men's grooming Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Samuel Cole Salon

Building The Brand Called You – R + Co and V76 President, Reuben Carranza

Owner, Jack Ray and Reuben Carranza

Reuben Carranza, President of Luxury Brand Partners brands, R + Co and V76, recently visited Samuel Cole Salon. Reuben left his role as CEO of The Wella Professional Division of Proctor and Gamble to join the corporation LBP, which is revolutionizing the luxury beauty market.

Reuben’s talk focused on helping stylist identify their career “sweet spot”. He emphasized the need for each individual stylist to find what is important to them and identify what their ‘brand” means. It’s very important to be able to take a step back to evaluate their work and also to have a sponsor or mentor evaluate them as well. Someone on the outside can find the blind spots they might not be able to see from within. It’s about connecting with their clients on another level. A professional who is consistently giving a great performance will see it reflected in their work.

Samuel Cole Salon and Reuben

Reuben’s talk on branding yourself revolved around the importance of evaluating your career based on performance, image and exposure. Your performance, should be outstanding and consistent in terms of your technical skill. Image showcases the mental impression you make with others. Exposure focused on getting your name out there to fuel your career success with social media being a means to document your work then posting it for others to see your creativity.

Being a stylist we look to grow creatively but sometimes we need to look at it differently at a business perspective to grow in our careers.” Stylist Natalie Bowers

Samuel Cole’s Master Stylist, Michael Knight: Men’s Grooming Hands On Workshop

Master Stylist, Michael Knight shared his men’s grooming knowledge and expertise with fellow stylists at Samuel Cole Salon. The class focused on the details that stylists should consider in order to cater to well groomed male client. His presentation explained how to create a cut, shape and style that best fit the face shape, hair texture, lifestyle and personality to make it a custom experience for male clients. He encouraged stylists to consider multiple tools and push beyond just clipper use. Knight’s presentation consisted of sharing men’s style trends throughout time featuring icons like Elvis, James Dean, and Bob Dylan which demonstrated how classic styles continue to return with a modern interpertation.

Michael Knight also shared information from the V76 Men’s Grooming Workshop he attended in New York City. The workshop, was led by V76 creator, Vaughn Acord and V76 educators, Barry Hughes and Jason Hunt. The hands-on class focused on the complete salon visit for men, from cutting and styling to general grooming. The educators demonstrated several different looks, combining old-school barbering with up-to-date salon techniques.

Models’ by stylists Dustin and KatieM

Michael has been doing hair for over 30 years. He brought his talents to Raleigh, NC five years ago, when he moved from Jacksonville, Florida. He prides himself on conducting a complete and thorough consultation for each and every one of his clients. He believes by truly listening, he is able to craft a signature, customized look based on his clients distinct style. He loves being able to blend his passion, creativity, and expertise in order to curate an individual look.

It was a great experience to have one of our own to teach this class. Michael knows our personal skill set and was able to really zero in on what each individual could gain from this class. This has been one of the best classes I have had the pleasure to be apart of.” Stylist Chelsea LePage

V76 Educator and Men’s Grooming Expert Jesse Taylor Shares his Secrets to Delivering Dapper

Jesse Taylor, V76 Educator and Celebrity Stylist, recently visited Samuel Cole Salon for an in-depth Men’s Grooming demonstration. The class focused on cutting and styling’s techniques, as well as V76 products, created specifically to meet the needs of a discerning man.

V76 by Vaughn celebrates the tradition of men’s grooming with an American sensibility. The sophisticated collection offers must-have classics updated for the modern man—and does so with an effortless, uncomplicated approach.

With a strong education background featuring Bumble and Bumble and American Crew, Jesse’s personalized approach to cutting has made him a go-to stylist for celebrities such as Adam Levine, Chris Pine, Ian Somerhalder, Kellan Lutz, Gordon Ramsey and Tom Seldon. His blend of theories provide a structured foundation for haircuts that are customized to each client. Samuel Cole Salon stylists learned Jesse’s insider tips of how he works with his celebrity male clientele.

Jesse’s approach, personality and shear talent was inspirational. His committment to men’s grooming was amazing to witness and I am excited to bring his brand of tailoring to my male clients”, said Senior Stylist, Tiffanie Spellenberg.

Michael Knight attends V76 by Vaughn Men’s Grooming Workshop

Michael Knight (center) with Vaughn Taylor (right) and Jesse Taylor (left)

Michael Knight with finished model

Elite stylist Michael Knight just returned from the V76 Men’s Grooming Workshop in New York City. The workshop, led by V76 creator, Vaughn Acord, and V76 educators, Barry Hughes and Jason Hunt, focused on the complete salon visit for men, from cutting and styling to general grooming. The educators demonstrated several different looks, combining old-school barbering with up-to-date salon techniques.

Educators also focused on the history of men’s styling and the importance of catering to the male client in a unisex salon. The V76 team emphasized tailoring each cut and style to the individual, understanding which tools to use, what methods to employ, and how to give a proper consultation on the total look.

After a morning of presentations, Michael participated in a hands-on workshop with a male model to give him the cut, shape and style that best fit his face shape, hair texture, lifestyle and personality.

Working with Vaughn Acord was an amazing experience. Vaughn in as expert in the field of men’s grooming with clients including Bruce Springsteen, Bill Clinton, Bryan Ferry and many more. During the class we did an in-depth study of the history of trends and hairstyles that have influenced men’s grooming over the years. Vaughn’s enthusiasm was contagious and inspiring. We were able to work one on one with Vaughn picking out models and deciding what was the most appropriate look for them. V76 provided a top notch NYC photographer to shoot the final look from our models for submission to industry trade magazines. The day was filled with many surprises and incredible challenges and I am so looking forward to working with Vaughn Acord again in the near future.”, said Michael Knight.

V76 by Vaughn Inaugural Education Event in NYC

Samuel Cole Salon co-owner, Jack Ray along with stylists, Cara Harrison and Alley Biehl attended the V76 by Vaughn Inaugural Education Event held at the Vaughn Studio in NYC. The event was invitation-only for exclusive salons and was designed to educate stylists on the inspiration behind the line and Vaughn’s philosophy on men’s grooming. Vaughn is revered as a top international grooming and editorial stylist.

“What an honor to spend the day with Vaughn, the most sought after mens groomer in the country. It was truly inspirational to learn from the man who’s clients range from Tom Brady to William Defoe to Bill Clinton to Bruce Springsteen. He really expanded our concept of mens grooming,” said Ray.

“I really was impressed by how the class was more about changing the way we view mens haircutting and grooming and looking at it like an overall look, as opposed to a specific cutting technique. It was enlightening to learn from Vaughn and his team. They are so good at what they do, ” said Biehl.

“The V76 workshop was all about making every man into a “leading man”. We, as their stylists, truly are responsible for tailoring their look from the neck up to meet their lifestyle and hair requirements,” said Cara Harrison.