Tell me a little about your business?
Edward James Salons were founded in 2011, starting with our Northcote Road branch which only had 5 chairs and 2 basins initially and 2 fulltime staff (including me!). I had previously worked in the West End for the original Celebrity Stylist Nicky Clarke. I loved the buzz and luxury feel of a West End salon, but I realised that people’s needs were changing. My clients were time poor, often working from home or had previously worked in the city but were now at home and fulltime parents, but they still wanted the A-class service in a beautiful environment. Working with premium haircare products that really deliver has also been a huge passion, so choosing to work with brands such as Aveda, Philip Kingsley and Olaplex has become part of our brand.
Why do people come to Edward James?
Hiring amazing, warm and passionate people has been the key to success. Training for skill is something that we do as an ongoing part of our business, but you cannot make someone be warm or caring, so that has been integral. It is also a large part of the reason why we have won Best Business at the Wandsworth Business Awards, the Federation of Small Businesses and also Best Salon at the British Business Hairdressing awards as well as being in Tatler’s top 10 salons.
Our salons are open 7 days a week, provide complementary refreshments (including bubbles!), complimentary aromatherapy head and shoulder massages as part of every service and then, the ultimate colour and cut service. In a nutshell, we want our clients to feel they are whisked away to a private membership club, treated with the care for the entire time they are with us, and given the best advice on their hair, with some laughter and fun thrown in on top.
How has your business model had to adapt to COVID and the various Lockdowns?
Yes, I’m not going to lie, it has been so incredibly challenging. I love interior design, it is one of my passions, so unfortunately Covid safety has required us to partition and socially distance our salons, removing all the glorious snug sofas and soft furnishings for hygiene purposes. However, the biggest challenge has been enabling our team and clients to be in the salons in a socially distanced way. We are very fortunate in that we have 3 salons that we have been able to reallocate team members to so that we can reduce the number of people in the salon at any one time. We have extended our opening times and we have had to extend service times to allow for more deep cleaning and preparation for every client. Hygiene is already a huge part of our regular service standard, however Covid safety has required intense deep cleans on every surface constantly throughout the day which is obviously time consuming but essential.
Do you think there will be big changes in your industry going forward?
I think that sadly we will see a lot of hair salons close in the coming months. During closures, many salons have had their staff furloughed, like us, however they have continued to pay full rent, VAT, suppliers as well as national insurance and pension contributions on their payroll, which all add up every month. I think this will result in less high street salons and some of the talent leaving the industry. It has also seen a change in colour and styles that clients are opting for. There is a trend for easier maintenance colour that can grow-out for longer such as balayage colour and longer hairstyles that do not need as much maintenance. However, I think once this is all done and dusted (hopefully soon fingers crossed) we will see another roaring 20s – more bold, exciting colour, more drastic styling like we did in the 1920s when the bob was such a hit. People are looking for change and excitement and what better way to do than see your stylist?
Can clients still shop with you and, if so, how?
YES! We have bespoke colour kits for clients to top up their colour at home without having to use the dreaded box-dye. Our kits are personalised for your colour, and we are also able to provide our blonde clients with root-blending kits, colour toners and Olaplex repair treatments to manage their hair whilst we are shut. They have been hugely popular and we have had some incredible feedback. We also have your favourite retail and haircare available to purchase at www.edwardjameslondon.com or go to our Instagram @edwardjameshair and we can organise these for you.
Where is home?
We live in SW London and go to glorious Ramsgate every weekend (when not in lockdown). Ramsgate is just incredible; gold sandy beaches, Georgian architecture and a wealth of historical residence including Van Gough, Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin. I am utterly amazed more people have not discovered this little treasure, especially as it is only over an hour from London. We are blessed.
Do you have a local shop you couldn’t live without?
The Flower Stand in Battersea. Fresh flowers cheer me up, so I always have a bunch of blooms next to me when I am working. David who owns the Flower Stand is one of the loveliest people I know, he did our wedding flowers for us and even drove them down to Brighton when I married Steve. He has always done the incredible blooms in our salons and I can honestly say they always last 3 weeks, I don’t know what he does to them but no other flowers last as long!
Where will you book for your first meal out of Lockdown?
I want to say the Wolseley as it has always been one of my favourite places, but I really miss Little Bird on Battersea Rise. Before we closed I felt so sad seeing what would normally be a buzzing restaurant being half full due to social distancing. Their food is incredible, and I cannot recommend the cod enough! It is my absolute favourite.
Have you taken up any new hobbies?
I decided to focus on learning in lockdown. I bought Spanish for Dummies and have been learning 3 phrases a day and 10 words. My pronunciation is a complete joke, but my thoughts on it are that over 3 months I can have a basic conversation. I am also working on a home-colour maintenance product that I hope will help everyone needing a fast colour re-touch. I have based the product on salon formulations that are safe and will banish dreary greys without the risk of box-dye disasters! Although this isn’t a new hobby, I have found it utterly fascinating working with scientists and manufacturers on creating our new product and also working on the creative look and feel of the product so that it is incredibly easy to use.
Do you have any newly discovered recipes?
My husband and I both had Covid in the last few weeks and I lost my sense of taste and smell, but we were lucky that we only had it mildly. It was the weirdest experience, I literally couldn’t smell anything. All I could sense was chilli and ginger because of the slight tingling sensation. I managed to cook THE most disgusting dishes for poor Steve over this time because I had absolutely idea what was going on with the flavours. He banned me from cooking for a month, which in fairness was probably a good idea!
What is your favourite podcast or recently read book?
Having binge watched Bridgeton over Christmas I decided to read the first book in the series (7 more to go!) and it was great. Very different to the TV edited series, but it made me think there are so many similarities to how we are currently living; you can only see people in a park outdoors socially and the rules of suitable etiquette were as just about as confusing as the rules of our Covid Tier system! Loved the TV series also, the hair and makeup were incredible.
Any TV series or film recommendations?
Well, apart from Bridgeton, I also love the Queen’s Gambit. The storyline is slightly dark, but I was just in love with the 60s hair, makeup and fashion. The character also shows huge resilience and I felt it was an inspiration.
What are you most looking forward to doing once life returns to some kind of normal?
Seeing my clients without facemasks on. It is so hard to communicate and I am also quite a huggy kind of person, so I really miss hugging people. The other thing I really miss is seeing my parents, who I haven’t seen in over a year and a half, so that is top of the list!
What do you love about South London?
Its my home. I grew up in West London and went to University in North London and have a lot of creative friends in East London. All have their quirks, but South West London is where I feel comfortable and at ease. I feel the community really cares and also there is enough chicness and style without it feeling pretentious. I also love the fact we have so many amazing independent businesses and that our community are passionate about supporting them. The other thing for me is that it is beautiful, we are blessed with beautiful green commons and parks that give us freedom even when in lockdown.