A King’s Guide to the Queen City: White Stag Barber Co.
Moving away from home means moving away from your barber and trying to find a new one in your college town is just about as difficult as dating is. You are entrusting someone with your hair, which can be a pretty big commitment for some people. I thumbed through some local barbers before finding the perfect craftsman, Gavin Bolin.
The twenty-two year old business owner opened his own barber shop called White Stag Barber Co. alongside partner Tyler Fleetwood. I entrusted Gavin to take the clippers to my dome and he’s been my go-to barber four four years running. His skill proves that everytime I go into his shop I don’t even have to tell him what I want, he just works his magic.
When asking Gavin about his shop inspiration, this is what he had to say, “The white stag, like many other mythical creatures, wanders through the tangled forests and wild moorlands of our distant past. Elusive and rare, our forefathers may have caught a glimpse in some hidden glade in the woods, or has seen it moving ghost-like across the wild moors, or maybe stood high on a rocky outcrop crowned
against the sky. The white stag was always something to be desired yet always out of reach. Always leading the hunt onwards, to a destiny ordained by God. From the dark, distant memories of the Wild Hunt have grown the very stuff of legends. Saint Eustace had a vision of the cross, in-between the horns of a white stag and that is what we're all about.”
I was in the chair the other day and had the opportunity to ask Gavin some questions:
Q. When did you first look to hair as a career?
A. “My mom and my great grandpa were both barbers, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary to pursue hair as a career.”
Although he wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to work with hair, he wanted to be in the trade business. “I really wanted a job where you can see something come together with your own hands and while having a sense of camaraderie.”
Q. Do you have a haircut you prefer to cut over others?
A. “Medium-length haircuts. I want to be able to get in there and do so some scissor work.”
Q. As a barber, do you see any trends for the new year?
A. “The 50’s dapper dad is gone. It’s the resurgence of the barbering with longer style hair.”
Q. What piece of advice do you have for other inspiring young entrepreneurs?
A. “Keep your head on the swivel. I was intimidated of barber school and the ‘what if’ factor when I was nineteen, but now I feel confident in a career working with hair at only twenty-two.”
So if you’re out there looking for a new barber or if your old barber is whack, why not have Gavin help you face the world looking your absolute best. The White Stag Barber Co. is located at 1839 East Independence Street, Springfield, MO, 65804 inside the Sola Salon. You can peep some of the Gavin’s work on his Instagram @gavinthebarber417 or online at https://www.whitestagbarberco.com.
Photos courtesy of Zayne William’s Photography