“With things returning closer to full speed, I have noticed customers paying more attention to the state of their beards again. What men’s grooming trends are you starting to see in NYC coming out of lockdown? And where do you see things going for men’s hairstyles and beards in 2022?
“It is very important because we have the best vantage point of hair! Barbers see thousands of different hair types and styles each year and who better to know how to speak to a client's genuine needs than the person who has been cutting their hair?” How important do you think it is for barbers to be directly involved in the creation process of men’s grooming products? This will be a great addition to the current product lineup and work really well for our clients with Afro hair.” I’m hoping to soon start working on a dedicated styling cream for anyone with a more textured, curly pattern. They love the styling ability and multipurpose uses of the sea salt texture. “The Sea Salt Spray is a big hit with my clients in NYC. Our unique one chair setup within Nordstrom’s flagship menswear store also offers our customers a more personal, relaxed experience right in the heart of the city.”ĭo you have a favourite Murdock product and is there anything in the pipeline that you are working on? “We are the only place in America to offer the Murdock London barbershop experience which includes traditional wet shaves, fades, trims, beard grooming and more. What makes the Murdock Manhattan barbershop a must-visit for guys in NYC? I felt like lockdown was the perfect opportunity to be able to add a broader skill set to my palette.” I did though also manage to find some time at home to better my skills as a barber whether it was learning new shear techniques or how to apply specific products. “Most of my lockdown was spent working on the book and educating myself on how to successfully get it published.
Even if my son never wants to be a barber, I want him to know the culture, his way around a shop and also be able to take pride in his appearance and self care.”ĭid you manage to pick up any other lockdown hobbies, or has the book been relatively all-consuming? Sometimes we watch YouTube tutorials on barbering and he seems very interested. “Besides just spending quality time with my son, barbering is something that I make a point to help him learn about.
Has any other activity shared together come close to this? (Plus I want him to have a cool haircut for life!)” Learning what each of my client’s needs are day-to-day in the barbershop helps me be able to adjust to the various needs of my son at home. This also translates to what is needed for being a parent, so for me there is a natural connection between fatherhood and barbering. “Barbering I feel is a very intimate profession that requires skill and patience. What do you think is so special about barbering for it to have sparked such a significant bond with your son? At the same time it gives parents a great way to connect with their child through reading and fun learning.” It’s a significant life event, so this can help parents ease their child in to that first haircut by showing them a story from the child’s perspective. “This book is a passion project that tells my personal story but also encourages other parents and their children to talk about a child's first experience of getting a haircut. How do you see the book being helpful for other parents? The book is called ‘My Daddy Cuts My Hair’ and is a personal account of the relationship between me and my son, told through the lens of me being his barber.” I took the time being home to write the story, illustrate it and turn it into a physical product. Then once lockdown happened I focused on the bond I was forming with my son and decided to tell our story. Many of them encouraged me to share my stories as a barber but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to write. “The idea for the book began through conversations with my clients. Please tell us a bit about your book and what inspired this great project Hi Jason! It sounds like you’ve had one heck of a busy year. Jason runs the show at our flagship US barbershop within the Nordstrom Men’s Store and as The Big Apple starts to re-emerge to its familiar self post-lockdown, we wanted to check in with our man across the pond to discuss his creativity throughout lockdown, the inspiration behind his new book and where men’s grooming trends are heading for 2022. Hats off here to Mr Jason Biggs, our apparently tireless Lead Master Barber at Murdock Manhattan. We certainly haven’t all managed to get a children’s book published while having not long also welcomed a child into the family. Over the last year or so many of us have succumbed to passing any spare time at home with a bit of baking, the odd spot of DIY and probably far too much Netflix we’d like to admit.