Ruffians Shoreditch barber Callum McDonald shortlisted for Creative Head’s It List Rising Star award!
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Creative Head Magazine’s The It List shines a spotlight on the brightest, most ambitious and creative new British and Irish hairdressing talents aged 30 and under. Callum McDonald from Ruffians’ Shoreditch shop has proved he has a brilliant future in the industry, having earned a much sought-after place on the 2019 shortlist. And we couldn’t be more delighted for him!
Callum is one of five finalists in THE RISING STAR category, and will be joining a star-studded, 700-strong guest list at The It List Grand Final in September to discover if he will take home the title. Taking place at London’s Printworks – the atmospheric space that once delivered the Metro and Evening Standard newspapers to London – and hosted by actor and comedian Aisling Bea, the It List Grand Final is considered the coolest event in the hairdressing industry calendar.
After learning about his inclusion on the shortlist, Callum said: ‘I can’t actually believe that I have been judged by the industry best. They have picked me and four others as one to watch in the hair game under 30.., to me that makes me feel that I have achieved my goal regardless if I win on the night or not. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Ruffians family – particularly Creative Director Denis Robinson and my manager, Tommy Cunliffe. I can’t thank them enough for their support.’
Ruffians Shoreditch is no stranger to the IT List – shop manager and all-round Ruffians legend Tommy Cunliffe was nominated for and won the Rising Star award back in 2015. A move that he says changed his life – speaking after the news was released yesterday, Tommy said: ‘Creative Head have put an awful lot of smiles on an awful lot of faces in the shop today! We couldn’t be more delighted for Callum to get this nomination – it’s very well deserved’.
Just 18 months ago Callum was working in a high-flying sales career but couldn’t escape the feeling that something was missing. So he left the security of his job and risked it all to train as a barber. After graduating from the London School of Barbering he wrote a letter to Tommy at Ruffians Shoreditch explaining how much working for Ruffians would mean to him – Tommy loved it and gave Cal a job and the rest is history. Cal has honed his craft brilliantly – trained by Tommy and mentor Richard Tucker – and after a lot of hard work and dedication has now been named one of the most exciting ‘ones to watch’ in the industry. We couldn’t be more proud of him… watch this space to find out he gets on in September!