Beehives, Bobs & Blowdries has been curated by Barton and his childhood friend, fashion consultant and academic Donna Bevan. Stephanie Smith reports.

Barnsley-born hairdresser to the stars Andrew Barton is bringing an exhibition celebrating the world of hairdressing to The Piece Hall in Halifax next month to coincide with the Heritage Open Days Festival.

Beehives, Bobs & Blowdries has been curated collaboratively by Barton and fashion research consultant and senior academic Donna Bevan and will be held at the Caygill Rooms in The Piece Hall from September 17 to October 16.

The exhibition was first staged in 2018 at The Civic in Halifax, and Barton and Bevan, of Solent University, have brought this exhibition back with additional content, and a focus on sustainability and hair futures.

Andrew Barton said: “We knew there was a story to be told about hair, its meaning and its codes. Donna and I grew up together in the same Yorkshire village where her mother played an integral part in the community, owning the village salon ‘Pam’s Unisex salon’ where my mother and grandmother went each week to be styled. I would meet them there each Friday afternoon and you could say it’s where my hair fascination started. It’s an honour to have collaborated with Donna on this project who is as passionate about hair and hairdressing as I am.”

Beehives, Bobs & Blowdries celebrates the art and skills of hairdressing along with some of the most iconic looks of the past 70 years. Often overlooked, fashion would not be complete without that iconic hair style. The exhibition aims to showcase and celebrate the very best of British hairdressing talent, those who have been setting, tweaking, cutting, colouring and blowing the trends throughout the decades.

It will also chart key innovations in the hair industry, the rituals of the salon environment, technological breakthroughs in salon products and the influence of hair fashion trends and subcultural styles.

Donna Bevan said: “It’s always a pleasure to be collaborating with Andrew. This exhibition allows us to bring together our passion for this amazing industry and its legacy. We have the perfect combination of skills and expertise which has allowed us to evolve this unique look at hair. The future of the hair salon industry is important to this new version of the exhibition with sustainability and innovation at its core. Quite simply, we want to take you back to the hair future.”

There will be an exhibition alongside of images from a book and recent projects of the charity Haircuts 4 Homeless, which was founded by veteran hairdresser Stewart Roberts. This will be displayed in the Long Gallery at The Piece Hall to coincide with the Beehives Bob’s & Blowdries exhibition.

Visit the Beehives, Bobs and Blowdries exhibition at The Piece Hall from 17th September – 16th October. Free. Sponsored by L’Oreal Professionnel plus Andrew Barton London Education (ABLE), Banbury Postiche, Haircuts 4 Homeless, Little Princess Trust, Pink Gin Vintage, Racoon International, SLBPR and Solent University.

For more information please visit: https://www.thepiecehall.co.uk/event/beehives-bobs-blowdries

@beehivesbobsandblowdries

Celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton brings hairdressing exhibition to The Piece Hall in Halifax