The Well-Groomed Blog

The fragrances that make up the V76 by Vaughn collection—Desert Lime, American Riviera and Blue Cedar—balance sophistication with broad appeal. We asked bartender pro Johnny De Piper to update a few classic cocktails inspired by these three original scents. Read on to learn how to create these satisfying libations with a V76 twist.  Desert Lime Pimm’s CupDesert Lime is a sensual, spicy fragrance that awakens the spirit, much like the British liqueur Pimm’s No. 1, made from gin, citrus fruits and spices. Serve on ice with ginger syrup and lime juice for a cool and refreshing cocktail. Ingredients1 ½ ounce Pimm’s No....

A model-turned-stylist-turned-product developer, V76 founder and men’s grooming expert Vaughn Acord has been at the forefront of the fashion and beauty industries for decades. His list of celebrity clientele includes Bruce Springsteen, Daniel Day Lewis, Bill Clinton, Ashton Kutcher and Al Pacino so he knows a thing or two about style and grooming. Here, Acord shares his take on personal style and how it’s about more than the latest trends—it’s an attitude, a way of life and a form of self-expression. V76 is all about the well-groomed man. What does being well-groomed mean to you?A well-groomed man is someone who...

Barbershop culture encourages intimate conversation: topics tend to go deeper than the news or the weather. Those of us in the industry call it Shop Talk. We caught up with our friends at The Spot Barbershop, one of Miami’s leading barbershops, for the latest take on #shoptalk. We got talking about family. And what we found is that family is what you make of it. Whether it is your mom and dad, brothers and sisters, or your friends, cultivating family is so important to who we are as people. And yes, interpersonal relationships and family can be developed right there at the...

A former professional musician who first started playing drums at 5 years old, V76 founder Vaughn Acord has always considered music his first true love. Music provided Vaughn with his first paycheck and he spent much of his youth traveling from Ohio to NYC doing session work and performing—he once opened for the Runaways at the iconic club CBGB. At first glance, music and hairdressing may appear to have little in common, but to Vaughn, these two art forms are cut from the same cloth. How is being a musician similar to being a stylist?I’ve always trusted my hands, and...

Father’s Day is always a natural time to reflect on the importance of family and the tremendous joy and responsibility of raising children. This year though, those thoughts take on an even greater significance, since many dads have been spending months in unusually close quarters with their kids, or, regrettably, apart from them. With the holiday approaching, V76 founder Vaughn Acord wrote a letter to his son Zane and his daughter Zoe relating what he’s been feeling while being with them during the lockdown—sentiments that are sure to resonate with nearly every parent who’s navigating this uncertain time. Dear Zane...

Vaughn Acord waxes poetic with American Salon about his lifetime love affair with music and how the risk-taking fashion surrounding the music industry piqued his interest in hairdressing. Learn more about his perspective on the big picture of grooming and launching V76 - his dream brand - in the most recent installment of American Salon’s Artist Stories series.