Jack the Clipper, London

Award-winning barbershop Jack the Clipper has been given an opulently macabre makeover courtesy of London-based design firm FormRoom. The luxuriously ghoulish design is a Victorian-meets-contemporary nod to the story of the Ripper alluded to in the brand’s name, which it embraces in playfully gruesome fashion.

FormRoom has created a ripper of a redesign for this London barbershop chain.

The vibe is intimate and club-like, and creates an immersive, entirely on-brand customer experience. Textured black walls, brass piping details, ‘blood’-splashed parquetry flooring, distressed and shattered mirrors, and industrial lighting offer a dark twist on the traditional barbershop aesthetic. Tools such as scissors and clippers form conceptual art pieces on the walls, while custom lightboxes and moody cabinetry are used to display product ranges.

The space also plays into London’s history, with bespoke shelving carved from antique shoe lasts that reference the district’s cobbler-heavy past, and products sourced from Penhaglion’s, the 19th-century perfume house founded by a former Court Barber and Perfumer.

Morbidly punny neon signs, custom artwork and a ‘Jack’s Hall of Fame’ further play into the theatrical effect, while a basement bar offers a moody space to enjoy a drink to quell the nerves prior to a clipping. It’s a barbershop makeover that’s razor sharp.