It is unquestionable the impact that the past 8 months has had on our industry; we are an entrepreneurial, creative industry which houses so much talent. In this series, we speak with a number of regional hairdressers about their love of the industry, the impact of COVID, and what #ChopTheVAT would do for them.
In this piece, we speak with Matt O’Neill-Kemp, Director of Naked Hair and Beauty. Naked Hair and Beauty is an award-winning salon in Northampton, which has served all genders since 2017.
What are your favourite things about being in hair?
Being able to change someone’s day. Be that through the hair that we create or just by listening to someone’s problems and giving them a shoulder.
Who is your hair icon?
I don’t really have an icon as such I look up to and admire Anthony Mascolo, Dom Lehane, Akin Konizi, Claire Chell and Michelle Thompson. I appreciate different aspects from all of them.
How has lockdown impacted your business?
Massively, we obviously were unable to trade which is a large financial impact. It’s more than that though, knowing our clients, being able to talk with all those different individuals with different outlooks and being unable to help the ones that need it. We have as most hair salons do vulnerable clients or clients that have mental health struggles and knowing that you’re unable to help like you normally would has been a big impact. Also the craft, the skills you have if you are a painter you pick up a brush and create your art, we are unable to do that on living canvasses at the moment and that’s a real struggle.
Image credit: @nakedhairandbeauty
What do you miss most since not being able to work?
The people, we are a family and just like your own family at the moment not seeing them is hard. We have clients that have been with us for many many years. Some we see more often than we would some of our family members. You become close, form bonds and it’s hard not having that interaction.
What changes have you put in place to adapt to working through COVID?Â
We have changed the layout of the salon, we have less clients in than we did before. The stylists have had to adapt to the PPE and communicating with the client but in a safe way. There’s a lot that has had to be done.
How would a cut in VAT impact your business?
It would be a big help to us. We don’t have a lot of offsetting that we can do. We have rent and product but if someone is in for a blow dry or a haircut there isn’t a lot that you can offset. Don’t get me wrong I’m grateful for what we have received but, other sectors have been given more support than ours and this wouldn’t be a big ask for the government.
Find out more about the #ChopTheVAT campaign here.
Find out more about Naked Hair and Beauty here. You can follow them on Instagram here, and check out their Facebook.
