The Outliers Issue 1

Local
heroes
Beyond London and the UK’s biggest
cities there are booming salon
businesses that have blossomed over
decades. What’s the secret to their
continuing success? Let’s find out…
“We’ve had some clients bring in
children for their first haircuts…
and now they’re bringing in their
own children!”
David Hyde
David Anthony,
Portsmouth
“THE SECRET IS the team,
admits David Hyde, founder of
37-year-old David Anthony salon
in Portsmouth. That’s what he
puts his success down to – with
five colleagues who have been
with him for more than 25 years,
it’s a consistency that clients love,
a continuity. “They know our
faces, so our clients do feel like
they’re coming into a family,” he
smiles. “There’s a lovely closeness.
We’ve had some clients bring in
children for their first haircuts…
and now they’re bringing in their
own children! It’s lovely.”
Having been laser-focused to
own his own salon by the age of 21,
David worked hard and saved even
harder to achieve that goal, with
two months to spare. “I’m very
driven, and you’ve got to move
with the times,” he admits. “I still
train, attend launches, and that is
part of it – I enjoy that. It’s very
easy in hairdressing to fall behind.”
Education is a priority, and
it’s here that his product partner
of 25 years, Redken, has excelled.
“The support we get from Redken
is immense; we’re not a London
salon and through Redken we
get to work with names I don’t
think we’d see otherwise, like Lee
Stafford and AJ Blackadder. And
they come to us, spending a whole
day with the team. It’s brilliant.”
And the family vibe isn’t
confined to the salon. “Redken
feels like part of the team, we’re
part of a tribe,” he says fondly.
“We go to events and we know the
other salons there, and there’s no
rivalry. We’re all in it together.”
40 The Outliers