Call off your search for the perfect haircut. Sean Paul Nother and Nick Latham, aka The Hair Bros, are disrupting the way we think about cutting hair — and they are so good they might even tempt you into a fringe. Really.
The pair, who are not actually brothers but earned their nickname training at Hershesons and hanging out together at shoots and shows, opened their salon in Chelsea last April. And they have quickly become the capital’s most in-demand stylists — Suki Waterhouse and blogger Lucy Williams are fans — and are booked up months in advance, with clients even changing flights into the capital to squeeze in sought-after appointments.
Demand is so high they’ve had to introduce fringe-trimming sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to keep their clients’ cuts looking fresh. “It’s a nice problem to have,” Nother tells me from their chic space on Sydney Street, complete with scented candles, retro furniture and a chilled-out friendly welcome. “We’re just figuring out how to expand.”
Unlike at most salons, their signature service, The Cut, is performed dry. Before an appointment they simply ask you to wash your hair and let it air dry so they can see its natural texture and movement. “Everyone’s hair looks the same when it’s wet, even if it’s curly [they cut more curly and textured hair than straight at the moment], you can’t really tell the extent of the curl, so dry-cutting with a bit of product and pushing it around with your hands is a great way of seeing the shape as you go,” he says.
“A wash and blowdry are only going to last a few days whereas a cut you’re going to live in for a few months, so I’d much rather spend a bit more time on that. I’m not saying a salon wash isn’t nice, but the way I see it is that’s 15 more minutes you could be having with me.” Each appointment lasts an hour and 15 minutes and within that time they’ll also show you how to style your new cut yourself.
While taking influences from everything from the glamour of Sixties’ Italian bobs to Brigitte Bardot’s statement wavy fringe, The Hair Bros’ ethos is strictly to “always work with your hair,” delivering a highly personalised cut.
So, what’s the style everyone’s asking for at the moment? “We’re cutting hair a lot longer. Straight after lockdown it was all about bobs and the Seventies’ type of fringe but now I’m cutting shape into longer hair. This kind of slightly Nineties vibe has come back in and this is a gateway into fringes.” Most people have probably had a bad experience with a fringe — I certainly have — so it is often a gradual process. “Moving straight into a fringe can be quite daunting, but if we start by cutting in a bit of shape and then we see you in eight weeks’ time for a trim, as your hair grows out you might be ready for us to go a bit shorter around the face.”
Nother begins by misting my hair with water and spritzing it with Hair Story’s Undressed Texturizing Spray (£42, hairstory.com). To my joy, he’s not concerned about my split ends — or doesn’t mention them at least — and just asks me what I like about my hair at the moment (a rarity!). I tell him I’d ideally like to keep the length, and to my relief, he nods enthusiastically. The cut begins at the front (rather than the back), with Nother using his hands to fan out the hair around my face to see how it hangs as he cuts in some shorter lengths.
Once he’s happy with the cut, he shows me several ways to style it with little effort. The first is simply adding two clips, or four velcro rollers, at the front to leave a natural wave in it as it dries and give it some body. For days when I do want to use heat, he demonstrates a scrunching technique to use with a hairdryer on a low setting, to put a slight wave through it. To my amazement, it works on my usually poker-straight tresses. “This will just give your hair a bit of movement but nothing that says I’ve spent hours doing my hair,” he says. For a more dramatic look, and on days I have more time , he recommends either the Dyson Airwrap (£449.99, selfridges.com) or the much cheaper but also great Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser (£44.99, amazon.co.uk) for adding volume. Finally, he shows me how to wear it up with some strands untucked with a bit of dry shampoo for added oomph on days I don’t wash it.
The Cut costs £170, which Nother accepts may seem a lot, but points out most of his clients “only come to us once or twice a year and have a few fringe trims in between.” And unlike any other cut I’ve had, the whole experience feels centred around longevity. It’s as much about how the cut will grow out as how it looks today. He tells me to come back in eight weeks for a fringe trim when I might just be ready to commit to it further. Is this the hair journey of the future? If their 50K Instagram following (@thehairbros) is anything to go by, it’s a yes. The team is already growing, too, with colourists Cort and Frankie now upstairs and afro hair expert Luke joining the Bros twice a month. Watch this space.
