To kick start these celebrations, Hensmans in Northampton held their official birthday party at the end of January with their team and clients – with who, owner and Director, Julie Hensmans believes is the reason for their 40-year success, “keeping customers and the team at the heart of the business and all we do has been the key to reaching our 40th anniversary.”
The Hensmans business started in 1980 when Julie and John came to Northampton from separate London hairdressing schools. Like most journeys of 40 years their business has taken on many different shapes, and names, but one thing has never changed: a love of hair.
Together Julie and John brought their own heritage hairdressing experiences; John returning from London and the esteemed world-famous hairdressing school of Vidal Sassoon and Julie coming from the highly prestigious and nationally renowned Jingles. The unifying point and the perfect hairdressing blend of Julie and John was hairdressing excellence and education.
Initially John and Julie partnered with Michael Barry in Kingsley before moving together to Abington Square as the ‘Hair Construction Company’ with ‘Churchill’s for Men’ downstairs, before becoming ‘Changes’ as Michael left the business in the 1990’s before finally taking on the family name in the 2000s.
Growing the brand, focusing on industry awards and becoming one of the first salons to embrace Investors in People and being awarded four times for their endeavour’s was next for John and Julie Hensman.
The business boomed creatively with their dynamic manufacturer partnership with Schwarzkopf Professional who selected, rewarded and awarded rising stars from their business and Hensmans claimed the Creative Award for colour and creativity almost every year through this decade. Accreditation as a City and Guilds Training Academy endorsed to deliver NVQ level 2 & 3 and assessor awards and recently Julie became one of the first End Point Assessors for VTCT enabling her to utilise her hairdressing knowledge to steer the industry education forward.
The decade also saw the couple’s daughter Gemma Hensman complete her hairdressing training at the Hensmans’ Academy, which she now heads up, a second Hensmans opened in Milton Keynes, and the start of a 20-year collaboration with the University of Northampton’s fashion department began.
The business is honoured by Gemma’s unique role as an Ambassador for Schwarzkopf Professional, where she product tests in Hamburg and launches key products in the UK to the consumer and trade press.
Julie said: ” Gemma, John and I have worked together to focus on our core family values and created a mission statement and brand mantra: ‘you at the heart of all we do,’ which cascades throughout the business.”
To also mark their 40th anniversary, Hensmans, in association with Schwarzkopf Professional are shooting a collection. The collection will emulate what the brand is all about; ‘Beautiful, wearable hair with an elegant timeless appeal that will speak to the Hensmans client in celebrating an amazing 40 years in business.’
Thanks to their long-standing collaboration the shoot is being held at the Northampton university. Art directed by Gemma Hensman and Hooker & Young, the shoot will have cool classic tailoring and an almost Burberry look. The Hensmans Art team and Gemma are creating all the hair looks that have a classic British but fashion focussed feel and photography is by Michael Young.
Julie Hensman says: “This business, that took root right in the heart of the country, stands proud and represents the very best of British hairdressing, as will our 40th anniversary shoot.”
Watch this space for the 40th collection and continued celebrations!
