Support The Trade
In August 2011, a seedling of an idea germinated into a full-blown non-profit that sends teams of educated hairdressers to third world countries to teach women the art of hairdressing, manicuring, makeup application, and salon business.
This gives women the opportunity to learn new skills, feed their families, and contribute to their local economies in a meaningful way. Women in these countries combat poverty, institutionalized sexism and human trafficking every day. By giving them an education, The Trade shows them that they are worth an education, and they will teach their daughters those same values.
We were introduced to this incredible non-profit a few months ago unexpectedly. The saga went a little something like this…
6am comes really, really early on a Hair Show Monday morning…it also comes with a major anxiety attack when you receive a confirmation you will be taking a hands-on training with top pivot point stylists. Mostly because you realize you left your scissors & tools on the kitchen counter…
After we decided who was at fault for this major hiccup… we realized our finger pointing wasn’t gonna do shit to solve our dilemma. Off to the ISSE trade floor… to beg for tools and hope some hair nerd pals would find it in their hearts and help some tool less hair nerds out. We gathered clips, combs and towels thanks to Gerard Scarpaci and Wayne Woodruff. Now we just needed shears… but who would give these Nerds hundreds of dollars in shears to play with?
A place where everyone knows your name, where the drinks flow earlier and fists pump harder to the beat of all the latest club sounds…Hattori Hanzo. We always make it a point to hang with these boys. Thankfully, they showed some #hairnerdlove and let us play scissors for the day. Like we always say… your #HairNerd Family is the best family (the ones you actually get to choose)!
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
When we reluctantly handed back our borrowed #HH8 to Chris and Jon at the booth we started chatting about how hard it is to let go of a pair of shears.
#HairNerds know that the bond between a stylist and their shears is almost matrimonial. You promise to love, honor and cherish those shears…but as time goes on, you go to bed wondering when they lost their luster, why they aren’t as sharp as they used to be, why they have a headache every night (we kid!)…
So you have to ask yourself: What Would Don Draper Do?
The answer: He’d get a brand new pair, and not bat an eye. Because he’s a badass and so are you.
Don’t feel bad about your choice to upgrade because when you trade in your old, busted shears with Hattori Hanzo, you:
Get a voucher towards a new pair of shears &
Help educate a woman in a third world country, so that she doesn’t have to be trafficked to make a living
They repair your ex-shears and sharpen those bad boys so they are like new for a woman who is just beginning her journey in this industry. Remember that first day of school and how excited you were to open up all of your supplies? Even the perm rods were exciting, right? You are creating that moment for someone else and that is pretty special .
How can you get involved?
Donate directly to the Trade Foundation. 100% of your donation goes directly to programming and training to empower and educate women affected by the sex trade.
Click Here and you can help provide:
Tools
Supplies
Stipends for students while they train so they are able to continue providing for their families and attend class every day
Food for students
Sending instructors abroad to teach
Housing for instructors while volunteering abroad
Trade In or Donate your ”experienced” shears. (We’ve decided we aren’t aging anymore… we are just becoming experienced.
Volunteer to teach on a trip. We know a couple of educators from Taylor Andrews Academy that had the opportunity to travel to Cambodia and volunteer. We will share their experience soon!
