25 years and counting, Bryan Barber is not about to stop trimming hair

Brian Lutaaya alias Bryan Barber, a barber from Kibuli, a city suburb, has been in the trade for over 25 years and he is not about to stop. The business has won him international recognition, as well as making him friends in high places.

In the global hair-cutting competions titled ‘New York Barber’s Competitions TraxNYC 2021’,  he came second. TraxNYC, which is based in Germany, offers a wide range of men's gold chains.  TraxNYC asked barbers around the world to send them videos of the haircuts they have made. Lutaaya's award was sent to him to Uganda that same year, together with three silver coins. 

Lutaaya is an ambassador for TraxNYC. As an ambassador, he helps the less privileged children by giving them hard cash and as well as trimming their hair for free. 

He is also the ambassador for WAHL, an American company that deals in manufacturing hair machines.

Lutaaya also participated in a barbers' competitions organised by Movit Products and Stanbic Bank  in 2022 titled Hair and Beauty and he emerged Best Barber. He has become a judge in these competitions.

Some of the rpominent figures Lutaaya has worked on include Bukedde TV presenter DJ Shiru, video producer Sasha Vybz, as well as singers Zulitums and Vyroota. Others include Jinja South East City MP Nathan Nabeta and Makindye East MP  Derrick Nyeko.

Lutaaya says corporate workers often invite him to their homes for haircuts.

Family background
Lutaaya’s story began in Wobulenzi, Luwero, where he was born to parents Alice Lutaaya and the late Amos Lutaaya. He completed his primary school education at Ndejje Junior School, Luwero and joined secondary school at Kalasa Community College. 

During an interview with New Vision on Wednesday, May 28, at his salon in Kibuli, a city suburb, Lutaaya said when he joined Senior Two, his financially-constrained father told him to find ways of clearing his school fees, something that drove him into painting women's nails and later becoming a barber in Wobulenzi.

Lutaaya was able to pay the school fees in first term. In second term, the financial burden became too heavy on him. He was forced to drop out in second term.

He started trimming the hair of clients at the school using clippers. 

“I was first employed in 1999 at a salon on Kampala Road named VJ Salon as a barber. I later worked for other companies until 2008 when I opened up by own barber shop at Serena Hotel. I worked on quite a number of prominent figures," the 38-year-old Lutaaya said.

Legacy cut short 
One of those that had embraced the business was Lutaaya’s son, Arnold Barber. Sadly, he was stabbed to death in January.

Lutaaya noted that he had trained Arnold to help him with the workload.

He said he used to refer celebrities to his son for haircuts whenever he was busy.

"Arnold used to deliver good work, something that made most of them patronise him for hair designs, hair trimming and many other fashions," Lutaaya said.

What makes Lutaaya unique from other barbers
 Lutaaya revealed that he takes time to do research on the internet for better haircuts and most times takes lessons online and practises what he has learnt on his children.

He said this has helped him to be unique among the barbers in Uganda.

Besides miniting money from the trade, it has also made him stand the test of time.

"Creativity is key in the hair business. One has to keep coming up with new designs," Lutaaya stated.

He said when working on celebrities, he sometimes comes up with his own designs that are most times liked by celebrities.

Lutaaya stated that in 2021, he acquired a certificate in hair dressing from Ice Kenny School of Beauty, Kampala. Before that, he had never gone to school to study any course in his field, and none of his parents or relatives have skills in his business.

What he gained in the business
In the decades he has been in the business, Lutaaya managed to buy land and build a house in Kawanda on Bombo Road.

Lutaaya advises the up-coming barbers is, that they should keep resilient despite the challenges such as low-turn up of customers and lack of modern equipment that make the business smooth and attractive to the customers.