A NATURAL BORN LEADER

By Rex A.C. Silver

Ever been to a hair seminar, product launch, look and learn demonstration or hair workshop, and feel you’ve connected with one of the guest artists on stage and that they are only speaking just to you?

You’ve made eye contact and you’ve become totally emersed in what they are saying and ‘sharing’… you feel like you’re in the intimacy of your own shop being carefully tutored by your trusted boss, just you and them and the model. You laugh at a joke they make and snap to the realisation 150 people around you are laughing too, and this is shared experience… but you still feel you’re the one everything is being directed to.

This is what it’s like if Mark Rabone is on stage and you are in the audience, he has the ability to make you feel he’s only talking to you and you’re the most important person in the room!

Mark has been an educator for well over a decade so I’m sure a lot of you have seen him and experienced everything I’ve just said… but there is way more to this man than that.

He is an astute businessman that owns and runs 2 of Brisbane’s most revered men’s hair establishments, Esquire Male Grooming (celebrating 20 years in biz in 2014); he’s an incredible employer that actively thinks of the wellbeing of his staff, both in terms of their inner and creative happiness; he pains over how he can service his clients better, demanding ever increasing skill-set abilities from himself and his team, and of a higher standard of luxurious treatment offered at his stores. He is a husband, dad, and a Pom… and we love him!

LET’S MEET MARK RABONE:

So, I grew up in Birmingham UK in a working-class family. my memories through the early through the 70s and the 80s was typical of my era I was into BMX, skateboarding, breakdancing, playing football and basically just having fun with my friends.

I was always into art, so given the times, and my obsession with American culture at the time, (everything looked sunny and cool in California) graffiti was to play a big part of my early teens!

We had a close family, with my Dad one of 4 brothers. My uncle Roy had a sign writing business and my dad felt that with my artistic style of lettering with my graffiti, an apprenticeship at Uncle Roy’s place would be perfect for me, but….

How did you discover the Hair World?

Hair wasn’t my first career choice, I wanted to do fashion design, but unfortunately I wasn’t invited to complete year 11 and 12 at school. In June 1987 I saw an advert for a local salon looking for an apprentice and it seemed like the closest thing to fashion!

After a year I moved to Raffles in Birmingham City Centre. I still wasn’t fulfilled with my hair journey through, and after I finished my 2nd year I was ready to try something else… fortunately, there was a barbershop underneath; John Hayes, and I did my 3rd year down there at a traditional barbershop and I loved it!

From there I spent 3 long summers working on the Greek islands having fun, doing a variety of jobs but always cutting hair, then returning to the UK for the winter. Sometimes working at a shop, always doing a second job behind a bar, but basically I realised that I enjoyed working in a social environment and cutting hair on a beach with no blow dryers or clippers and limited products really showed the value of a good cut!

I’d planned in my final Greek summer of 1994 to see how far my scissors and comb could get me travelling the world, well that summer I met my Australian wife and I fast tracked to the other side of the world!

When we arrived back in Australia for good, we moved to Melbourne, and I worked at Wax Men’s Haircutter ‘s in Grenville Street Prahran for 4 years. The founder Paul Bartollo, a fellow Brit was a great inspiration to me in business, and he gave me heads up that barbers weren’t all seen as a destination for old men or guys that want ‘just a haircut’.

After my wedding and close to a year cutting back home in Birmingham in Rackhams the main department store at the time, we were heading back to Queensland, and I only had one thing in mind and that was to open a modern barbershop of my own

Tell us about Esquire Male Grooming

So yeah, we opened the first Esquire in Milton in November 2004 and I wanted to create a space that was masculine but modern, I wanted to give Brisbane men a barber service that had all the trappings of a unisex salon - appointments, refreshments, wider service menu and backed up by a full professional range.

From originally being by myself we grew to 5 stylists and always took on apprentices; my aim with the team was always to provide a workplace and environment that was better than the rest, that way they won’t want to work anywhere else!

10 years later we opened the second Esquire in Tattersalls Arcade instilling unparalleled service in men’s hair to the CBD. We recognise that the small differences mean the most to our customers and we are constantly evolving to remain one of Brisbane’s finest. I believe that’s it is all down to training, motivation and keeping the team happy… finding out what motivates the guys individually is the way I keep the business moving forward, and of course encouraging creativity.

To that end we do photo shoots annually, quarterly training in store, and of course many external events and inspiration evenings which my team enjoy attending and can feel being part of the growth of Esquire. I am also a huge believer in taking on apprentices and adding to the future of the Industry, the popularity of barbering over the past decade has made it much easier to get enthusiastic trainees, as long as you’re willing to put the time into them.

One thing that goes unheralded in our business is that the most important beneficiary of all this - the client, really does notice, and they too are aware that they are getting good value for their money because of all the ongoing involvement we have in ourselves as stylists. Quality does shine!

Personally, I’ve had to evolve along the way, nearly 2 decades in business and the landscape has changed immensely, still staying with my core belief meant expectations changed, and if I didn’t change and evolve myself, we wouldn’t remain where we are today.

What are your fav tools of the trade?

Like most barbers or tradesmen, I am very particular about the tools I use and have quite an enviable kit, my favourite scissors are between 6 1/2 to 7 inch and always Japanese steel.

I was taught a long time ago about the durability and precision of Japanese steel & I have owned Tondeo and Hikari in the past, but for the last decade used Mizutani. I’ll always use a feather razor which I think is the most underrated and easily accessible tool to use for any techniques a thinning scissor or texturizing scissor could do, and also gives a great finish on a whole haircut for many styles.

The clippers I’ve always used in my career has always been Wahl, they’ve never let me down. I use all of their clippers and trimmers and their foilers too.

The five-star cordless clipper range has been revolutionary (I don’t miss keeping a cord out of the way) the different types of blades each clipper has, all have different benefits and outcomes, charge times and engine power giving me their right clipper for any haircut I’m faced with, thus making my work that little bit easier.

Anytime I’ve been tempted to try another brand… I have to say I’ve been disappointed. One thing Wahl has that no one can refute – is a long heritage in reliability, and that speaks volumes to the stylists using their product.

My current favourite clipper are the cordless legends - they have an extended cutting blade which allows me to get through bulk and coarse hair with ease. As a bald man who foils his head regularly, wait until the new Vanish Foilers are out, the best yet!

Products loved, used, and proudly sold at Esquire?

The main product we use in our shop is American Crew. I was first introduced to this product in the 90s whilst in Melbourne, it was revolutionary at the time and has not stood still since.

Their shampoos, conditioners and shaving range have been a staple, alongside their styling products for nearly 30 years. The styling products which I most love right now is the Grooming Spray, the Matt Clay Spray, the Boost Powder and Matt Clay paste and the-soon-tobe-released “Whip”.

What I love about the American Crew range is you can mix to get the finish you desired finish, also the Ethos that the company has are very much in line with my way of thinking and that is ‘the haircut is the hero’ and the product is there to emphasise the cut – and they back this this up with education.

Tell is more about being an Educator?

I have been educating now for 13 years and I am blessed to do it for the two brands who have helped shaped my career.

I was asked to join the American Crew team through a conference and competitions and a meeting with the distributors of the time. That experience of education in classes and onstage led to a meeting with the Wahl Family. Their investment in the team to bring all elements of our industry together, having the team together at Brisbane’s Barber Temple for a week twice in 1 year and develop all of our skills was inspirational!

We have to learn the collections that we are to teach so I get to be the student every year, which when you are surrounded by your peers and helping each other along the way is massively important to my growth as a barber, you really should never stop progressing your skill set in our industry on your own hair journey.

I’m very lucky I get to pass on knowledge and techniques to others who wish to learn, and I continually am amazed at the talent we have here in Australia. I’ve learned plenty along the way from students in my class too, education really is a sharing experience.

In reflection so far, my career has exceeded my expectations as to what a barber can achieve .. I would never have thought possible I’d be a part of hair shows in the US and Europe as well as all over Australia. To be part of a judging team for many competitions is an honour, and to have fun on stage doing something I love still blows my mind!

On top of that, the friendships I’ve made within the industry from around the world is incredible, and all united by hair! The shops are still a huge part of my life and I’m on the floor doing full days 3 times a week!

The buzz of the shop floor with all the banter and laughs we have… the interactions with clients and being around the team is something that gets in your blood, and I don’t think it’s something I could ever walk away from entirely. Plus, there’s still more to come from us as a team.. watch this space!

@Mark_rabone_hair @Esq male grooming