Barber backchat: hj men interviews david raccuglia

HJ Men finds out where American Crew founder David Raccuglia’s happy place is and why his hair has become a 'testing ground'. Intrigued? Read on... How would you describe yourself in three words? Enthusiastic, interested and simple. What’s the proudest moment of your career so far? I’m not a hugely proud person as I’m always chasing the next thing. I don’t look down the mountain very often as I’m always climbing up. What’s the one product you can’t live without? My head is a testing ground – I use everything all the time. If it had to be just one, I’d go for the American Crew Cream Pomade. What’s your favourite hair image? Trevor Sorbie’s ‘the wedge’ is so iconic. The shape and balance of the hair is perfection. What’s your favourite piece of art? I have a William Claxton photograph of Chet Baker. It inspires me as a photographer as it was such a beautiful image – his hair was amazing too. Do you have any hobbies? Luckily, I’ve managed to morph all of my hobbies into my job. Photography and graphics are my hobbies as well as part of my job – that’s the way to do it. Who’s your hair hero? Vidal Sassoon. I think of him as selfless because he wanted to create a system that made his vision work everywhere. It wasn’t only about him being a great hairdresser, he wanted to help the hairdressing community to be better as a whole. Where would we find you at a party? In the corner chatting to someone in the industry! Who would you trade lives with for a day? Picasso – just to have his talent for one day would be so cool. What’s on your bucket list? To spend time in one place. I move around so much, so I’d love to see what it’s like staying somewhere for a long period of time. I’ve spent the best part of 20 years on the road. What was the last gift you received? A portable phone charger – it was a relevant gift from someone who tells me my phone is dead all of the time. What would you save if your salon was on fire? I would run and grab a vintage painting on the wall – it’s of a 1950s grooming advert. What would you be if you weren’t working in the hair industry? I would be an environmental lawyer. My family are all lawyers and it has certain similarities to what I’m doing now, like travelling the world. Where is your happy place? Marfa in Texas. I do a lot of shooting there and it’s where the Prada store is too – it’s a very cool place. This interview was taken from HJ Men magazine, read the full interview in the Winter issue out now.