...In the 1960’s, the Rolling Stones’ manager, Andrew Loog Oldham set up a maverick, independent record label called Immediate Records. On the sleeves of all its singles was the slogan:
“Happy To Be Part of the Industry of Human Happiness.”
Miles Coleman laughs at the thought. “Yes, that’s how we feel about cutting hair,” he says, referring to Milo’s the distinctive salon on Dyke Road, Brighton which he set up with his wife Emma. “We love doing it because, well, it feels good making people feel good!”
When it opened seven years ago, Milo’s quickly became known for its friendly, off-beat atmosphere, which was partly the result of being home to both a barber and a hairdresser. Mixing male and female grooming styles was intuitive but surprisingly unusual.
“Bringing our two working styles together made total sense.,” says Miles. “Apart from being a superb cutter, Em is a really good listener, brilliant with people, which is a key requirement in great hairdressing. The barbershop side of the business keeps the salon strong, because men get their hair cut more often.”
A concise, carefully selected line of clothes, shoes and accessories with a nautical feel, for sale in the salon, helped establish Milo’s distinctive style, one which resonated with people who love living beside the seaside in Brighton. “My design background was always a strong influence. So, right from the start we wanted to offer things that complement good hair. Clothing was an obvious way to start,” says Miles. “It looked good from outside and drew people into the salon. We began with chic, unisex stuff: Breton shirts, deck shoes, casual jackets, things people could sling on without needing a dressing room.”
Miles had studied design at St. Martins College, then travelled the world cutting hair. Returning to the UK he set up a gentlemen’s grooming salon in Kent. He heard about Emma Sanderson, a star alumnus of John Freida’s who had recently gone freelance and had a client list full of celebrities. “She was working with Oasis. I look nothing like them, but I thought, if she’s good enough for them…so I asked her to cut my hair.” Which is how he met his soulmate and partner to be. In 2007, the couple, having married, moved to Brighton to start a family. The commute to Kent soon became tiresome and so Milo’s was born at 216 Dyke Road. The couple’s enthusiasm for their adopted home has now helped inspire a new line of hair products, By Milo, each one redolent of, and named after, people or locations which have meant something to them during their time in the city.
“The shop is really relaxed - as befits the Brighton lifestyle,” says Em, looking around the busy room. “With the clothes we were offering well-made, trustworthy basics, classically simple and stylish. That idea rolls over into our hair products.”
The continuous search for products reflecting the simplicity and ease of use that Miles, Em and their customers desired, led them into creating the By Milo line. The idea grew from using natural oils on their customers as simple grooming products.
“We were using jojoba oil, coconut oil and honey as styling aids to use as a primer to blow dry hair or just as a finish,” says Miles. “I’ve never felt that products have to be heavy or complicated, and we wanted to bring those natural things together into products that are easy to use and truly work.”
“The vast array of hair products on the market is daunting,” says Em. “I’m a professional and I stand in stores bewildered by the choice on the shelves. There are really only a few things you need to do with hair, thicken it, condition it, give it shape and hold for styling, it needn’t be complicated. But we found it surprisingly hard to source products that did what our customers wanted.”
