Curtis Hinton
- Jan 9, 2022

Russell's Shave club

Grooming is now apart of everyday life for men and im not just talking about a shave every now and then with the plastic razor and a can of shaving foam. Men have stepped up their game but not without the help of brands like Russell's Shave club. We sat down with the owner of the mens shaving brand to talk everything from launching the brand to whats in store for the future.

What was the drive for you to launch your own brand?

After 10 years of working as a barber and using various brands I developed my own brand. I wanted to bring good quality products to the market at an affordable price and share my knowledge through creating these products.

When launching a shaving brand, whats the process you go through? Where do you start?

You first decide on the products you want to bring out. I choose the products using current trends. For instance when I was developing my brand, beards were become very popular and one of the best ways to groom your beard is to use a cut-throat razor.

You then source the packaging. Your graphic designer would do the art work for the labelling and packaging. You need to run all safety checks and fill the products.

The product is then ready to be sold.

How do you go about sourcing the products, this isn't like a fashion brand where you just have to find the material. You've got to create creams and oils. How do you go about doing that?

I worked with a chemist in the cosmetic industry. I sampled different oils and creams and experimented with fragrances and ingredients to form the formulas. I then gathered feedback and made changes until I was happy with the product.

Would you say being an established barber in the city was a big help when launching your brand?

Definitely, we use and sell the products in the shop. The products we have developed are based on feedback from our customers.

What were some of the issues you came up against in the early stages?

There are so many different marketing strategies. It took time and perseverance to find the best strategy for the brand.

Also we had to ensure people knew how to use the products. We made videos tutorials to help them.

Let's go back to when you've just qualified as a barber. Was this the aim, was this your vision?

When I first qualified I enjoyed barbering and male grooming. I knew I wanted to give more to the industry and I did this by creating affordable luxuries.

How do you grow the product range? Is it a slow drip feed of new products or is it a whole new range release?

In my case in the beginning it was a slow drip feed as I was spending time gathering feedback on the products. I started this business on my own and it took time to establish. I was managing a barber shop and working in the film industry at the same time.

Now we can bring out a whole new range. For example, in March we released our skin care range.

The world at the moment is going through unprecedented times, how do you keep your business going through these times? Is there any advice you can give to other business owners out there?

It is a very difficult time for all at the moment. Remember all businesses go through hardships and struggles and this is temporary. We have been developing tutorials for our customers and offering grooming tips. We have been keeping busy by working on developing new grooming tools. Our NHS is amazing and we donated £1 of every order to them during April and May.

Lets talk a little about products and beard care. How important is it for someone to take care of their beard?

It is very important to take care your beard. A beard needs maintenance and grooming. The skin under the beard must be conditioned and moisturised well to stop the skin becoming dry and flakey.

Would you advise people to look after their beards at home or getting it done in a barber shop?

Both. I would advise people to maintain their beards themselves at home and when they lose shape they should be groomed and tidied up by a professional. I advise my clients to get their beards groomed when they get a hair cut and maintain their beards in-between haircuts using a beard oil and cut-throat.

Whats the worst treatments you've heard people have had on their beard?

Asking for a trim but having the beard shaved off. Nothing should come between a man and his beard.

What is the next steps for Russell's shave club?

We will be developing a hair and body range complete with shampoos and conditioners, styling products, body scrubs and gift sets.

For those who are wanting to check our your collection where can they do so?

www.russellsshaveclub.com and book online at our barbers

How would you sum up your brand in 3 words?

Quality

Affordable

Luxury

Chris thank you for your time.

Thank you very much