Known for his many men’s hairdressing achievements and his incredible hair transformations on X Factor, salon owner Jamie Stevens, has packed a lot into his 35 years; it was only matter of time before he launched his own men’s haircare range and it does not disappoint….
Hi Jamie, congratulations on the success of your Mr range; when you first started out in hairdressing did you ever dream that you would create your own haircare line?
Yes, actually! Hairdressing runs in my family- I took over my mum’s hair salon at 18 years old, I was always ambitious and It’s always been a dream of mine to have my own range. I had to have full input into every aspect though, I did not want a range with my name on that I’d had no creative input in at all- I have been offered deals like that in the past and it’s not for me.
How did you decide which products to include?
The whole range is focussed on Thicker, Fuller, Stronger hair and looking after the hair you have. The ‘disguise’ products are a very important part of the range for me, I have seen confidence in men I know deteriorate (quite significantly in some cases) and wanted to create a product to quickly ‘fix’ that. The only way to gain back lost hair is by transplant, this is hugely expensive, time consuming and painful so it is just not an option for everyone. The disguise range hides thinning hair instantly. The thickening range is all about prevention. Prevention is always better than cure so this range is for all men not just men with thinning hair. Nothing is ever going to stop hair loss but we can certainly slow it down.
I love the name and the logo, how much input did you have in this and the styling of the range?
We came up with name Mr but I am very, very fortunate that I client of mine, Kerry is one of the owners at B and B (design studio) and loved the idea of the range so agreed to design the logo for me. I wanted something that men would be proud to have on show in their bathrooms or in the gym and something that appeals to men of all ages.
Thinning hair can have such a devastating effect on confidence, what has the feedback been like so far?
It’s been amazing, we’ve had men tell us that is has totally changed the way they feel about themselves, we even had the wife of a customer tell us how grateful she is that her husband is happy and confident again! Customers love the scent too, it’s like a soft aftershave smell- I was really pleased with this feedback because I was adamant that I wanted this kind of smell.
It’s great that men are taking such pride and interest in their individual style these days. When/how do you think the shift in Men’s grooming happened?
Things have definitely changed, people like David Beckham and One Direction have made it socially acceptable for men to have a more definite style. Social media has made a difference too and given men access to ideas and inspiration to create their own look. Even my 8-year-old nephew wears gel occasionally now!
Do you plan on extending the range? (Skincare/body care etc)
Watch this space!
You have achieved so much at such an early age, what’s next for Jamie Stevens the brand and the person?
Well, the building work to expand the salon is starting next week, we would like to continue growing the team and gaining awards, and ultimately focussing on Mr. I’m the global ambassador for Matrix too which is important to me.
I’m in my 3rd year of marriage now so babies are on my mind too- it’s my wife’s 30th this year though so maybe we’ll celebrate that first!
Available exclusively at Boots and www.mrjamiestevens.com