We show you the most creative barbershop in town, meet the people behind this new concept.
Yeeess Barbers or artistic barbershop could be synonyms and this time we enter the most creative barbershop in Barcelona. Meet the people behind this new concept. After the two world wars, the imposition of the hippie style and the arrival of Gilletes razors in homes, barbershops, as a business model, were buried in such a deep hole that nobody would imagine that almost a century later, they would re-emerge again.
Today we take a look at the barbershop of the moment: Yeeess Barbers (@yeeessbarbers), one of the most artistic barbershops in Barcelona, which has been setting trends for 7 years. Not only for its design and creativity, but also for recovering the traditional philosophy of barbershops, making its business a meeting place. In this legendary barbershop, each stylist knows how to listen to the client to give the hair or beard a style that fits the person.
But who is behind it? We didn't want to leave without knowing who was responsible for the fact that there were customers waiting for us from early in the morning. The answer was given to us by 3 people: two workers of this artistic barbershop(Fidel and Rafa) and Ramón, the owner and founder of Yeeess barbers. An entrepreneur who bet on what he was best at, men's cuts and beards.
@fidelito28 - artist at Yeeess Barbers
"Here, thanks to the references that our clients bring us, we can find out who is the most popular in football, urban music, who is the most acclaimed actor, etc".
Something that strikes us is that in few businesses do we notice that the workers enjoy what they do as much as you do. What do you like most about your profession as a stylist?
What I like most are urban cuts, because they allow me to adapt classics with modern trends. Since 2018, in the world of men's styling, design in the cut has come back into fashion. Classic and modern styles are now combined. For example, the toupee, which is a classic, has been combined with the gradient, thus creating a new style. That's what I like the most, because they are very clean lines that I can play with and shape the hair.
Thank you for taking part in this interview and letting us get to know a bit more about the people behind Yeeess barbers, which for us is the creative barbershop par excellence in Barcelona. Tell us a bit about yourself as an artist. How do you define your style in the art of barbering?
I have always loved the constant change in cutting styles. I think we are the best field for trend studies. Here, thanks to the references that our clients bring us, we can find out who is the most popular in football, in urban music, who is the most acclaimed actor, etc. This constant change forces us to always be learning.
@rafa.delosangeles - artist on Yeeess Barbers
"Barbershops have always been a meeting place, where men could come to relax, to explain their problems...".
Together with Fidel you work side by side with Ramón (the owner) to move this creative business forward. We know that you each have your own style and that together you make an unstoppable combination. But tell us a bit about yourself as an artist.
What is your favourite thing about the cut?
There are two things I love about my job. One is cutting the beard and the second is making sure the customer leaves satisfied with the result. Normally in hairdressers and barbershops, the workers are on commission. In those cases, the rules are to do your job as fast as possible. And any barber knows that in 10 or 15 minutes you can't do a good job. I, for example, really enjoy pampering and working out the details of my service. I may take longer, but I know with certainty that the client leaves here with the hairstyle or beard he wanted.
Without a doubt, a job well done takes time and so would you say that is your secret to success?
The secret is time, yes. Time to work out the details and time to listen and connect with the client. Barbershops have always been a meeting place, where men could come to relax, explain their problems or tell their barber whatever they wanted. I think that's partly why our customers keep coming back. Here we have brought back the philosophy of what barbershops used to be.
@ramonsaco - Owner of Yeeess Barbers
"I literally started with two chairs and a mirror".
Ramón, thank you for giving us the opportunity to spend some time with you and let us meet the man responsible for this innovative barbershop concept. As lovers of art and fashion, we recognise the merit of making the decoration of a barbershop, a totally artistic concept with an underground design that is not seen so often.
We would like to know how this idea came about and how you took the plunge into entrepreneurship?
This whole dream came about by chance. I never intended to become a stylist or anything like that. In fact, this story begins with me working in Ibiza as a waiter. At one point in my life, I had to go back to Barcelona and look for a job. When I couldn't find anything related to my field, I accepted a position as a receptionist in a Marco Aldany. That was my first contact with the world of hairdressing. There I saw that hairdressers and hairdressers were paid much more than me, so my ambition for money motivated me to start studying at a hairdressing and aesthetics academy. And it was while studying that I fell in love with the profession and with one style in particular: the men's cut. On a technical level, men's cutting is one of the most complicated, but I was good at it.
After the academy I worked for other hairdressers until 7 years ago. When I had accumulated a reasonable amount of experience and I had things clear at a professional level, I decided to create my own space. A barbershop where I would only do men's cuts and beards.
Undoubtedly the most striking thing when you enter the premises is the design. When you opened the barbershop, was the design also part of the business plan or wasn't it thought of?
Not at all. I literally started with two chairs and a mirror. The design was created little by little. I can say that the inspiration came from the typical underground clubs in Berlin and Milan, and under that style I have added elements that reflect my character and personality.
We ask you the same question as your colleagues, what do you enjoy most about your work at Yeees barbers which is your artistic barbershop?
I definitely enjoy doing beards and eyebrows the most. I feel I can be more creative and surprise the client. Although it may sound silly, but when I do the beard, the client has to stretch his head back and close his eyes until I finish. And the feeling is that I can create freely and surprise him because when he opens his eyes he will see something different. When you do a hairstyle the client is looking at the progress and it's not the same.
And on a business level, as a manager, do you have any medium to long term plans for the barbershop?
At the moment, no. I don't have any long-term projects with Yeeess Barbers because very recently, due to the pandemic, I had to close a barbershop that had only been open for a year. That was a lot of financially and emotionally upsetting. So right now I want to focus on keeping this barbershop fully operational. Taking care of it, pampering it and enjoying my work.
Finally, what advice would you give to any new barber who is starting out or considering opening a barbershop?
The most important thing before opening your own barbershop is to make sure that as a professional you have the skills and ability to build customer loyalty. I have met many barbers and hairdressers who do their job well, but don't build customer loyalty. This is very important, because if you already know that you have the barber's skills that builds customer loyalty, you can open anywhere. And to build loyalty, it is important the treatment, the atmosphere that you generate as a barber. We are like their psychologists. Sometimes, it's not even about the quality of your work or how creative you are.
The human touch is important and that is precisely what is being lost in many businesses. We are going to ask you for one last piece of advice, but this time as an entrepreneur and artist. What would you say to a young person who wants to start a new business?
Yes, there is no doubt that entrepreneurship is an art. Entrepreneurship is an almost romantic act. You have to really feel it. Even if you then put it on the line, it doesn't matter. In my case, I couldn't open a franchise, because it's a ready-made business that doesn't express anything of who I am. Another important thing in entrepreneurship that I would advise is to start from scratch. It doesn't make any sense to start by making big investments if you haven't yet been trained as an entrepreneur or as an artist. Actually, if the product or service is good, it will grow and the business itself will give you the profits to invest and grow.
After interviewing the creative barbers that make up Yeeess Barbers we can understand why it is the most artistic barbershop in Barcelona. From Finally Rich we have been able to capture the essence and it is that the treatment with the client and the passion for what you do make the difference when it comes to make you feel part of Yeeess Barbers and of course, leave there with the best cut you can find in Barcelona and give you the luxury of doing it in an artistic place.
If you want to know the story of another enterprising artist from Barcelona we leave you with the following article
"Xavier Basiana and Finally Rich at the Nau Bostik".
