Hair In The Chair: Trim On The Streets of London For Crisis
One of the most entertaining stylists of London Fashion Week, Emma Lehane – AKA Hair in The Chair – stepped on busy Carnaby Street to trim the hair of celebrity photographer and publisher Joe Alvarez to support Emma’s charity of choice Crisis.
Hair in The Chair project started three years ago when Emma went out to the streets of London to trim the hair of – and interview – London’s fashionistas, creatives, icons, and eccentrics. Speaking to Ikon London Magazine Emma said: “As a professional hair stylist I realised all people like talking about their hair. Being very talkative I enjoy building the rapport with my clients-interviewees. I am never too serious about myself and so my clients also enjoy being part of Hair in The Chair.”
This time, her chosen interviewee is renown celebrity photographer and socialite Joe Alvarez who is known for his spiky hair. Getting his trim in front of the iconic Dr. Martens Covent Garden store, Ikon London Magazine Ed in Chief said: “I always wanted something a bit different and it goes back to my band playing (drummer and band founder) days. I’ve always felt comfortable with it and to my surprise had positive comments about it.”
Emma is heavily involved in all aspects of the Hair in the Chair project and edits her video interviews as well as writes about her interviewees. She is a frequent guest at the London Fashion Week and is regularly setting up her Chair in front of the London Fashion Week and London Collections Men.
Speaking about Crisis, Emma said: “I’ve been a long-time supporter of Crisis. I’ve supported local homeless / Crisis drop-in centre in Richmond. For the last 3 years, I have supplied and organised 1,000 survival bags and gift bags for the homeless Christmas party. Thanks to the generosity of my friends and clients of my salon in Richmond.”
Today, Emma chose to support the charity once again and raise the awareness of the issues of homelessness. Joe Alvarez commented: “I think Crisis (charity) is invaluable as they help the most vulnerable citizens in society. You never know when you might ‘fall through the cracks’ and for people in this situation Crisis is indispensable.”
Homelessness Statistics
According to FullFact.org, in England councils only have a duty to find somewhere for a person to live if they have a ‘priority need’. This includes families with children, people in an emergency after a flood or fire, or who are “vulnerable” for various other reasons. In addition, they must not have deliberately done or failed to do anything that caused them to become homeless.
Around 59,000 households were accepted by councils as entitled to be housed in 2016/17. This number has been rising since 2009/10, and is up by almost 50% over that period.
These figures don’t include those who were assessed as homeless but not in priority need, or homeless but intentionally so.
There are around 20,000 cases found homeless but not considered in priority need each year, or around one in six of all decisions. Around 9% of cases, or 10,000 households, are homeless and in need but considered to be intentionally so.
Every year Crisis work with thousands of people to help them rebuild their lives and leave homelessness behind for good. Crisis helps people in need in many different ways including:
- learning, education and skills training
- finding work and applying for jobs
- finding a home and settling in well
- looking after your health and wellbeing
- volunteering and meeting new people.
To get involved, visit Crisis website: https://www.crisis.org.uk/
Editor in Chief of Ikon London Magazine, journalist, film producer and founder of The DAFTA Film Awards (The DAFTAs).
