them feel more confident in themselves!

If you could cut any celebrity’s hair, who would it be?

Harry Styles – those locks are just so luscious

Describe your personal style

Contemporary

What’s the last song you played on Spotify/ iTunes

Curtis Mayfield – Pusherman – give it a listen!

How do you stay inspired to be the best barber you can be?

I work on my own personal goals and try and push my skill set, consistently looking at the other artists within the industry to be inspired and seeing how I can make myself better. I love to be creative, so staying in touch with artistic and contemporary projects help my mind to keep ticking.

To book in with Andy and the team in Covent Garden, click here