Modern Barber Stage

Mic Damiano, Barber of the Year hall of fame and Hairdresser of the Year winner, pushes barbering boundaries with three Afro Barber of the Year wins. From managing a full client roster at 16 to owning Image Barber Shop and now Damiano Hair in Bedford, Mic's career is groundbreaking. He's the first to have his name on the 'Barber of the Year' Bill Tildsley Cup and 'Hairdresser of the Year' Guillaume Guglielmi sculpture. His talent is recognised by L'Oreal as the Eastern Region Mens Colour trophy winner.

Kevin is a UK State Registered Senior Barber with 20+ years of experience and a key member of the Andis Clipper Education team for over a decade. Founder of 'K Barbers Emporium' in Leigh-on-Sea and Billericay, he's renowned for precision and creativity in barbering. His positive approach and passion drive innovative training, leading the next generation with his 'K Way' brand.

Ian Harrold established his first company Traditions Barber Shop in the North West in 1996 when he was just 21 through a grant from The Princes Trust. In 2003 he diversified further into men’s grooming and opened an appointment-based men’s salon called Attitude. For almost two decades, Ian has enjoyed the role of Lead Educator for American Crew as well as being an award-winning member of the Global Allstar Education Team.

Tariq Howes is a multi-award winning male hairstylist with 15+ years experience and owner of Avenue barbershop in Cardiff. His mixed background of Welsh, Egyptian, Somali & Jamaican inspires him to be diverse in all hair types and texture. Named Hairdressers Journal Men’s Afro Stylist of the Year 2016 and Men’s Hairdressing Federation Afro Barber of the Year 2020, Tariq has showcased his talent on prominent stages like Hairdressers Journal Live and worked with high-end brands Hugo Boss and Dolce & Gabbana.

Stefan will be demonstrating a mid-length, heavily textured, shaggy look - using disconnections, graduations and different layering techniques to create a lived-in, everyday, barbershop friendly hairstyle. Ben will be demonstrating a mid-length shape, influenced by the mod-era movement, creating soft shapes and textures. Ben loves doing these cuts and is finding them very popular with his clients right now. Billy will be demonstrating a timeless classic; a skin fade, french crop style and will demo how he finds best to do this haircut in the shop and the steps he takes to make it perfect every time.

Ryan Lewis, is the proud owner of Club Thirteen in Hull. His journey in the barbering industry is inspiring & unique, filled with unexpected turns and a deep-rooted passion for the craft. Throughout his 16-year career, Ryan has continually sought growth and learning opportunities. He has had the privilege of working with a diverse group of barbers and hairdressers, drawing inspiration from their techniques and combining old-school methods with contemporary barbering and hairdressing styles.

A multi-award winning barber, Dexter joined over the TONI&GUY team 15 years ago and has worked his way up to become an integral member of the International Artistic Team to his current position of Head of Men’s Education, specialising in fades and tapering. He works Men’s Fashion Weeks around the world for designers such as Dolce and Gabbana and Dior. Current British and International Men’s Hairdresser of the Year, Sam likes to bring a unique take towards the men’s hair industry, by using different eras to influence his work. Varying from precision through to extreme textures. Breaking the mould to what hair within the men’s industry is perceived as. Working as an Artistic Director at the Flagship London Academy, Sam drives to push boundaries within hair and create work that influences his lifestyle.

Hayden Cassidy, an international platform artist based in Europe, specialises in men's hair, blending techniques from global barbering cultures. Beginning her career in Ireland during the industry's boom, she's influenced by the US barbering scene and has established a globally appreciated clean look. Hayden has performed across Europe with top barbers, collaborated with fashion magazines, and is dedicated to education through tutorials and an educational platform for barbers worldwide.

We are so excited to be cutting once again on the prestigious Modern Barber stage at Barber Connect. Come and join us as we showcase our favourite trims to cut & style - suitable for the shop floor and magazine collections.

Under the helm of Mikey Pearson, Corrado Tevere and Rino Riccio, Manifesto has been making its mark on the men’s hairdressing scene since 2016, when the first salon opened in London’s Leather Lane. A second salon opened in 2018 in Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross, cementing the Manifesto brand as a new force in men’s hairdressing. Offering highly successful men’s grooming salons looking at both the technical side of hairdressing and the artistry of session styling, in 2022, they won BHBA Barber Shop of the Year.

Meet Charles Rose, a visionary in the world of hairdressing and the driving force behind crate cheshire, a rising star in the salon scene. With a specialisation in short hair and an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, Charles is redefining what it means to be a short-hair specialist, one cut at a time.

Founder and director at Taylor Male Image, Carl has been cutting hair for 10 years. "At Taylor Male Image we provide a salon experience that merge hairdressing and barbering together so we can give our clients the best possible haircut that is catered to them. Curtis Burke is a senior stylist at Taylor Male Image. "We aim to provide people with great quality service and haircuts, that not only look great when leaving the salon, but are also easily managed by clients before their next visit. We also help clients with advice on how they may look even better if their hair is cut a certain way, using head shape, hair texture and growth patterns to enhance certain features of their face."

Men’s Hair Specialist George Smith grew up in the hairdressing world and has since enjoyed a stellar career filled with award wins and accolades. As well as co-managing Smith England, George acts as brand ambassador for Matakki, American Crew and BaByliss Pro. He was named Men’s Hairdresser of the Year at the British Hairdressing Awards 2022 and most recently won The Big Shot Award 2023 for Men’s Collection of the Year and International Modern Barber of the Year at the AMBAs.