Miguel Gutierrez has seen barbershops from Mumbai’s footpaths to Tokyo’s backstreets. He built Nomad Barber from a simple desire to travel and cut hair, but the project reshaped his purpose. His India store draws from years of watching how men sit, speak, and relax in chairs across continents, admitting that the Indian barbershops influenced him most. Other cultures left marks too, but India’s mix of speed, noise, and warmth showed him what service can be.
Throughout this interaction, his replies are calm, steady, and grounded... much like the way he treats his craft.
THE NOMAD PHILOSOPHY
Having worked in high-end grooming in London long before Guiterrez filmed his travels, those early years taught him to make a client feel looked after from the moment they walk in. Nomad Barber Mumbai reflects that very philosophy. Clear consultation, soft towels, steady pacing, and a relaxing massage form the base of every cut. “Men often rush through grooming,” he explains. “They look for quick fixes. With Nomad, I hope to show them a slower, more thoughtful side of a service.” He wants clients to leave feeling relaxed and quiet, not rushed and distracted.
His global trips shaped many details. A towel fold from a hotel in Turkey, a massage stroke from a barber in Vietnam, or a facial technique seen in Seoul. Each detail found its place in his barbershop. And none of it feels forced; rather, it feels lived in.
CRAFT, RESPECT, AND THE CALL FOR BETTER STANDARDS
Guiterrez speaks openly about the gaps he sees in young barbers today, emphasising discipline, care, and honesty. As a business owner in India and abroad, the lack of professionalism displayed by his Indian staff, like disappearing on the job or taking the job lightly, took him by surprise. And that’s what’s motivating him to change things. “Training that covers skill and ethics is the way forward. The shop floor teaches more than any classroom.” And in his effort to change the barbering landscape in India, he plans to build an academy with this spirit at its core.
For him, a barber is not a tradesman working through a queue. “A barber guides, listens, and steadies the room. I hope the next wave of barbers holds this same pride.”
“TRAINING
that covers
SKILL AND ETHICS
is the way
FORWARD
. The
SHOP FLOOR
teaches more than any
CLASSROOM
.”
THE TRENDY AND THE TRANSIENT
Ask him about trends, and his answer is brief. “Men are choosing looser cuts, softer textures, and less product. Many repeat phrases they've heard online.” He believes that social media drives most style choices today. And as someone who’s been in this business for a long time, he has seen clients over-directing and then feeling letdown when their vision doesn’t materialise, or their social media-inspired look doesn’t quite translate. “This is why you should trust your barber’s skills more. Trends don’t always work for every face shape or hair texture. While clear direction helps, trust is what shapes the final result,”he says.
Fortunately, trends are not his anchor; human contact is. “A cut is a small moment in a long day, but it can ground someone. It can clear their head, and can even help them feel seen. I've watched this happen in many countries. The rhythm changes from place to place, but the effect stays steady,” he admits.
A BRAND BUILT ON STORY AND SUBSTANCE
Today, Nomad Barber is more than a name on a sign. It is a record of years spent in dozens of chairs, watching hands move with speed and care. It is about small rituals that make men pause. And it lives through the products he makes in small batches. Plant-based, clean, and honest.
His plans are simple. “India first. India next. I’m in no rush to expand. I want to focus on getting this store right and then grow with intention,” he says. “I want to change the way people view barbering, especially in India. And education is key.”
Today, men want a clearer, calmer grooming experience; barbers want guidance that feels practical and real. Through service, respect, and quiet skill, Miguel Guiterrez and Nomad Barber consistently demonstrate what a cut can mean and what a barbershop can truly be.