I have always had a fascination with texture. I do all hair types at the studio but when I am dry-cutting texture into peoples hair, I truly feel all alive. It feels like a gift, and a path.
Delilah became a dry-cutting and curl heavy studio because its something we became known for through the wonders of social media and our website. Platforms like instagram truly give hair artists the ability to share their work, meet other like-minded people and attract an audience with the general public. Textured hair is something we have always done, in one form or another. We are Afro hair specialists, our bobs are textured, shags, mullets, you name it, we either razor it or cut it dry. I have a high level of respect for precision artists, and they were my beginnings too, but it isn’t where my passion lives.
The misconception is that we are strictly dry-cutters. I don’t like to pigeon hole myself or Delilah and be just one thing, as it is very limiting and one dimensional. I still love to cut my pixies wet and razor cuts are definitely done wet. It’s more about choosing the right technique for the cut or someone’s hair type. The skill to know what is going to give the best result for the wearer.
For most of my career I have had a leaning towards texture, but popularity and social media is a strange thing. It wants you to be one thing, easily digestible, a ‘specialist’ – Delilah is a place where everyone can have their hair done. We are a team of artists and specialists who do very straight hair, right through to the other end of the spectrum at Afro, and everything in between. We are colourists too! A good freehand balayage or lived-in blonde, and a couple of us have a sweet tooth for a killer vivid.
The thing I am most proud of about Delilah is that anyone can walk through our doors and we can do their hair. It’s the way it should be and its the way it has always been for me. No one should feel anxious about a visit to the hairdresser just as much as no hairdresser should feel anxious about someone walking in with Afro hair!
The love for diversity of people preceded the specializing in curly hair, I mean, I started my career in a salon where we had doctors, dancers, nurses, working girls (and boys). I worked with a priest in training, a goth, a stripper, we were a diverse team I can tell you that! It was such a great experience and I have been chasing that my whole career, so when I opened my own salon I naturally wanted to cater to people of every persuasion because that is what brings me joy. Working with textured hair means that you get a large variety of people through the doors, and a lot of people that have been turned away by other salons! That’s what makes Delilah such a special place.
I want my experience to be infectious. This is why I choose to educate, because I want people to have the experiences in hairdressing that I had. It shaped me as a human being and I feel the need to expose people to some of it. Hairdressing has become kind of dry, a little one dimensional (blonde balayage with waves) and I want to re-add a littler flavour back into it. Show people what they are missing out on.
I hope to one day have the pleasure of seeing you at Delilah,
Adrian xx
