editor’s letter

We 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 very warm welcome to you one and all wherever you are reading us.

Out of the gates and racing! It’s almost the end of the first quarter and I hope it’s been a strong start to the year for ya’ll!

American Crew are kicking off their 2023 education platform at the Barber Temple on March 6th with legends Mark Rabone, 2022 AMBA Hall of Fame inductee Lino D’Adderio and 2016 All Star of the Year, Gary McKenzie.

This Night of Inspiration will be followed by a National Tour of shows and some dates featuring American Crew Challenge 2022 World Champ Luke Munn, so get the skinny on that in these pages and book your spot.

Last issue we featured the winners of our 2022 AMBA’s… red carpet pics and lovely images of us all at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne. This Issue let’s meet some of those winners up close and personal.

Of course, we start with the big gun Costa Zacharia Mr Australian Modern Barber of the Year! What a guy! What an experience for him and his Team, the UNOIT Team took out best Team Collection you may recall, want to understand more about Costa, grasp his re-action to the Team Collection win, and you’ll get a masterclass in leadership traits. Read it.

Stacy Fernandes is in the house!, this star on the rise is current Australian Modern Barber of the Year ‘Classic Collection’ Title holder and Stacy shares her barber story thus far…Stacy gets extra kudos, she is a barber industry ‘first-responder’… she teaches the next gen!! Read it.

We have a new correspondent!, well, not that new to barbershop magazine, in-fact, she was one my first phone calls when I landed this gig as editor as I wanted, no… I needed, to have her voice in our industries premier publication, and she has been with every issue since.

This year our 2022 AMBA Special Recognition recipient Collette Saunders presents her first feature for us and takes us to WA to meet the Pilbara Queen! One of the toughest places on the planet to be a barber yet charging up to $120 a visit…something in this story for us East Coasters FO-SHO! Read it.

When you’re not in the room do you think people talk about you behind you back? Of course, they do, and I am no different. Australia’s Matt Clarke left the country to wed his beautiful new bride Brooke in a whirlwind elopement in Las Vegas, and then engage on a 12-week trip of a lifetime honeymoon leaving himself wide open… so I wrote a multi-page feature story on him while he is away…take that Matt Clarke! Read it.

Hey, what’s up with the Australian Hairdressing Council? How do they help the Barber Industry? Can they help me? Yes they can…Sandy Chong from the AHC explains all… this is a must read!!

Before the AMBA’s we had Australia’s Barber community folk enter specialized categories at our AHIA’s, well, we finally meet multi-AHIA and now multi-AMBA winner Anna DeSanctis from Barber Boys and Barbery the Craft of a Barber this issue for a huge double story breaking down Anna’s career and the rise of the Barbery. Read it.

What’s New? New Bloggers that’s what!! Industry Icons a-blaze!! Lance Liufau of The Loft Barbers and newly created BaByliss creative and education team is back in the pages of barbershop, talking about Community. Read It.

Educator Fraser Forsey of Tommy Guns and Barber Temple is a new blogger team member, and he puts Australian product companies on notice to step-up…in the most positive of ways. Read it.

Anna DeSanctis onboards as a new blogger and shares her wealth of knowledge across our barber business landscape as does Mr James O’Brien that’s right, we have Jimmy Rod sharing with us this year and we are in for some big treats. Jimmy gives us some pointers on how we might survive this current climate. Read them.

We have scalp and skin health advice from the Professor, AMBA 2022 Business of the Year Mario Fallace back for another year, we’ve got SMP on Beards with Lucas Smith, Collections, new gear and news and a whole lot more!!! Read all about it!!

This is Year 12. Issue 1…Enjoy!!