John Barrett and Jim Hedges Settle Dispute

John Barrett and Jim Hedges Settle Dispute Pete Born THE BIG COMB-OVER: The hair war appears to be over between John Barrett and his former chief executive officer Jim Hedges, whom Barrett had fired in early February last year in an explosion of acrimony after an ambitious business plan between the two men had gone sour. In a contentious standoff at Barrett's Bergdorf Goodman salon, the hairstylist reportedly told his ceo that he was firing him for suspicion "of fraud," according to a witness, speaking not for attribution. At the time, Hedges called the charge "baseless," and added that the atmosphere surrounding the confrontation, which involved a number of bystanders, resembled "a lynching mentality." Hedges then filed for arbitration against Barrett, relocated to Los Angeles, and 11 months later has declared victory in the form of a letter bearing Barrett's signature. The letter, released by Hedges, bore the letterhead of John Barrett Holdings LLC, and read in part: "When professional collaborations do not work out as initially contemplated, the decision to end that collaboration and bring the association to a conclusion can sometimes be contentious. That unfortunately was the case when it was determined that Mr. Hedges and JBH [John Barrett Holdings] would go their separate ways. Ultimately, Mr. Hedges and JBH Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Read More... Fashion 3