A Hairy Situation

On March 20, 2020, Barba Men’s Grooming Boutique, along with every other “nonessential” business in NYC, closed due to the pandemic. Owner Xavier Cruz, whose doors were shuttered and whose income was nonexistent, sought a way to stay connected to his customers while also giving back to the community.

By week 4 of lockdown, Google searches for home haircuts were up 400% and botched haircuts were flooding the Internet. That’s when we decided to launch Quarancuts Virtual Hair School: one-on-one, guided haircuts, via Zoom, by Cruz himself – all complimentary. Our first student? Fashion icon Billy Porter, who posted about his experience. Barba released the content series on IGTV.

The Buzz Heard Round the World

Quarancuts got everyone buzz cutting and buzzing. Xavier Cruz was featured on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, guiding Ryan through a much-needed haircut, and also appeared on Access Hollywood. Additionally, Quarancuts was featured in People, In Touch, Oprah, Page Six, The Los Angeles Egotist, and Muse, and garnered AdAge’s Editor’s Pick.