With his very busy schedule, we managed to catch the co-founder of Williams & Rice, Andrew Williams, for a quick coffee to discuss his luxury salon in Chelsea and why they switched to Unite Hair. Read on to find out about Will, Dan and the rest of the team at Williams & Rice…
Will and Dan’s background
Dan is co-founder of Williams & Rice and a celebrity hair colourist. His early career started in Covent Garden at the award-winning Trevor Sorbie salon. He has worked with iconic industry names throughout his career including roles in top salons in London’s Mayfair and Chelsea. Dan has published work in fashion journals, travelled globally to look after clients, taught seminars and worked on product development for major haircare manufacturers. Impressive!
Andrew known as Will (a reference to his surname) is co-founder of Williams & Rice. Will has been in the industry for 26 years, moving to London and working in some of the most famous salons in Mayfair, honing his exceptional cutting and styling techniques. Along the way he gained valuable management and NLP (Neuro Linguistic programming) qualifications, too. He is a well-known session-stylist for countless fashion shows and film/photo shoots both here and abroad, and boasts a who’s who of VIP clients. Will is the “go to” stylist for concierge teams from most of the top Mayfair Hotels, and the Connaught especially sees Will as its firm favourite.
What Will has to say about Williams & Rice
Location, Location, Location…
Will: “We found our salon location back in 2017, our agent showed us a huge range of spaces, even one that was the size of a car showroom which we kindly declined… They then said: ‘there’s a spot available on Smith Street, what do you think?’ Myself and Dan thought we should just go and have a look, it was chucking it down with rain but as soon as we saw it through the window we fell in love.
Our location does mean that we get a variety of characters walking into our salon. I’ve personally done some amazing VIP’s such as Tom Hanks and Dr Dre!”
Trends
Will: “One of our most popular services is extensions. When it comes to styling, short choppy looks are growing in popularity at the moment along with a 1930’s French bob.”
The team
Will “We’ve known our team for years due to connecting through the industry. A salon nearby actually closed down and the majority of those hairdressers were looking for somewhere new to work and they came and asked us if they could work with us. We went from around 15 to 45 staff overnight! So we’ve got a nice big team.”
We introduced Unite Hair
Will “Our switch to Unite was very easy. I’ve known Unite for years now but it slipped my mind. During a conversation with somebody about products, they mentioned Unite and a switch turned on in my head. I thought I’d try it and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. It sells like crazy.”
Unite favourites
Will “I personally like the SECOND Day Cream, I’ve actually got about 4 or 5 hero products I use but I genuinely just think that the whole range is just amazing. I’ve never known a range to be so multifunctional yet so good at achieving the look that you want.”
About Williams & Rice
Will and Dan founded Williams & Rice in 2017 with the vision to create a place where talented stylists and colourists could thrive and grow. Working as self-employed hairdressers for years, they both knew exactly what they wanted to bring to their own business, and that is a salon that not only prioritises the client but also the team behind it.
With a focus on bespoke training, Will and Dan have been able to establish a team that is driven to provide excellent service for every client that visits Williams & Rice. It was important to both of them to bring what they learned in different salons over the years to the business. Cultivating a business model that centres on exemplary service, customer care and creating a salon culture that makes each visit as excellent and as thrilling as the next.
Williams & Rice work with like-minded stylists, passionate about hair, and giving all clients a luxury experience, and this is what sets Williams & Rice apart from other salons.
Will and Dan have worked extremely hard on building an extensive and loyal clientele and that is why with each new member of their team they pass down excellent techniques and high-standards as well as their love and passion for beautiful hair.
