Seven chairs form a row along the mirrored wall of Victory Barber and Brand, and rarely do many of them sit empty.
Three hundred heads will lose their locks in the run of a day, something owner Matty Conrad still isnB次元官网网址檛 used to.
B次元官网网址淒umb-ass luck and a lot of hard work is basically what this has been,B次元官网网址� he says of the last eight years in a business that has grown to include his own line of hair products, beard oils, coffee and even a collaboration on a craft beer.
Now, with nine others across the country, Conrad has been nominated for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Best Barber Award, after inspiring so many in the industry.
The former owner of downtown salons The Fix and Lab, he branched off into barbering because he was tired of the old stereotype that said the only thing found in a barbershop was a shortcut to a bad cut.
B次元官网网址淸The way men described it was] as if they were being cheap or apologizing for having gone there B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址極h, I just went to the barbershopB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� he says with a laugh.
He found a space on Blanshard street B次元官网网址� it was literally just four cement walls, he remembers B次元官网网址� and with a friend, opened in 2010.
Barbershops have seen a renewed interest in recent years, often saddled with the idea that theyB次元官网网址檙e painfully hip.
To those who throw around that word, Conrad says, B次元官网网址淚 think people like to label things as hipster if itB次元官网网址檚 trendy and they donB次元官网网址檛 understand it, or theyB次元官网网址檙e out of touch.B次元官网网址�
The lifelong stylist is more concerned with how to sustain the B次元官网网址渢rend,B次元官网网址� a word he uses begrudgingly.
B次元官网网址淎s barbering grows, as it moves forward, the real challenge is, can it stay relevant beyond just the trend,B次元官网网址� he muses, pointing out that the art of barbering dates back more than 8,000 years. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 one thing about human beings is that theyB次元官网网址檙e fundamentally vain creatures.B次元官网网址�
But when it comes to men and women, Conrad says playing to that vanity is different. For men a barbershop evokes a feeling of pride and dignity, something they donB次元官网网址檛 necessarily find in a hair salon.
That being said, Victory made the decision to offer services based on the type of haircut, not the head who will wear it. The business model doesnB次元官网网址檛 care how others might identify a client, he says, itB次元官网网址檚 how they themselves identify. B次元官网网址淚f we can provide the service youB次元官网网址檙e looking for, then by all means feel at home here, feel included, we welcome you.B次元官网网址�
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For the Victoria boy, who has gained global notoriety and regularly travels for speaking engagements or to teach at hair shows, thereB次元官网网址檚 no plan to leave the Island.
B次元官网网址淚 grew up here, this is my community, IB次元官网网址檓 not leaving,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been able to contribute to the fabric of the city and help put Victoria on the map in some respects, and thatB次元官网网址檚 all I ever set out to do, serve my community.B次元官网网址�
His community however, has grown a little bigger. Victory now has a shop in Duncan, in VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Gastown and a few streets over from the Blanshard flagship, at Saint Franks on Broad St.
With the other barbershops in town, thereB次元官网网址檚 a sense of camaraderie, a mutual respect, something Conrad is proud of. And that extends to his fellow nominees, some of whom he considers friends. B次元官网网址淚 know them and I know their work, theyB次元官网网址檙e exceptional at what they do and IB次元官网网址檓 so, so proud to be on that list,B次元官网网址� he says.
But as far as competition goes, Conrad shrugs. He isnB次元官网网址檛 worried, people will always need their hair cut. B次元官网网址淔or every barber thereB次元官网网址檚 a client and for every client, a barber.B次元官网网址�
To vote for Conrad, visit . CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Best Barber will be announced Feb. 18 in Montreal.
