Our Story

The Journey

How It Began

Age 15
The Apprenticeship
Long before Adrian Fanus Grooming had a name, there was a fifteen-year-old in Saint Lucia learning a craft that would eventually take him around the world.

At fifteen, Adrian Fanus began learning to cut hair under the apprenticeship of barber Ryan Evans. For two years, he balanced school with developing his craft, and by seventeen, after leaving high school, he was working in the barbershop full time.

The foundation was being laid—not only in technique, but in an understanding of what a barbershop could mean to the people who walked through its doors.

Age 18
A New Country
Adrian's first chair in America was at VIP Barbershop on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn.

It was there that he continued to hone his skills, adapting, learning and discovering his place within New York's barbering culture.

Levels Barbershop, 2002
Adrian joined Levels Barbershop, where he was hired by John Olds—a man who would become far more than an employer. John became a mentor, a big brother and an important influence on Adrian's journey.

Levels also brought Adrian into a community of exceptionally talented barbers, many of whom became lifelong friends.

He would spend seven years there.

And during those seven years, the world beyond the barbershop began to open.

2002 – 2009
During his seven years at Levels, Adrian's work began expanding beyond the chair and into music, fashion, film and entertainment. Relationships with creatives including Darryl Brown and the late AJ Crimson helped open a new chapter in his career, introducing his grooming work to sets, editorial projects and entertainment clientele.

2009
A Home Away From Home
The first Adrian Fanus Grooming opened at 497 Dekalb Avenue in Brooklyn.

You could easily walk past it without ever knowing what was upstairs.

There was no elaborate storefront. No large sign announcing its presence.

Just a two-story walk-up in an ordinary New York City building and three letters on the bell:

AFG.

But walk upstairs, and everything changed.

Behind that unassuming entrance was an oasis.

Vibrant walls. Carefully selected décor. Warmth, color and personality. The feeling was somewhere between an intimate upscale lounge and a Caribbean art hotel.

It was unexpected.

And that was exactly the point.

The contrast became part of the magic of AFG. Outside was New York City. Inside was a home away from home.

Clients didn't simply come for a haircut.

They stayed.

They talked.

They laughed.

They became family.

2019 – 2020
A New Chapter, Tested
After ten years on Dekalb, AFG moved to its Bushwick Avenue home at the end of October 2019 — working downstairs while the upstairs was renovated, and finally moving in that March 2020. Two days later, the pandemic arrived and forced the doors closed for months. 

2020 – Present Day
More Than A Salon
Three months after, Adrian Fanus Grooming reopened — and hasn't stopped since. Today, Adrian Fanus Grooming continues to evolve.

What began with grooming has grown into a broader expression of the same philosophy through Adrian Fanus Haircare, Adrian Fanus Skincare and Beardspoke, our luxury beard-care collection.

Different products. Different services.

The same intention.

Craftsmanship. Quality. Detail. Hospitality.

And above all, care.

Because after all these years, the most important part of AFG isn't the chairs, the products, the décor or even the haircut.

It's how you feel when you're here.

AFG remains a place where individuality is celebrated.

Where every texture is welcome.

Where conversation flows.

Where relationships matter.

Where you don't have to perform.

Where you don't need a mask.

You can simply walk through the door and be yourself.

What We Believe

From the very beginning, Adrian set out to fill a gap he'd seen for years — great haircuts existed everywhere, but the hospitality didn't. He wanted to build a home.

"A place where no mask is needed — where you come to relax, socialize, be family, and be treated as such."

That belief is the soul of AFG: a professional, welcoming, and non-judgmental space where every guest is treated with the same care and respect — no different than an Oscar winner or a millionaire athlete.

The Experience

Among the hustle of city life, AFG is designed to feel like an oasis. On arrival, you're welcomed with a courtesy beverage — from champagne or wine to seasonal drinks and teas — and shown to a plush lounge. Every service begins with a consultation: we take your features, texture, lifestyle, and personality into account before we ever pick up the clippers, so the result is unmistakably yours.

In Good Company

Over the years, Adrian has worked with Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, along with Idris Elba, Chris Brown, John Legend, and sports greats Grant Hill and Nate Robinson. His work has been featured on the silver screen, on television, and in leading fashion and lifestyle magazines, and he has served as grooming editor for Ballroom Rockstar & Wolrd Bride Magazine. And still — we treat every guest exactly the same.

Beyond the Chair

The Adrian Fanus story didn't stop at the salon. Together with his wife — a registered nurse who became a chemist and formulator — Adrian created Adrian Fanus Skincare, Adrian Fanus Haircare, and Beardspoke, our luxury beard care line. Every product is developed, handcrafted, and packaged by the two of them, rooted in natural, ethically sourced ingredients and the same commitment to quality you'll find in the chair.

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Giving Back

Community has always been part of who we are. Giving back to the neighborhood that welcomed us is a value we hold close. See how we give back.

“Here our business is your pleasure. We provide a service of excellence, a space of peace — welcome home.”

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