10 MINUTE CHAT

MERCEDES PAGINTON CHATS TO CHARLOTTE GRANT-WEST ABOUT GOING WITH THE FLOW AT HER BARBERSHOP IN BLOXHAM, OXFORDSHIRE

HOW DID YOUR CAREER IN BARBERING START?

I always wanted to be a barber, but my mum was a teacher so she was like ‘do your exams first’. I started doing hair while I was at school on friends and family, and I originally learned through trial and error. After school I got a job in a barbershop, where I closely studied the guys there, taking what I liked from each of them to create my own techniques. I was always into barbering styles, and I’ve loved football since I was a child. David Beckham was my favourite footballer – obviously he had a massive influence on men’s hairstyles, and he was kind of why I got into barbering. I don’t think the mohawk was his greatest moment, but I like how he experimented with different styles.

SPEAKING OF MOHAWKS, WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST HAIRCUT YOU’VE EVER DONE ON A CLIENT?

Well, I recently did a double mohawk that went into a rat’s tail… so maybe that?! I’m not as creative with my day-to-day clients. In fact, I work one day a week at a US air force base and that involves a lot of regulation cuts! You can do what you like on top of the head, but the sides have to be close cut so there’s a lot of skin fades that day. I have a room set up there. They are all proper gents and they call me ‘ma’am’. I love having the two different environments. Initially when I got there it was a storage room, but I’ve made it into a barbershop vibe now.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A BARBER?

I love having creative freedom and I like meeting lots of different people and being part of the community. I worked at the barbershop I now own when I was 19. Because it’s such a small village, it’s always been a community hub. My boss at the time knew I loved it, and even though I had left to go elsewhere when he came to sell, he gave me a call.

WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING POINT IN YOUR CAREER?

I try to not worry too much about business. I’ve navigated covid and the cost of living crisis. We have a steady stream of local and loyal clients. The kids at the school pop in on their free period, the older guys pop in to have a chat. The closest barbershop is about three miles away. It’s pretty great running my own business, I’m not going to lie. When I first started, the recruitment was a bit challenging. But now Charlie has been with me for five years and it’s like working with your best friend. Running a business doesn’t have to be stressful.

WHAT’S YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT?

I love creating photographic collections as it keeps me on my toes and improves my skills. To be totally honest, Modern Barber’s founder Rachel Gould told me I should start doing them, then I spoke to people in the industry, and they all recommend the photographer Liam Oakes as being the best. And they weren’t wrong! I love doing shoots, I use all my own clients as models – they love it. I don’t know whether it’s vanity or they’re supporting me, but it makes my job of finding models easier. When it comes to inspiration, I do most hairstyles in collections because I think they look cool. It’s not much deeper than that!

WHAT’S NEXT?

I don’t know! I’ve just winged it forever!