SPOTLIGHT ON TRAE TANE - AKA TAPER TRAE

By Louise May

Trae Tane is a 27 year old Māori kid from a small town called Whitianga, on the East Coast of the North Island in NZ. In May 2023, he made the move to Australia to pursue and elevate his skillset/career within the barbering industry, which has proven to be the best decision he has made for himself thus far.

When Trae’s not cutting hair, you’ll find him in the gym, on a touch field/basketball court, working on his personal brand or filming/ editing content.

Louise May, the Editor of Mocha Barber, chats with Trae about his journey in the barbering industry.

When and how did you discover a passion for hair?

Since a kid I’ve always had a “thing” for hair. Back in school days , me and my boys would meet up at each other’s houses beforehand and spend almost an hour styling our hair, using straighteners and dominate wax to complete our looks, ha-ha. I started cutting my own hair around 13 and by age 15-16, had started cutting the boys.

We had a saying we lived by, which was “look good , feel good, perform good” and it started with our hair. I guess you could say I naturally fell into barbering without realising it. In 2019, I decided to pursue barbering as a career by enrolling at Cut Above Academy in Auckland, NZ, obtaining my certification. Since then, I haven’t looked back. I believe that a haircut/hairstyle says a lot about a person and how they conduct/care for themselves. I also believe that with social media, being more prevalent than ever, first impressions are EVERYTHING.

What do you do today?

I currently live and work in Rockhampton, a small town in North Queensland. Here, I manage one of the many HMB Barbers stores in which I have both a freshly qualified and apprentice barber under my wing.

You were a Finalist at the 2024 AMBA’s. That’s a massive achievement! Tell us about your collection and what inspired it?

Thank you Lou, I appreciate that. Firstly, I want to thank Fraser Forsey for not only the opportunity, but the push to compete. This was the first competition I’ve entered in my career and if it weren’t for Frasers support and backing, I wouldn’t have entered at all, let alone become a finalist. If I’m being honest, I’m not quite sure how I made the finals. I was unprepared as anyone could be for a competition, but somehow made it work. The inspiration for my collection came from haircuts I used to see around when I was younger but with a bit of a “modern” twist.

You are educating with 4Barbers, tell us about this?

Again, that’s all thanks to Fraser. He approached me a couple of months after I had started with HMB about the opportunity to become an educator and I took it with both hands. I had always been under the impression that a barber educator was someone that was in a classroom all day everyday teaching. Once he explained to me what 4Barbers does and their purpose, I was sold. My goal within the education space is not just to teach the younger generation of barbers/apprentices how to do a haircut, but also the importance of how to conduct/present themselves in AND outside of the barbershop. Professionalism, self-presentation, things of that nature.

What tools do you use?

Staying honest, my toolkit is a bit of a pick ‘n mix. I use the BaByliss Pro FX One Lo Pro clipper for debulking. The upgraded motor combined with the new design of the blades AND replaceable batteries makes removing bulk like a hot knife through butter. For fading and detailing, I use the new JRL Onyx clipper. They’re extremely comfortable to use, lightweight and the fade blades are incredible, leaving you with a super soft, blurry finish. For the line ups, I’m currently running the Style Craft Sabers. Don’t think I need to say much about them other than it’s been my only trimmer for the last 2 years. The results speak for themselves

Who inspires you?

First person that comes to mind is Barber Josh O.P, who I was fortunate enough to be taught and mentored by, alongside a group of extremely talented barbers last October at the Perspective Tour in Brisbane. Off the back of that, the whole group that I was with that week inspires me too. From meeting everyone on day 1 to seeing them all go from strength to strength, leaping out of their comfort zone, it lets me know everyone and anyone can achieve their dreams.

My family are also a massive driving force for me. Knowing what we’ve been through, watching them keep pushing through life and never stopping for anything, they’re a massive inspiration to me, if not the biggest. Last but not least, people that continue to push boundaries, people that are ambitious, have goals & don’t let anything get in the way, the ball runners. They keep me inspired to do more.

What’s on the agenda for the next 12 months?

Without giving too much away, this year is going to be massive. I’ll be competing multiple times, one of which will be at the 4Barbers Expo Barber Battle on the Gold Coast in May. Alongside that, I’ll also be making my debut as an Educator this year which is extremely exciting! Outside of barbering, I have a few other BIG things coming this year, but we’ll keep that quiet about that for now...

FAST FAVES...

Fave Food: Anything my Mum cooks!

Fave Drink: Sailor Jerry’s spiced rum with Coke Zero, short glass, plenty of ice.

Fave Holiday destination: Can’t go wrong with my lil slice of paradise back home on the East coast.

Current music rotation: Again, a pick n mix much like my toolkit. One minute I’ll be listening to the Temptations, next it’s Biggie Smalls or 50 cent. My music taste is eclectic, I go 0 to 100 real quick!

Fave Movie: I have 2 - Coach Carter is all time but Stomp the Yard brings me so much nostalgia, I know every word to every scene!

What am I binge watching/reading: Admittedly, I’m the worst person to ask about books I don’t read, but that’s something I’m changing this year. I don’t tend to watch many shows as I’m always up to something, but when I’ve got some down time, I’m watching WWE, NBA or NRL.

@tapertrae