THE REVIEW

ON 14-16 OCTOBER, WE CELEBRATED 50 YEARS OF SALON INTERNATIONAL AT EXCEL LONDON WITH THREE DAYS FULL OF TREND-LED ARTISTRY, EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION 

The Modern Barber Stage was back and better than ever at Salon International 2023 as top barbers and trendsetters took to the stage to showcase their skills. As crowds gathered around the stage we saw live techniques, creativity, and inspirational education from some of the best barbering and male grooming brands in the industry, from across the world.

From fashion and fades, handling and sectioning, and curly cuts, to beard shaping, trending tapers, and mastering mullets, audiences watched in awe at the game-changing live education the stage had to offer, as well as interacting with some of the most inspiring and exciting names and talent in the barbering industry.

We’d also love to give a big shout out and thank you to our hosts Danny Robinson and Natalie Cresswell. Take a look over the next few pages for everything we saw at the Salon International 2023 show...

KEVIN LUCHMUN

SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER

Kicking off the Modern Barber Stage on Saturday 14 October, Deone Luke created a dimensional, curly hairstyle which was dried with a diffuser and faded to perfection.

Keri Blue mastered a mighty, mini mullet live on stage while talking about Human First which offers trans awareness education and helps create safer spaces.

From ‘The Rockstar, The Fro, and The Business, to The Slick, The Mod and The Casual’, Fella hair showcased six looks from ‘The Signature Collection’. Think classic comebacks and 80s inspiration.

SUNDAY 15 OCTOBER

It was a big day for education as Anderson Boyce was joined by three HairForce1 barbers showcasing creations on three different hair types. They talked through the importance of understanding all hair, from Asian to European and Afro hair.

Manifesto also brought it back to the barbershop. They showcased their photographic documentary, and presented their new collection talking through three different, shopfriendly styles.

Natalie Cresswell and the Cresswell BarberCo. team joined forces with Rob Wood, Director of Novo Cabelo, to demonstrate a hair replacement service.

Murdock London presented their most popular services across their three London shops: a beard shape, wet shave, and on-trend cuts.

Mic Damiano joined Simon Shaw, sharing his top tips and skills.

MONDAY 16 OCTOBER

Kicking off Monday, JJ Savani broke down the science of a classic fade with an in-depth demonstration. Joining JJ was Kirpal “Kip” Khaira and Vinay Lakhatariya, who shared his technique for freestyle designs.

Long-hair and sectioning was the hot topic for MaxOliver as they talked through combining key hairdressing skills with the fundamentals of barbering, in order to master the art of cutting of men’s hair.

Zamaine Ismail was demonstrating classic cuts with a modern taper on his model – think natural style with an effortless flow and easy styling.

Hayden Cassidy and Kevin Luchmun finished off the weekend with Hayden breaking down the buzzcut and Kevin crafting a textured, tapered mullet.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Brand new to Salon International, The Artist Spotlight Stage featured some of the most exciting, new, and upcoming talent in the barbering industry. Hosted by professional stylist and haircare expert, Chlöe Swift, we saw an incredible array of looks created on the pods before taking centre stage.

The inspiring barbering talent across the stage enticed visitors to get up close and personal at the prep pods, enabling them to examine the process of crafting different styles, and the strong wealth of fresh talent displayed on this stage proved just how exciting this industry really is.

From flawless fades and sharp beard trims to intricate scissor work, ‘hipster’ cuts, and quiff finishes, take a closer look at everything we saw on the Artist Spotlight Stage 2023…