Stockport’s Underbanks will get an injection of rock and roll glamour on Sunday as cutting-edge stylists Kristian Evans and Naomi Graham unveil their vision to kick-start a cultural renaissance in the historic town centre district.
Fresh from styling Amy Winehouse and the Libertines, partners Kristian Evans and Naomi Graham opened hair boutique Tramp on Lower Hillgate, the Underbanks, Stockport. in April 2017.
Less than a year later, they are pumping £250,000 into a second Tramp development, at Great Underbank, and have grand ambitions to lead a bohemian style regeneration of the area, which they have dubbed #StockportSoho.
The project will be announced to the local community, with a street party on Sunday (August 12, 2018) when entertainment will include live music, amazing cake creations from Manchester’s Bakeorama, and a pop-up vintage clothes store.
Kristian and Naomi are using social media to urge supporters to #BePartOfTheMovement which will transform a recently neglected part of Stockport into a creative hub of fashion, style, hair, music and art.
They are working with Hive Architects, of Knutsford, to transform a derelict three-storey building in Great Underbank into a multi-use headquarters for Tramp which will see the creation of an international standard hair salon, a hairdressing academy, a craft beer bar, Tramp‘s own vintage clothes store, Homesick Vintage, a Bakeorama outlet, Phoebe Rosca Art Tattoos and a nail salon. It will also feature private booths for use by celebrity clients, people with issues that mean they require a private salon service and Muslim women.
“The street party on Sunday is a soft launch to give people a taste of what is to come,” said Kristian. “We will have the support of some of the North West’s hottest up and coming new bands, special guests, Phoebe Rosca, an incredibly talented Stockport tattoo artist, Pinot Pinot Cans, from Off-Piste Wines, and our nail bar pop-up, Bag O Nails. We’ve also had fantastic support from Stockport Council and Kevin Murphy Hair Products.”
The development, due to launch in 2019, is expected to create 21 jobs and Tramp has a detailed, ambitious business plan which involves the opening of a third Tramp salon in Liverpool.
Tramp’s manifesto involves “bringing high fashion and rock ‘n roll styling to the streets of Stockport” with a goal of delivering excellent customer service to “create cool cats, sex kittens and dirty rotten scoundrels” in Stockport and beyond.
Current clients range from Vogue models to local cricketing icon Andrew Flintoff. They have worked on events such as The BRIT Awards and London Fashion Week and styled the hair of celebrities including Agyness Deyn and Noel Fielding and Kristian worked as stylist to the late Amy Winehouse on her US tour.
Naomi, who has managed London salons in Harrods and Harvey Nichols, said: “I’m from Stockport and wanted to set up our business in the area. There is no reason why Stockport cannot be home to an international standard salon and we are bringing the techniques and glamour learned from top stylists in London and New York to the town.
“Our academy will allow us to pass on everything we have learned to up and coming hairdressers from throughout the North West and, more than that, we want our second salon to be a catalyst for the regeneration of a beautiful area of Stockport that has amazing potential.
“The vision for the regeneration of the Underbanks is to create a creative village of entrepreneurs and we want to be a catalyst for that. It will take rock ‘n roll attitude and ambition and we can also add a dash of glamour. We are in regular touch with Stockport Council and plan to work with them to build Stockport’s Soho.
We opened our first salon in Spring last year and we are already bursting at the seams, with demand outstripping capacity. “There is an eager, ready-made customer base for the second Tramp salon, in Great Underbank, which will have 15 hairstyling stations and we will continue to work in our current salon where we have five chairs.”
The Tramp Academy will have six students at any one time, in a purpose-built facility with two senior stylists managing them. They will take an intensive course including modules on cutting, colouring, and essential business skills such as photoshoots and social media. The support of the business partners gives students the potential to get get involved in fashioning hair for music videos and fashion shoots.
A strong financial package has been developed to fund Tramp 2, including an immediate £100,000-plus investment by the business partners and Tramps‘ growing reputation was recently recognised with a shortlisting in the forthcoming Stockport Business Awards in the Most Promising Young Business category.
Sunday’s entertainment will start at 1pm outside the current salon at 28 Lower Hillgate, the Underbanks, Stockport.
ENDS
For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle on 0776 2043436, email [email protected]