SPOTLIGHT
On the Cutting Edge V’s Barbershops is renewing interest in the trade and service
By Eric Newman
J
im Valenzuela saw a lack of barbershops in the Valley. All he longed for was a place for his family to visit for simple treatments. Traditional barbershops had — like short men’s haircuts — faded. “I just wanted a place where I could take my son and get a haircut, shave and a shoeshine in that atmosphere you always think of,” Valenzuela says. So, in the last 20 years, he has opened nearly 42 V’s Barbershops around the state. It started at 48th Street and Indian School Road in 1999. The business was slow initially, as most people were simply going to beauty salons or other less-expensive options. However, it flourished and has expanded to include Norterra. All of them have that classic barbershop feel with modern techniques and pricing. V’s offers services such as haircuts ($25), shampoo ($4) straight razor shave ($35) and more for quality service at a fair price. V’s Barbershop offers a traditional haircut with a modern twist. (Photos courtesy RM PR Group).
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He credits TV shows such as “Queer Eye” and “Mad Men,” which not only inspired fashion but also having clean haircuts, as a catalyst to the boom he’s seen in old-fashioned barbershops since the opening of his shop. Athletics—specifically soccer—also inspire his clients, as footballers’ haircuts are on display for the world to see. “The first time I really saw it on TV with sports was at the World Cup. Guys all over the world were rocking faded cuts with a hard part. I sat down and was watching it, and I think that’s inspired a lot of that, especially when the athlete’s hair becomes part of their brand,” Valenzuela says. One of V’s Barbershop’s first employees was Igor Ilyabayev, a former barberturned-manager at the original location. He learned Valenzuela’s ways, built up a client base, and opened the Norterra location in 2008. “I lived in that area and I saw that there was no barbershop in a 5-mile radius,” Ilyabayev says.