The 'fairy-tale' styles of Traveller weddings - and Parklife's boldest looks - have helped make a 20-year-old from Blackley one of Manchester's hottest hairdressers.
Callum Walker has reached the final of the prestigious Hair and Beauty Awards after building his own brand, Swarvella.
A large number of Callum's clients are from the Traveller community, where voluminous styles are a fixture of weddings and other big, social events.
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For his first Traveller wedding, Callum stayed overnight at the Hilton hotel in Doncaster and ended up using 3,500 hair grips to style a group of girls.
Following that booking, which came via Instagram, he has become the go-to guy for Traveller ladies seeking extravagant, fairy tale looks.
"I was asked to do a wedding for a girl at Doncaster Racecourse," Callum said. "By the end of the day, I had done 16 girls.
"They all shared me on Instagram, commented, tagged me in pictures. If I'd stayed longer, I would’ve done even more.
"The day went amazing. Every single girl I did that day personally took the time out and messaged me to thank me, even though we’d briefly just met. They said their hair didn’t move at all, all night."
"That’s where it came from. They started sharing me on social media and a lot of girls started following me. So I reached out to that community and got girls to come in and model.
"I've got eight traveller weddings booked in from now until next August, and counting."
The style, Callum says, is defined by 'something big' on top of the head, with a few curls down and 'a plait here or there'.
“Traveller clients give you the chance to create whatever you want to create," he said.
"They allow you to give them that fairy-tale look, which is absolutely amazing.
"Every time I do those types of weddings, I can’t sleep at night, thinking about the content I’m going to get and the new faces of my clients and the opportunities.
"I’ve got to do everything in my stride to make the day special for clients. They make the day special for us, as well. It's nice to be a part of it and feel accomplished."
Callum has lived and breathed hairdressing since he was a 13-year-old.
“I work seven days a week. If I’ve not got clients, I’m calling models in. I’m trying to achieve the best of the best, that’s all I want to do," he said.
"I want to make my name an establishment. When I was younger, I used to use the word suave a lot and one day, a client said to me: 'I’m going to call you 'Swarvella' from now on.'
"Everyone kept coming up to me and saying 'Swarvella'. I ended up calling my business after that."
For the Parklife festival this September, Callum styled 28 clients, along with another 19 on the day after.
Describing his favourite aspect of his job, Callum said: "For a client to walk out of my chair, feeling good about themselves, with a big smile on their face, it means the world to me.
"They don’t see it, as a client, but this is me succeeding and making my family happy.
"That’s what pushes me."
The Swarvella Instagram page, which has amassed over 5,700 followers, is where Callum attracts most of his clients.
Recently, Callum launched a YouTube channel, where he will be uploading hair tutorials and beauty content.
Hairdressing was a side job that Callum picked up at 14 years old.
“I left school when I was around 13. I got kicked out, without choice," he said.
"I’ve worked my way up. I’m just going to keep on going. I don’t plan on stopping. I’m just going to show the world what they were wrong about.
"When I was at school, I was in a really dark place because of the amount of stress I put my mum and nana through. But it gave me the drive and passion to go on to do hair."
Now, with 29 qualifications under his belt, Callum has made it to the finals of the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2022, nominated in the category 'Hairstylist of the Year'.
He said: "My fiancé signed me up for the Hair and Beauty Awards. I've previously applied and never had a response.
"But the awards emailed me within 24 hours and said I'm in the final. I was shocked, I was hysterical."
"The first thing I did was pick up the phone and tell my nana," Callum added.
"It’s one of the biggest goals that I wanted to achieve. It feels like recognition."
Entries will close in January and the final awards ceremony will take place later in 2022. Callum will be cheered on by proud friends and family in Blackley.
"My family, friends and colleagues are super proud," he said. "The whole community is behind me. The local shops have got posters of me, which feels really good. I get a bit overwhelmed. Everyone wants to be a part of it.
"When you’ve lived here all your life, the people behind you, are so, so supportive. Without them, I wouldn’t be going half as far as I am."
Klareace Boucher, who has been a client of Callum's for five years, said: "Callum makes me and every other client that comes through the door feel super 'swarve'.
"It isn't just about the hair."
"He also makes it an amazing experience, being in his presence," she said.
Congratulating Callum on his awards news, Klareace added: "I think it’s an amazing opportunity and he deserves this after such a hard couple of years.
"He has continued to push his brand through, making sure it was a success, even in the struggle.
"Let’s put Swarvella on the map!"
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