Ben Copeland has been passionate about hairdressing since his first day in the job. “I walked into a salon – aged 16 – and immediately knew it was for me. I was indoors, warm, listening to music and could see that I could be as creative as I wanted, the world was my oyster.”
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He trained as a junior at ICON, an independent salon in Surrey, and developed his cutting and colour skills at the Sassoon Academy in London.
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Determined to be his own boss, Ben has worked freelance since the age of 24. It means he can guarantee that everyone who sits in his chair has a good experience. ‘Hairdressing for me is a vocation, an art form where I not only get to be creative but also put a smile on people’s faces, make them feel brand new.’
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Not surprisingly, people come back – over 70% of his clients have been with him for over 15 years. He now co-owns Halliday Copeland Hair, a boutique-style salon for women and men in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey.
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As well as owning a successful salon, Ben has worked on numerous occasions for L’Oréal, training people, presenting and working on pop-ups all over Europe as well as consulting for various brands within L’Oréal. He has worked in Cannes, Oslo, Paris and the UK and has also worked with David Beckham on several occasions featuring in advertising campaigns for one of David’s grooming brands named House 99.
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When Ben and his business partner Sarah Halliday were planning their salon in Kingston upon Thames, their ambition was to offer a boutique feel, with an eclectic style all of its own. And that is what they have achieved in spades when they opened in Kingston upon Thames in September 2016, with just a few chairs they offer excellent coffee and an eclectic playlist.
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“We want people to feel like they’re in their own sitting room. It’s small and personal with a mish-mash of styles, there’s nothing formal or bland about it. It’s exactly what we wanted.”
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The salon is where Ben can show off his portfolio of hairdressing talents – cutting, colouring, styling and grooming. As he deals personally with all his clients, he can ensure that no appointments is rushed. “I give a bit longer than many salons as I want to make certain that it's a pleasurable experience, and that everyone leaves happy.”
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The salon itself is unique in that time dedicated to you is unrivalled anywhere else, there’s no rushing and often Ben works with one client at a time, never squeezing other clients in between appointments, clients will only be booked in between if the timing works.
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Every appointment starts with a consultation – whether you are a new client or not…
For Ben, the consultation is one of the most important parts of the appointment, and something that he’ll never rush. He wants to understand the wants and needs of the person sitting in his chair before reaching for his scissors.
“Suitability in terms of ‘Will it suit their face-shape? Will it suit their lifestyle? Will it suit what they wear, their job?’ That’s the first thing you need to work out, whether it’s going to work…”
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Next is the shape. This is all about complementing the face and trying to create an oval face shape, which is considered to be the perfect face shape, with the way the hair falls.
There are always, of course, exceptions to every rule so this isn’t set in stone but again proves why the consultation process is so important.
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“Structure is how you support and build the haircut. This works hand-in-hand with the shape, to make the cut last, and to provide durability.”
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And even if you’ve been seeing Ben for years, when you walk through the door the first thing you will do is sit down to talk through how it’s been since your last visit. He wants to know what’s worked and – just as importantly – if something hasn’t worked before doing anything.
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Appointed as the official UK barber for House 99, Ben was been involved since the launch of David Beckham’s first ever grooming product, developed with L’Oréal. Ben appeared in promotional videos alongside David, and regularly travelled to Paris, Cannes and Oslo to work in pop-up barber stores, as ambassador for the House 99 brand.
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Ben takes time out from running the salon to offer free haircuts to homeless men and women. He does several days a month at The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields in central London.
“It’s changed my attitude to homelessness and made me realise that it can happen to anyone. If you hit a difficult patch and don’t have friends or family to help you out, then you’re only a month or two away from being homeless.”
“It’s all about helping people feel human again.”
The aim of the project is to help people get back on their feet and a good haircut can make a big difference. “I like the fact there is a package of services available, including haircuts. It’s all about helping people feel human again.”
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Ben knows he is lucky to have a career that he loves – which is why he has chosen to give something back by giving free haircuts at London’s biggest homeless shelter, The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields. “It’s extremely close to my heart, because it makes people feel a little bit better. I genuinely think that if you look good, then you feel good.”
“It doesn’t matter whose hair I'm working on. I love seeing someone looking in the mirror and feeling brand new again. That still gives me a buzz after more than twenty years as a hairdresser.”