Editors Letter

Let us start this issue by first acknowledging the Kabi Kabi and Tugambeh people. Traditional custodians of the lands from which be bring you barbershop magazine, we pay respect to their elders past, present, and emerging.

A special shout out to the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin in Melbourne CBD where we hosted the first AMBA Gala at the Plaza Ballroom. A very warm welcome to you one and all wherever you are reading us.

That’s right, we took our show on the road and what a show it was. November 6th saw the dawning of a new era for the Australian Barber Industry and now, there is no turning back. We are already getting pledges for tables for next year!! And why not, if it’s one thing the Mocha Group know how to do it’s how to celebrate our Hair, Beauty and now Barber industries with the most transparent, honourable, and prestigious competition platforms and then top it off with a world class Gala event to recognise our best in our respective industries.

It’s an honour to be member of the Mocha Group team and it was indeed my honour to personally induct Mr Lino D’Adderio Infront of 200+ of our Barber Industry peers into the AMBA Hall of Fame. Our very first recipient. There is plenty in the pages here about the Australian Modern Barber Awards but make no mistake, I will be milking this and gushing over them for the next 12 months and then on rotation every year thereafter so get used to it.

We’ve come of age as an industry, so well done us.

In saying that, you will notice barbershop is becoming very Australian heavy in its content and it’s not by chance, it’s a very concerted effort on my behalf but I’m just mirroring what’s happening on the ground here in our fine country. The pandemic is in our wake and the wheels of industry churn on and with that comes a flood of new energy from product, tools, and machine companies eager to get their names back out there and that’s a big win for us as barbers, because wow… look at the investment being put into our industry as a whole, especially in the form of the sheer numbers of local talent hitting the education circuit as a result. Yikes…

I’m not going to miss out on this… no way! I’ve snapped up some big Aussie guns and they are going to keep coming over future issues don’t you worry! Celine Kaponias aka Chop Chopps is in the house; newly minted official Wahl Australian Team member and proud of it! Check out her barber journey. Fraser Forsey takes us to Canada with Tommy Guns and then around the country here back home with LEV3L3 and Gamma+ on the Fusion Tour with some big-name legends; see the last entry in his 4-part diary series. And barber ninja Bruce Leeroy, aka The Barber Bandit, give us a huge feature as does Luke Munn, so check those pages out.

We meet Gareth Philpot from RTO The Barber Academy and hear about the continued success they are enjoying, forcing them to expand from Brisbane to Sydney and up-grade their Gold Coast campus and if that’s a litmus test for the health of our industry it’s looking gooood.

I pick the brains of two dynamic young barbers who co-run two of the biggest independent barber chains in the country very closely with their respective company directors as their 2IC’s, see what’s it’s like to be in the shoes of a ‘Second in Charge’.

Naser shares an unbelievable life story and pays homage to our great country with a heart felt collection you will be familiar with, but did you know the story behind it? And business tips come from the great Mario Fallace who is back-to-back AMBA Best Barber Business of the year winner.

Our bloggers are here, some for the last time as we hand over the baton next year to some fresh faces… there’s news, more stories, amazing collections and much more this is issue 11.4

Enjoy!! Rex A.C. Silver

Editor – Barbershop Magazine

Rex Silver rex@mochagroup.com.au