Christopher Triana brings the art of barbering to V Collective!

  • _DSC1125_DChristopher Triana/Bellus Academy_DSC1117 We’re not always in the studio on Tuesdays, but we’re always working on elevating the craft of hairdressing.  Christopher Triana joined the collective back in 2016 where he brings the art of barbering to the studio.  When he’s not at the studio, he’s teaching the barbering program at the Bellus Academy, as well as bringing his students to us.  A year ago, we decided to go rogue from the standard salon (an establishment where a hairdresser, beautician or couturier conducts business) and build a studio (place where people go to learn, practice, or study _DSC1121an art).  In light of that, we met with Brad Quick, regional director, and Christopher where we explored more opportunities to strengthen our relationship with the academy and students alike.  We look forward to embarking upon this new journey.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year

Tina, David, and Jason are looking forward to a fresh new year with endless possibilities after having made 2016 an amazing year to remember. Each month brought fresh challenges and accomplishments, giving the new studio a solid foundation for innovation. We couldn’t have done it without everyone who stuck with us from Phenix Salon to our 5th Avenue studio. While David was working overtime realizing V Collective’s final vision in Banker’s Hill as planner and contractor, Tina and Jason kept the ball rolling at Phenix Salon. It wasn’t always easy dealing with the hurdles of Phenix’s location issues, but our commitment to bringing V Collective to life carried us through.

We know this coming year will begin with the same wonderful energy as last January, where we attended LBP Front Row, which was a “4 day hair festival of epic proportions.” The excitement from that event carried over into Tina gaining national recognition as a grand prize recipient in a contest LBP Front Row sponsored. Following Tina’s success and attention, David attained his own success after gaining over 23,000 views on one of his haircut videos in its first month of being posted on Youtube. David hopes to rapidly expand V Collective’s internet presence so that the salon’s commitment to craft and innovation can reach a wider audience.

Speaking of audiences, V Collective also hosted the 1st R+Co regional class and the 1st V76 by Vaughn barbering class, inspiring the next generation of San Diego hair professionals with quality education from the leaders in luxury salon services. These classes truly brought to life the name of the studio, because Collective means active engagement with the community. We aim to inspire and engage the San Diego hair community to push innovation and quality across the board. After having experienced the versatility of our new studio’s interior, we can’t wait to host more events in the coming year. So here’s to 2017, where we will continue to bring quality and innovation to San Diego by traveling to the major hotspots for hair exploration and through educational events within our studio. We can’t wait for what is to come!

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POP-UP GIFT SHOP!

Don’t miss out on our pop up gift shop this Saturday 12-17-2016! Park at Balboa Park for free, take a nice walk in beautiful SD, and pick up something special for your loved ones. There’s nothing like the holidays in beautiful San Diego! Truffles by One Sweet Addiction, Evolution Grain -free Dog Treats, Accessories from Vocabulary Boutique, Totes by Lola Elisa, Custom Gift Boxes by Parcel and Bloom, complimentary nail polish change, LBP product specials and more! Costum Gift Boxes by Parcel and Bloom Vocabulary Evolution dog treats S&C-Model-V-Collective-IG

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“Marco Delgado: Soul of a Barber, Vision of a Hairdresser”

 A Little after 12pm on October 24, Tina Valencia, co-owner of V Collective, was chatting with an audience eager to gain expert knowledge about barbering from visiting V76 educator Marco Delgado. She, her husband David Valencia, and manager Jason Dean had prepared a valuable educational session with this Los Angeles professional in order to expand awareness in San Diego about the fast-paced and ever changing hair industry. Before the demo, Tina warmly took questions concerning her experience as a stylist and business owner.

She set the tone for an engaging few hours with Marco as she shared her own trials and successes from setting up a business, evolving with the economy and hair industry, and how building up a sense of comaraderie with her colleagues and employees has been essential in maturing into a successful and thriving salon owner.

Then Marco stepped through the salon door ready to get acquainted with his audience. But this class didn’t only focus on Marco chopping away on the models’ hair while his audience watched silently. It was about Marco sharing his experiences from cutting hair in his backyard at 13 years of age to evolving into an educator for one of the top hair product brands in the world. His metamorphoses has allowed him to develop, in his words, “the soul of a barber and the vision of a hair dresser.”

When it comes to growing as a professional, Marco had a list of priceless steps: Surround yourself with amazing, positive people, and learn how to cut every kind of hair texture. He emphasized that due to the amazing contributions of social media, stylists can share how they cut different kinds of ethnic hair, giving stylists who haven’t confidently approached these hair textures the inspiration to branch out of their box and provide expert cuts for all hair types.

Following his own advice connected him with celebrities and celebrity stylists early in his career, giving him the boost he needed to keep going when his family approached his passion for hair with skepticism.

As Marco began to work on the hair model, William, an artist who had contributed some pieces to the walls of V Collective, Marco went over the basics of keeping the clipper well oiled and how essential it was to know the ins and outs of the equipment one works with. He moved on to assess the head, feel the hair, and how the hair moves and grows. He approached his task just as you would expect a craftsperson to: focusing on particular details of the client’s tastes, profession, and demeanor so he could harmonize his model’s figure with an expert style.

Then it was on to the technical aspects of the bald fade. He emphasized that he was there to share, not dictate his technique. He established how to let the shape of the head reveal where the fade line falls and to always leave room for error in the beginning. Much like a painter establishing a rough sketch of his vision, Marco began laying in the outlining marks for his final product. He cautioned against digging out too much hair with clippers and how excess hair shadows could be resolved with shears near the end of the cut.

As he moved his clippers carefully and precisely across William’s mane, he shared stories about being inspired by his immigrant parents who were able to build a life and business from scratch, showing him that anything was possible with hard work. He also gave tips for staying in good shape when you work on your feet and with your hands all day and how a humble demeanor goes a long way, even with high paying clients. We will be sharing more from Marco’s class in following posts. But in the meantime, you can check out Marco Delgado’s Instagram @hairmarc, and keep an eye out for coming events at V Collective! “By Christine Arguello”

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