WHY WE ARE HERE

We recently had the opportunity to work with the barber, educator and industry disrupter Keri Blue who has launched Hair Has No Gender to inspire the hair industry to start looking differently at how we treat customers. The objective of Hair Has No Gender is to educate and inform barbershops and hair salons about the lack of diversity within the industry and how to make salons a safe space where any client feels comfortable walking into and is not confronted with discrimination. Founder of Hair Has No Gender, Keri Blue is a queer non-binary barber who believes the hair industry is outdated and that the time for change and diversity is now.

Keri said, “I envision a world where every salon and barbershop has the knowledge to accept all people and identities. Hair Has No Gender provides education, events and support programs that can help create safer, diverse salons across the UK. It was great to work with Daniel and his team, although they already had an understanding of issues surrounding gender-neutral clients, it was a fantastic opportunity for me to work them with and to answer any questions that they had”.

Our salon started life as Daniel Rymer Male Grooming in 2015 at a time when the barbering scene in Bristol was dominated by fast-paced, no appointment necessary salons. “As a salon, we have spent most of 2021 transitioning away male grooming to barbering specialists, so this training was so important to us.

We have a growing number of gender-neutral clients, many of whom have struggled to find a good barber in Bristol who can cut their hair, in a professional and stylish environment that they feel comfortable in. The education provided to us by Keri as part of their training day has been invaluable. As we continue to attract more non-binary and gender-neutral clients the knowledge and understanding that the whole team now has will allow us to provide a first-rate experience from the moment they arrive in the salon, to when they leave.

“Keri’s course is absolutely essential for all barbershops, and hair salons. As an industry, it is important that we keep learning, and are not pedestrian to how the world is changing, and becoming more accepting of everyone. As an LGBTQ+-owned salon, we pride ourselves on having full acceptance of all people and identity. We are committed to ensuring that we are a welcoming, diverse and safe space for our team, our clients, and the wider community to work in or visit, regardless of gender or identity”, said Daniel.