Despite the lack of hair-dressing and barber academies in Buffalo City Metro, East Londoner Jeremy Leslie has not deferred his dream of qualifying as an accredited barber and now runs his own barber shop, Dapper & Steez, which recently opened in Berea.
Leslie said he was forced to look for options outside the province to learn the ins and outs of being a barber while harnessing a skill as he pursued his desire to make people look good.
“My passion for hair and styling started at a young age of about 12,” he said. “I had always been playing around with different hair styles and I could never keep the same hair style for too long. People always asked me to style them and would sometimes ask me for advice and that's when I began looking out for places where I could learn so I could be a certified professional.”
Leslie said he aspired to have a barber service with a difference.
“As I came to the realisation that men’s grooming could possibly be my calling, earlier this year I found an academy based in Johannesburg and went full steam ahead with the course.”
Leslie enrolled at the Beard Boys Academy. He confirms that it had been highly recommended by former students.
“I thoroughly enjoyed learning the art and craftsmanship so I decided to open up my own barber shop,” Leslie said.
“I also liked that it had a short, one-month course, and for a family man like myself it seemed ideal because I wouldn't be spending a long time away from home.”
Dapper & Steez, popular slang for style with ease, opened it's doors at 23, Suffolk Street, Berea last week for all men, young and old, who want to look and feel good about themselves.
“I aspire to give men pride and confidence and to look after themselves, even from a young age, through a variety of services,” he said. These include eyebrow colouring, hair colour coverage, straightening treatments and nose waxing.
E-studio Glam director Lwandy Ngebe said she had also faced similar challenges in the hairdressing industry. She was forced to take hair stylists under her mentorship programme to Port Elizabeth where they could complete a programme and get an accredited certification and also do trade tests.
“Since the closure of Vogue and Buffalo City College hairdressing courses, there are no vocational schools offering hairdressing in East London, which is why we also had to engage the owner of the Hair School, which is among a few in the province to offer trade tests to some of our hair stylists.” she said.
There are currently talks concerning opening a college that could cater for hairdressers in the future...