Roy & Son – Inside a Vintage Barbershop

Roy & Son – Inside a Vintage Barbershop

Lola A. Åkerström spotlights vintage barbershop in Stockholm – Roy & Son.

All photos courtesy of Roy & Son

All photos courtesy of Roy & Son

Trimming beards, shaving heads, and hairdressing for over 50 years, Roy & Son services Stockholm’s bearded hipsters and lumbersexuals with two sister barbershops in Malmö and Copenhagen.

With a family history of barbers dating back to the mid-20th century, this classic barbershop with its wood-framed mirrors and swiveling chairs is a throwback to the fifties. Roy Mannerstål started his first barbershop in Södermalm, Stockholm, in 1950.

“I am the son in the name Roy & Son,” shares Peter Mannerstål who founded the company to carry on the traditions, skills, and spirit of his father’s craft.  This spirit is to “convey a new and refined touch to the classic barbershop” by offering both classic shaves and modern haircuts.

It was in Roy’s barbershop that Peter learned the trade and started his own career, while working closely with his father until his retirement. The experience running Roy & Son so far has been two-fold for Peter. “I like to look forward but at the same time I have accumulated a lot of experience through the years and the special vibe of a barbershop is one of them.”

This special vibe he’s referring to is bringing back the social hub of positivity and expertise that is synonymous with a classic barbershop. “Men are moving faster today and their expectations are different,” notes Peter. “Combining modern service and aesthetics with traditional qualities felt like an inspiring environment to work within.”

Roy and Son 2

According to Peter, working at a barbershop is supposed to be fun and filled with energy and that has been his experience so far. “We have through the years been lucky to find great staff and attract clients that appreciate what we do. That keeps us moving forward,” he adds.

With the revitalization of neighborhoods and growth of millennial subcultures such as hipsters blending the old with the modern, the hot resurgence of classic vintage-style barbershops hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“We see new barbershops popping up all over the world and a lot of them are vintage inspired,” notes Peter. “They reflect an era where male vanity was at its peak. At the same time, it’s peaking again”.

Male vanity that is.

And at Roy & Son, their mission is the modern expression of the classic barbershop to cater to this aesthetic revival of male grooming.

Visit www.royandson.com to see their pricing list and to book an appointment.

 

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Author: Lola A. Åkerström

Lola Akinmade Åkerström is an award-winning writer, photographer, and travel blogger, and is also the Founder/Editor-in-chief of Slow Travel Stockholm. Her photography is represented by National Geographic Creative. She tweets at @LolaAkinmade.

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