Previous Winners
The Dapper Dan Barber World Series 2024
Connor Evans - Barber of The Year 2024
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Connor's win was certainly no beginner's luck, with Connor boasting over 18 years of experience, starting his journey at the early age of 15. Alongside his wealth of experience, you could say that Connor's skill is in his blood, explaining to us that his parents were also award-winning hairdressers whose passion ignited his love for the craft.
Naturally keen to understand more about how Connor creates, we asked him about his creative process, to which he explained, "The creative process for my work always begins with a vision of the final look. I create a mood board to help me visualise the outcome. From there, the model's hair type, head shape, and the strength of their hairline will guide the direction of the haircut. It's a fluid process that often evolves as I go. I stay open to creativity and avoid being locked into one specific style. The key is adaptability, and with that mindset, the end result is always achievable."
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As the latest addition to the pantheon of Dapper Dan Barber World Series Barber of The Year winners, we picked Connor's brain for any pieces of advice that he thought others could benefit from if they were looking to take the next step and win a competition: "My biggest piece of advice is to choose the right model. That's half the battle won. A model who is confident and photogenic will naturally make the haircut stand out in front of the camera."
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Looking ahead to future plans, Connor is focusing on his YouTube channel Hot Heads Media, and is working on plans for a new collection with his Barbershop 'Men's Grooming Company' - so make sure you watch this space!
Sorin Craciun - International Barber of The Year 2024
With one of the most creative and imaginative entries the competition has ever seen, Sorin Craciun received outstanding praise from our judging panel and claimed the 2024 International Barber of The Year title. We managed to sit down and chat with Sorin to talk about his entry and find out what makes him tick.
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Having worked in the industry for 14 years Sorin is by no means a newcomer, something evident through how much his work tries to push boundaries and create something new. Despite Sorin's eye-catching, maximalist, and unique style, his original driving force to enter the industry was much more humble, explaining to us that he was first driven to cut hair from his love of working with his hands.
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Sorin's entry provides an undoubtedly futuristic feel, both in its style and through its bold use of colour. When asked about the inspiration behind the work, interestingly, Sorin explained that his primary inspiration was George Orwell's novel 1984. In particular, the powerful depiction of a dystopia present throughout the novel was something Sorin pointed to as being an inspiring force in the concept behind his work. However, outside of the more abstract forms of inspiration, Sorin, like many of our champions, revealed that much of his inspiration comes from other colleagues in the industry.
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When it comes to future plans, Sorin, as someone already very accomplished, told us that he wants to simply continue what he's doing, enjoying the moment, whilst at the same time, hoping to inspire others with his work. With his Instagram (@sorin_cr) being the primary way to keep up with his work, make sure you drop him a follow, especially if you're looking for inspiration.
Boardroom Gentlemen's Refinery - Barbershop of The Year 2024
Aiming to provide more than just a barbering service, the passion and expertise of the team behind Boardroom Gentlemen's Refinery is immediately evident through their online presence. The clear attention to detail in the carefully curated environment is of course one of the factors that propelled Boardroom to the coveted Barbershop of The Year title for 2024. Following their win, we spoke with Managing Director Hanna to understand what makes the Refinery stand out.
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Whilst Boardroom has just recently celebrated its second birthday, the shop is, in fact, the result of a 20-year passion, designed with the aim of creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for all its clients alongside a great barbering service. When we asked the Boardroom team what their inspiration was for the shop's décor, they explained that they consciously wanted to create a cosy and inviting atmosphere, incorporating oak wood panelling, marble stone, and vintage furniture to create the feel of a barbershop established many years ago. At the same time, the team also mentioned that to achieve the shop's signature feel, they worked with specialists and interior designers to ensure that lighting, colour, and layout were all working in harmony.
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When it comes to the experienced team behind the Refinery, Managing Director Hanna revealed that every staff member had previously worked with owner Adam before working for Boardroom, which no doubt plays a role in the seamless customer experience that their spotless reviews describe. Interestingly, members of the team at Boardroom are qualified in more than just barbering, with specialised beauticians able to offer Boardroom's clients advanced aesthetic and cosmetic treatments alongside a great haircut. These additional services, in combination with the focus on customer experience, are another of the many elements that, in our judges' eyes take Boardroom from a great shop to an outstanding one.
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When we asked Hanna about her plans for the future and for Boardroom, she explained that, naturally, growing the business was one of the goals for Boardroom. However, alongside this, Hanna told us that her personal goal is also to educate and mentor aspiring barbers and, in doing so, have a positive impact on others in the industry, in combination with continuing to learn and adapt to the industry's ever-evolving landscape.
To stay in the loop with what's next for Boardroom Gentlemen's Refinery, head over to their Instagram @boardroombarbers.
The Dapper Dan Barber World Series 2023
The Dapper Dan Barber World Series 2023
Callum Butler - Barber of The Year 2023
The 2023 competition saw Dundee based Barber Callum Butler claim the prestigious Barber of The Year Title. We sat down with Callum to find out a little bit more about him, how he came to create his winning entry, and his plans for the future.
Having worked in the hair industry for 13 years, starting at the age of 15, Callum explained that he knew immediately from the day of his first trial shift that he wanted to work in the industry, feeling the buzz in the shop from the constant flow of people as well as the energy of the salon’s stylists.
When asked about the inspiration behind his winning entry, Callum answered that he wanted to combine his roots in hairdressing with the skills and techniques he’s refined in his years of barbering. This led Callum to using a female model for a style that he described as bold and edgy whilst at the same time kept the femininity of the model.
Talking about competitions and their effect, Callum surprisingly told us that the Dapper Dan Barber World Series was the first competition he’s ever entered as a barber, having only entered some hairdressing competitions years before. Nevertheless, Callum emphasised that his advice for any Barber looking to get involved in a competition is to just be yourself, and allow yourself to showcase the crazy idea you’ve had in your head as whether you win or lose, you’ll still be happy with the result of entering.
Looking ahead to the future, Callum revealed that he has a few projects in the pipeline, including preparing to enter future competitions in 2024, working on collab shoots with clothing brand Partii, upcoming online education, and continuing to sharpen his skills. With great skills and creativity, Callum is certainly a talent to keep up to date with!
Itesh Fakoo - International Barber of The Year 2023
With awesome creativity and originality, Itesh Fakoo (aka Evonik) showed his entry to be a cut above the rest, earning himself the coveted International Barber of The Year title. We were able to sit down with Itesh in order to pick his brain and find out a little bit more about him and his winning entry.
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Originally inspired to become a barber from his hairdresser and barber parents, Itesh has now been barbering for 8 years, in that time gaining recognition for himself on Instagram and TikTok thanks to his creativity and innovative designs.
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When asked about the thought process behind his entry, Itesh explained that whilst Mullets have recently continued to gain huge popularity, Flat Tops and other classic styles have become rarer despite once being prevalent. In combining the two, Itesh wanted to make a unique and distinct style statement. Inspired by the contrast of the playful and rebellious Mullet from the structured and polished Flat Top, Itesh wanted to blend the two for a naturally stand out look, as well as a bold fashion statement. Itesh went on to say that this combination represents his dedication to creative looks to stay ahead of the hairstyling curve by incorporating tradition with newer trends.
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When we asked Itesh how he finds inspiration for his work, he described it as a multifaceted journey, using his artistic background to look at barbering from a different perspective than you might traditionally, and in doing so helping him to craft more unique looks. Itesh also told us that he finds the most significant inspiration from others in the industry posting their work online, naming Rob the Original and Los_cut_it as two particularly prevalent sources of inspiration thanks to their more unique Barbering styles and techniques.
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When we asked Itesh about his future plans, his ambition was very clear: aim to push the boundaries and experiment with unconventional styles and techniques, all with the view to build his brand (Evonik) as someone known for creativity and redefining standards. With his goal of boundary pushing, Itesh explained that he has his sights on collaborating with other like minded professionals in the industry with the vision of amplifying innovations.
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To keep up with Itesh's work, head over to his Instagram @Evonik__
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Bella Barba Co - Barbershop of The Year 2023
With its standout décor, quality of work and stellar reviews, it's no surprise that Bella Barba received top marks from our judging panel as well as the public vote, earning themselves the Barbershop of The Year 2023 title. We spoke to Bella Barba's founder Adam to find out a little bit more about his shop and understand what makes Bella Barba such a great barbershop.
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Opened all the way back in 2009, Bella Barba took its name and identity from Adam's Italian roots, opening up following Adam's graduation from University. A true labour of love, Adam started barbering as soon as he finished high school, continuing to build his skills and experience in various Barbershops and Salons until he could open Bella Barba.
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When speaking to Adam, it became clear that passion was the biggest driver for him and his team of 4 other barbers. With a mixture of senior experience and junior barbers, Bella Barba boasts well over 45 years of collective barbering experience, naturally playing a large part in the quality and consistency of the work they produce.
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One of the elements that helped Bella Barba stand out from the tough competition was its impressive décor. When we asked Adam about his inspiration for the décor, he told us that as he'd studied interior design and art, his vision for Bella Barba was always something personal and unique. Adam went on to explain that when executing on his vision, he wanted to create an environment where clients would step inside a unique and classy shop, with stunning surroundings, blending the traditional vintage barbershop with modern comforts.
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Looking ahead to the future, Adam explained he's keen to keep focusing on Bella Barba, reinvesting in shop, continuing to improve and of course getting ready for next year's competition!
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To keep up to date with all things Bella Barba, head over to the shop's Instagram: @bellabarbaco
Professional Barber World Series 2022
Kendrick's of Rochford - Barbershop of The Year 2022
Kendrick's is certainly an impressive barbershop, with amazing decor, fantastic work, and passionate customer reviews, culminating in the shop being crowned Barbershop of The Year 2022. We reached out to Kendrick's owner Jonathan to find out a bit more about his story and get a glimpse into what makes Kendrick's such a great barbershop.
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When it comes to Kendrick's of Rochford's inception, Jonathan told us that it had always been a dream of his to have his own shop. With almost 21 years of experience in the industry, and a history of managing barbershops for others, opening Kendrick's back in 2018 was the natural progression for him. Although when it came to finding the building, Jonathan said that the building where Kendrick's stands immediately grabbed his attention, so much so that it was worth waiting over a year to eventually get the keys.
Jonathan spoke to us very passionately about the team behind Kendrick's, having worked together for a long time including before Kendrick's inception, with a combined experience of 65 years in the industry. Jonathan credited his team with the shop's success saying "The team is an extremely dedicated, professional and all round amazing. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our incredible little Barber Family".
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The shop's décor is something that helped Kendrick's stand out from the crowd when it came to judging. When ask about his inspiration for the décor, Jonathan explained "As the shop is set in a historic town I wanted to keep the design of the shop traditional. The building was built around the 1700s and we found quite a bit of history in the shop when stripping it back. The design is Victoria/ industrial. With the mantle mirror surrounds and the exposed brick wall with the industrial pipe work. As we are in a heritage town we had to have a green shop front so when we found the right colour that was where we started to build our brand from".
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Building on the shop's success Jonathan hopes to keep growing Kendrick's
saying "Last year we adapted the shop to add a 4th chair and we have just worked out a way to add a 5th chair in the next year. In terms of long term goals, we would like to open another shop in a different area".
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Dmitriy Shumylo - International Barber of The Year 2022
Dmitriy's Entry
Dmitriy's entry blew our judges away with its' finesse, originality and stylisation. We spoke to him about his entry, his inspiration and his goals for the future.
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Dmitriy is no stranger to the Professional Barber World Series, reaching the finalist stage in 2021. When ask what changed from last year to reach that next step, Dmitriy said "I paid more attention to the general image of the model, accessories, photography and light, the concept of the photo itself. I have cut many models and I hesitated for a long time which work to choose to submit this year".
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We asked Dmitriy what his process was for deciding his entry to which he explained "I had the concept and the style, so I cut many models, but in reality few people agreed to something really creative. The model came from the other end of the country - the city of Kharkiv, so at this time it was difficult for us to create something cool".
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When it comes to his inspiration, Dmitriy finds that people are his sources of inspiration "I'm inspired by people, their openness and sincerity, their preferences and life path. I still haven't changed my profession because I love to create and I like the creative aspect and creativity in work".
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Looking ahead to the future, Dmitriy told us that winning this year's competition gave him a second wind in motivation, and the reassurance that he was on the right path and wants to continue to train as well as educate those in the industry with a goal of judging future barbering competitions.
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Rhys Whitehouse - Barber of The Year 2022
Rhys' Entry
2022 saw rising star Rhys Whitehouse edge out the competition to be crowned Barber of The Year. To better understand how he got here we spoke with Rhys about the competition, the industry and his creative
process.
The creative process behind preparing for a barbering competition is unique and this is no exception with Rhys who told us: “A large part of the creativity behind my work is found in the framing of an image through photography, not just the haircut. When it comes to finding inspiration, it comes in many forms, be it the model’s own ideas, their aesthetic, or a styling technique I’ve seen online or at a show”.
Rhys has been making waves within the industry, winning multiple awards in recent years and consistently placing highly with his creative entries. We asked Rhys what was the biggest benefit entering competitions like the Professional Barber World Series, he explains: “There’s a real thrill in working towards an immediate goal of winning a competition, since it has a clear start and finish. Like all of us, recognition from our industry peers is also one of the best things to come from winning prestigious competitions. But for me the biggest benefits are those that you don’t normally see, such as the opportunities that come with winning and the doors that are opened. This industry and the companies at its heart seek integrity, barbers who are the hardest workers in the room, devoted to what they do, who are unashamedly themselves, stand for something and most importantly, are present and
consistent. Winning competitions gives you the spotlight to showcase these traits”.
It’s no secret that competitions require precision and creativity to stand out from a talented crowd, with barbers in the industry continuously pushing standards higher. For many, challenge and competition are a source of motivation to improve. “Competition drives me to be more of an accurate and meticulous barber. I’m always examining the quality of my cuts and photographic entries,” says Rhys, adding: “Being more creative depends on the people you surround yourself with. An encouraging and engaging circle can be the supportive environment
perfect for growth and creativity”.
Rhys is looking forward to doing more projects with the brands he represents as well as keeping a focus on his personal life, explaining: “I’m very excited to be seeing 2023 in as a representative for both Wahl and Matakki. As far as achievements go, I’ve only been barbering for seven
years, but I have been very intense as far as pushing for my career goals which I seem to have achieved in that time. I have recently become a first-time dad and I’m currently planning a wedding so they will take up more of my focus - although I have a habit of sniffing out opportunities and
challenges so who knows what is yet to be achieved!”
Professional Barber World Series 2021
Dean Gleeson - Barber of the Year 2021
Dean showed great technique and skill with his entry. After being crowned barber of the year 2021, he sat down with Barber Evo to reflect on the competition and what the future has in store.
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When asked about why he entered the competition, Dean explained that whilst in the past he used to turn up and cut hair, he soon discovered the value of entering competitions to raise his profile and learn more about the craft.
Dean went on to explain the process of the competition from choosing the model, styling him and taking the photographs was a great learning curve. Finishing, "Even if I hadn't won, I would have taken so much away from it".
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Dean said he attributed the competition to reigniting his passion for photography, reminding him that the industry isn't all about being behind the chair all day.
Since the competition, Dean has continued to improve at his craft in all aspects, which he regularly demonstrates on his Instagram page @dean_gleeson_. Dean has also continued to work in Mengo Male Grooming, Essex, which he owns alongside his business partner Asa.
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Dean's skills and competition entry have also recently helped him earn a sponsorship from Dapper Dan, whom he is now working closely with to make content across social media.
John Fillingham - Young Barber of the Year 2021
We asked John several questions to understand his motivations and his ambitions:
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Q. Firstly, how long have you been working in the industry?
A. I've been cutting hair for 3 years now.
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Q. What made you decide to enter the competition?
A. I entered because I wanted to show my work, in an industry where there's so much talent it's hard to get your name out and I wanted to prove to myself that I can achieve that.
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Q. Did the competition help you to improve your barbering?
A. Definitely, it made me take a step back and analyse my work more and try and raise my level as well as being more consistent with that level.
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Q. What was your process for deciding your entry, did you have a particular look in mind?
A. I wanted to do something different to make me stand out. I thought with lockdown it was a good time for people to grow their hair so I wanted to use that. However, instead of a classic scissor cut, I wanted to add skin tapers and a sharp Shape up as well to create layers and texture to achieve my take on a modern Duck Tail Cut.
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Q. What are your ambitions or plans for the future?
A. I want to try to improve in all aspects of barbering from social skills, the standard of cuts and building up more of a clientele. I also want to go to barber events, and eventually, have my own shop.
Check out more of John's work on his Instagram @john.fillingham.
Gleb Morozov - International Barber of the Year
Gleb, in his amazing entry, demonstrated flawless technical ability along with an imaginative style, combining precision and movement perfectly. Truly blowing the International competition away.
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Gleb's barbering prowess is displayed on his well-curated Instagram @zaebis.haircuts, made even more impressive with the professional level of photography it houses. Alongside his barbering, Gleb is also passionate about passing on his knowledge and skills through his teaching.
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When we spoke to Gleb about his ambitions for the future he certainly showed his ambitions. Gleb explained to us that he wants to become a master of barbering who leaves his mark on the pop culture of the 21st Century.