Whitney VerMeer at Barbercon
Our new bestie recently took over our Instagram to cover her experience at Barbercon in NYC. We think getting to see events from all perspectives is so important, especially to show those who would like to follow those footsteps what kind of opportunities are available in this amazing industry we get to call home.
A HUGE thank you to Whitney for her takeover and giving us a peek behind the curtain.
Recently I attended and performed for Barbercon in NYC at Terminal 5. Barbercon is one of the biggest barber expos in the world. For the set I participated in, there were three total barbers including – Justin Thomas, Rory Savajian , and myself. Walking out on stage I was nervous because of the large audience in attendance, but more excited than anything. It was really cool to be apart of the barbering culture in New York which is quite different from the salon world events that I have been apart of for many years.
The three of us walked onto the main stage while the music played loud and we began to cut hair while the crowd roared excitedly to see what they came for. Justin Thomas mc’d and let’s be honest- that guy has crazy charisma so that was an added bonus. I had the pleasure of cutting a former client of mine who had moved to NYC as a model. It was so fun to cut his hair again and to share this experience with him because being a hairstylist is more than just the cut, it’s a partnership approach to life and the experiences we partake in.
It felt especially amazing to have the support of my team, Hattori Hanzo, and to have them make such a big deal over the fact that I am a woman in what has traditionally been a man’s world – especially with stage work and the barbering community – they were as proud of me as I was to be there.
After the event, I walked around the space to see the other vendors in attendance which was a good opportunity to network and connect with barbers that I follow on Instagram. Overall, it was a phenomenal experience that I was honored to be apart of. I think more than anything I was humbled to break through ceilings with the support of everyone around me.