How ANTI All Genders Barber adds an extra dose of inclusivity to cutting hair in Nottingham

When you walk by ANTI on St Peter’s Gate, the most notable thing that sticks out is their logo. For the establishment’s owner Harry Souter, the unique name speaks for itself: “It was a bit on the nose,” he explains. “We were trying to be different from other shops. It’s super easy to remember, and in simple terms - it was just about us being opposite to everyone else.”

Harry began his journey into the world of hair as a more traditional high street hairdresser around fifteen years ago, before moving to Lincolnshire where he honed the craft of being a barber. After arriving in Nottingham in 2022, he noticed a lack of inclusivity for the trans and non-binary community in barber and hairdressing shops.

At Harry’s previous workplace in Notts, the idea for somewhere new started gestating, “I was able to do modern haircuts that were popping up on TikTok, think wolf cuts, shags and mullets. It became increasingly apparent that more and more non-binary and trans people were coming to me.” He saw that the traditional pricing structure – different prices paid based on gender – could cause upset, given the vulnerability surrounding that for customers who were non-conforming.

“When we opened ANTI, the biggest shift was changing the pricing system. We have kept it as simple as possible, giving people a clear concise description of each cut,” Harry says. He’s since had the chance to create a safe space and valuable service for many clients who have had adverse experiences price-wise – experiences which, not uncommonly, tilt into transphobia. 

During our chat he shares a story of one of his clients who was turned away mid-appointment because they asked for a men’s haircut in a traditional high street hairdressers. “They left that appointment completely distraught. They now travel from outside Nottingham to come to me; I’m so glad I can offer them the safe space and service they deserve,” he explains.

“I’ve done a lot of gender affirming haircuts, which is really nice,” says Harry. “I’ve built up a bit of a reputation for chopping lots of hair off, and giving people a cut that is closer to their personality, not on how they look.” A client of ANTI – Roxie  – attests to this: “I love that Harry brought about an inclusive barber to the city, welcoming haircuts regardless of all gender identities.”

But gender isn’t where ANTI’s inclusivity ends, for they work equally as hard to remain accessible for people who are neurodivergent. This is partly achieved through a very simple measure – quiet appointments – available as an option if the client so chooses. Another client Holly sees the value of this. “While I love a good natter,” she says, “the offering of quiet appointments to many who find these interactions challenging or uncomfortable is incredibly valuable”

Finally – there’s no understating the value of interior decor, and its accompanying atmosphere, in a barber shop. Harry and the ANTI team regularly kept this in mind when putting the establishment together, and the result is something very “light,” and “laidback”, as Holly describes it. 

“The dark floor was already here,” says Harry. “We wanted a colour scheme that would counteract that. Unfortunately a lot of hairdressers keep everything very monochrome, and we really didn’t want it to feel like a typical lads' barbershop – so we went for pink.”

And what’s next for ANTI? Harry has big ideas – “I’d like to have a bigger shop, so I can offer more services. With such a wide demographic, there’s always going to be people who want colour. Right now I send them to people I know in the city, but ideally I’d like to bring them on board, and have a collaboration of sorts.”

Having founded the shop in his thirties, Harry also hopes to bring in new haircutting talent, and mix up the shop’s resident personalities. “I don’t want to be standing behind the chair forever, I’d like to get to a point where I can manage the business, with a little bit of client facing input. I want to allow new, young people to take over in time. I am a cisgender, straight man, trying to push a gender neutral shop, so I would like to get more people into the fold that understand the wider demographic better.”

Above all, he wants to share his strong appreciation for clients who continue to support him: “I want to thank all of you, some of you travel quite far just to come to me, which means a lot. We’ll keep on cutting your hair, for as long as you keep coming.”

Visit ANTI All Genders 8-10 St Peter's Gate, Nottingham NG1 2JG

@antibarbers