Creative HEAD UK January 2018

SHOP TALK
POLE POSITION
PORTERS
WITH FOUR SHOPS ACROSS LONDON, THIS BRAND HAS
OPTED FOR AN UNASHAMEDLY MASCULINE APPROACH
East Dulwich Dulwich Village
Bora Esen
Clients who walk into a Porters barber
shop are always made to feel right at home
with a complimentary drink – anything
from coffee and tea infusions to a cold beer
or a scotch. It’s a name that’s developed
from a single barber shop in Dulwich
Village seven years ago to a lifestyle brand
with four South London locations. Exposed
brickwork, vintage barber chairs, Edison
filament bulbs… it all adds to the eclectic
and intimate atmosphere.
There are old-school techniques in play,
as sinks at each work station have chairs
that can rotate so clients experience the
‘front dunk’. It also has the 350 Club,
a men’s grooming club (limited to 350
members) that for £20 a week offers two
weekly treatments, priority appointments
and exclusive invitations to Porter events.
What founder Bora Esen believes sets
Porters apart is its ability to quickly
become the hub of any community its
locate in. The focus is on giving back: from
apprenticeship programmes in the shops to
working with and sponsoring local schools
and charities.
Inside, it’s all about Crew and a brew –
American Crew has been stocked by Bora
since it first landed in the UK, and all the
shops include baristas trained in-house,
just like its barbers. “We have always
served coffee, but never this specialised
and we felt like it was the right time to
crank things up,” explains Bora.
If the setting looks familiar, it’s because
its shops are regular destinations for
filming and photography – the BBC, ITV,
MTV and Sky Sports are just a few of
who’ve set up shoots within its doors. Its
most recent opening was Brixton, a base
Bora says is “like nowhere else in London.
It’s a total melting pot, so you never know
who’s going to walk through the door, or
which style they’ll want”.
Brixton
Mister Quarterly 15