Hayley Kemm and Georgie Wynes-Devlin bring their scissoring skills to south London
BY DANIELLE MUSTARDE
Hayley Kemm and Georgie Wynes-Devlin are the duo behind The Wild Hare barber shop and salon, which opened in July 2018. With over 25 years cutting hair between them, the lovely pair are “bringing their scissoring skills” and a little bit of the West End to Tooting. We decided to pay them a visit to check out their passion for pruning.
It’s early on a Friday evening when I arrive at The Wild Hare and straight away I’m greeted by Hayley, whose wide smile is immediately followed by the sweet sound of: “Can I get you a beer?”. Already, the salon has a really nice vibe about it. Its hip staff, vintage seats, and neon lights give it an edge, but not so much that it loses its friendly, welcoming feel.
Hayley hands me a chilled bottle of By The Horns Amber IPA before we sit down to chat.
“This is a local brewery”, she tells me. “It’s nice to go and get your hair done and have a drink. It’s just an extra little thing. There’s a super community feel here. Everything’s local, there are no big chains. You speak to your neighbours. We actually had a local musician play live in the salon last weekend. That went down a treat.
“Georgie and I both worked in Soho previously to this, but Georgie’s Tooting born and bred so she’s always wanted to open a salon here. We found this place and here we are. There’s nothing around here like this – not that we’d ever want to step on anyone’s toes – we just wanted to open something a little different.”
It’s then that Georgie introduces herself and takes me over for my cut. The thing that really stands out here is that the staff actually give you useful haircare advice. Georgie’s that friend who tells you blunty: “Girl, put that shampoo down. This is what your hair really needs.”
After some lovely chats (and not even a hint of, “So, how was your holiday?”) I leave feeling like I’ve just been for a beer with a few friends and have come out with a really nice hair cut on top. If you’re looking for somewhere friendly, inclusive and gender-neutral to get your next trim, make sure you give The Wild Hare a look.
For more information click here, or follow Hayley and Georgie on Instagram.
Only reading DIVA online? You’re missing out. For more news, reviews and commentary, check out the latest issue. It’s pretty badass, if we do say so ourselves.
