Charlotte Grant-West spoke to Joe Steven about his and business partner George Oakley’s careers to date...
HOW DID YOUR BARBERING JOURNEY START?
Well both George and I went to school together actually, then trained in hairdressing. We’d always been interested in fashion and lifestyle and chose to work in salons. But as time went on, it wasn’t the right fit for us and we always gravitated towards men’s hair.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT CUTTING SHORTER HAIR?
For me personally, it’s about the relatability, the instant transformation. I found colour work laborious! I have no regrets though, I’m a more well-rounded barber and able to deal with a broader range of clients because of my hairdressing background.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
We were 24 and working at different salons, and we both knew we wanted to do something independently. We set up the first OS Lifestyle in Brighton. We approached a few different landlords, and obviously no one trusted us because it was our first business venture. At the time it felt like a huge project, but looking back and comparing it to what we’ve done since, it was tiny. We had a basement, with three chairs, a reception desk and a waiting bench. Our landlord made us pay a year’s rent up front for security.
HAS SUSTAINABILITY ALWAYS BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF YOUR BUSINESS?
Honestly no. I’ve always been focused on the bigger picture and I love nature, I’m interested in environmental issues but I’d never really known how to apply it to my own barbershop or business. During lockdown I read Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. Even though they are a huge company, sustainability is one of their core pillars. It made me think even though we are a small company, there aren’t many overtly sustainable barbershops – so it was a great opportunity to start something and have an impact.
WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Before lockdown we knew we wanted to open a third shop, so when restrictions were lifted we had a pop up in Hackney Wick. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and the area we were in just didn’t have enough footfall as it was more residential. I think if we were a new business, we would have lost our nerve, but we knew it was the location, not our business model that was the issue. You definitely learn more from your failures, than you do from your successes.
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH OS LIFESTYLE RIGHT NOW?
We moved to a new East London location on Charlotte Road, just off Old Street and Rivington Street, it’s busy and super social. It’s a bit of a gear change from our clientele in West London for sure. East London is full of creatives and co-working spaces, as well as the odd tourist. We’ve been there 6 months so far, so it’s still early days but it’s going well. We’re just about to open a coffee shop alongside our Brighton shop too in collaboration with Origin Coffee.
WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE WINNING COMMUNITY HERO AND TEAM OF THE YEAR AT THE MODERN BARBER AWARDS?
Amazing! It had become a bit of a running joke between us, because we’ve been in the finals for Community Hero for like five years in a row. I’m so glad we finally won it! And to win Team of the Year with the team in the audience was just the best.
