21 minute read
Curly Girl By Louise May
Curly
GIRL By Louise May
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One may be forgiven for assuming Rumbie has only ever been a hairdresser upon meeting her, knowing her passion for artistry oozes, however after taking the time to delve deeper, it is obvious her zest for life, people and community runs far more profound.
Rumbie (pronounced:“Room-B”) became accustomed to a sense of community at a very young age. Originally from Zimbabwe, she now calls Australia home.
Before finding her calling in all thing’s hair, Rumbie was certain life in service was what she would find most fulfilling, and so she began a career in geriatrics. The change in direction was not until her sister was facing challenges with her hair, that she unintentionally decided to pursue a different route. There was an apparent lack of hairdressers who specialised in afro hair. Proof of this was when her sister encountered several salon mishaps that forced Rumbie to take matters into her own hands (quite literally).
Self-taught in braiding and weaves, the line of family and friends requiring her services soon outgrew her living room. With her family’s support, Rumbie decided to cease her career in geriatrics and began an apprenticeship in hairdressing. After renting chairs in multiple renowned salons and a completed apprenticeship in hand, Rumbie developed a loyal client base of those who shared the same need for an expert in Wavy, Curly, Afro. In 2014 she decided to take the plunge and open her very own Salon, thus Rumbie the entrepreneur was born. 6 years on, the Rumbie & Co expanded into a new location. pays homage to its original industrial beginning, whilst exemplifying minimalist design that transports you to a true state of relaxation. Circular accents scattered throughout soften the sleek interiors, while providing a sanctuary for your curls to be unravelled by a Wavy,Curly, Afro expert. The monochromatic interior provides an easy backdrop for brass accents, which highlight the Rumbie&Co products on display. Elegant touches of greenery embrace the essence of an inner-city oasis. A hair salon with a difference – After six years, Rumbie & Co have relocated to their forever home on Cleveland Street in Chippendale.
Hair Biz Editor Louise May caught up with Rumbie to dig a little deeper and find out more about her story.
Share with us some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the curl journey and how you overcame these?
One of the biggest things that comes to mind is not loving my hair (my true self) and that negative self-talk. If I went natural, and my hair was kinky, who would I then be? Would I be beautiful? Would I be enough? Would I be attractive to myself and others? What if I look like a man? Curly hair doesn’t look good on you etc Before formulating my own products, my fears were based around “where would I find products that suit my hair needs?” and what if they get discontinued and God forbid the search begins again. My hair was oily but still dry. I struggled finding hairdressers who were confident in working with my hair, even when it was chemically straightened. The hairdressing trips were traumatising. Before getting into hair, there seemed to be a lot that needed to be done to get half decent hair. Everything seemed too complicated because it was! Gave me more reasons to not want to go on that journey.
There is a huge following in the Curly Girl Method, what would you say makes you unique to this?
it’s opened up people to embracing themselves however, I think it’s largely anecdotal. Most of the techniques are borrowed from Afro hair culture, some aspects of things I remember doing growing up. At Rumbie&Co we mainly focus on simplifying curly hair. Whether it’s with the products or the techniques. Our goal is to produce predictable results with amazing, hydrated curls. We broke down the science of curly hair and dealing with the anatomy and physiology of hair to give lasting change. (Maybe this comes from my nursing background). We believe the less time spent, the more laser-focused you are with no compromise on the end result, equals winning. We take a specialist approach, address the exact problem e.g dehydration of curls and not the symptom e.g frizz. We understand the psychological impact/trauma that curly haired people can be subjected to since childhood, and our goal is to empower them to thrive and simplify curls with the Rumbie & Co products and the Rumbie & Co curl experience.
What do you enjoy most about your business?
It definitely has to be the impact. No day in this business is the same; we consistently are demystifying challenges people have had with curly hair for years, and unravelling points of confusion to bring clarity to just how simple styling curly hair can be. In the salon you’ll find people crying, hugging us (when not in COVID times) in shock, blowing kisses to themselves and even videoing family in on the appointment. Needless to say, it’s a pretty cool environment to be in where there is so much solidarity and I believe one too many times we have been described as being a safe space always changing people’s lives, both young and old. Also, I can work with any texture and any modality that involves hair; whether it’s straight or Afro whether it’s on wheels or Braids, whether it’s making a wig or installing a wig. I just enjoy the versatility of hair, the art of hair and the ability to assist people in living their best lives. And I guess I’ve come full circle back to impact!
What would you say are the core values or philosophies which define your business and yourself personally?
Our values spell the word “TRUE”: TOGETHERNESS: “I am because we are” kind of like the notion of being my sister’s keeper. RESPECT: That’s just a minimum UPLIFTMENT: being mindful to be constructive in speech and action EMPOWERMENT: Commit to being a life-long learner and leader
What are your thoughts around how curl cutting is taught traditionally in our industry at TAFE & Private Colleges currently?
While I understand that this may be controversial, in my experience, I would argue that it isn’t taught. Other than me having to critically think about the skills I had been taught and the hair textures before me, I’ve never felt as though I had tools to be confident in working with curly hair whether wavy, curly and/or Afro textures. Curls always had to be manipulated either with heat, or chemically.
My active curiosity to solve the curly hair conundrum, and my relentlessness towards refusing to accept the idea that curly hair is hard and can only be straightened to be presentable has been a driving force. Many things we implement in Rumbie & Co techniques are rooted in techniques I observed within the Afro hair culture between early teen and early adulthood, and then I developed them further. Curly hair cutting was mentioned but was always done wet and that’s a no-no, unless one remembers to consistently keep the hair at the same amount of wetness, remembering the exact amount of bounce back from each curl. (My brain is about to explode just thinking about it). Curly dry cuts are the way.
Who are your biggest influencers in the industry?
I have 3! Sandy Chong: she’s passionate about the industry. She’s a true boss, a connector and I love how she balances gentility and strength in her leadership style. #Goals Faye Murray: strong, passionate, generous, reliable and a knowledgeable leader in our industry. Definitely aspirational. Aaron Sansoni (business mentor): This man has helped business make sense to me. He made it fun and doable.
What’s on the agenda for the future?
Impact. It’s our mission to impact 1 million curly haired people by 2025, by empowering other hairdressers to simply transition into understanding curly hair and impacting their clients so they reap loyalty and grow their businesses just like we did.
We also have the last of our products being formulated. We have the academy going crazy and in-salon shadowing as of March. So, we are excited.
CELEBRATIONS AS HEADGARDENERS HAIR SALON TURNS 25!
“We often have new salon guests ask us, ‘How long have you been here?’ It blows our minds when we inform them it’s now 25 years!”, says owners Tim & Liz Jory.
“People are also wowed when they ask, ‘in this same shop?’ YES the same shop and same Cronulla location!”
Married for 25 years, Hairstylist and Molton Brown trained Tim Jory from London is Married to Liz, also London experienced, from Sydney, Cronulla.
Tim recalls his days working in various famous salons in London. ….. a lot of “titled” and wealthy clientele visited. I remember Brooke Shields and Linda Grey among the clients and Lady Vesty, Princess Beatrice and Fergie and Serena Linly just to name a few. The salons had many chauffer driven clients who waltzed in had their hair done, whilst the chauffeur waited and then waltzed back out for the chauffeur to settle to bill … amazing days in the 80’s! Then there was the bridal hair, that we would work on at fabulous country manors etc and London Hair shows were huge back in the day. A lot of work and dedication for the craft.. says Tim she trained in Paris, then educating took her all over Australia within salons and hosting seminars and speaking at Tafes on behalf of the product company .
Headgardeners was established in 1996 and was marketed to the beautiful beachside area of Cronulla and it’s surrounds. Liz and Tim set out with a holistic approach and a brand awareness message of making hair healthy, that looks and feels amazing, not just when their guests walk out the salon door, but at all times. They wanted a real community salon where all people want to belong and feel valued, they created a down to earth environment with a high priority to the hairdressing industry. Their motto has always been HAIR MEANS THE EARTH TO US.
Liz & Tim have had a long-time partnership with Aveda and Kevin Murphy and the salon has always stayed at the forefront of the industry with all things education, training & products. The salon equipment and fit outs have always been kept in high standards as have the business operations, becoming a company in 2007.
We encourage our team to be good commutators mainly friendly, kind ,fun, honest and importantly happy, says Liz, yet always professional and caring to maintain our good quality representation in the Sutherland Shire community as we welcome everyone to enjoy our services . In 2005 we won the Sutherland Shire Business of the Year and Best Hairdresser Award and again in 2006 and 2007 .
Prime Minster Scott Morrison was a salon guest for 10 years is their most recognisable salon guest and some other well-known locals they keep discreet .
Like all businesses over time, you experience highs and lows (we have a had a share of them ) says both Liz & Tim… be it, during shop fit out disasters, professional and personal achievements or mishap ,staff management or financial issues, learning in new and rapid technical times or during 2020 challenges …you’ve got to love to want you do and keep it real and manage your time, salon guests and your team .
So, Headgardeners has been our life, and our Daughter 21 and Son 18 can tell you that. We have enjoyed theses highs and learnt from the lows ..along the way loving it .”.people make a place” having the right team as we have two amazing hairstylists that have been in the salon for 12plus years and another for 8 years.
We have all been hard working, proud to be hairstylists ,polite, professional caring and supportive for each other and as they say, “work hard stay humble ,because you are only as good as your last haircut!”
Welcome to the Revlon Professional Family Uros Mikic
To hold nothing back is to be empowered to take on challenges, to push the limits.
It is a shared experience that brings next-level confidence. It is learning and un-learning with equal curiosity because beauty is an infinite journey.
It is finding your own voice by doing what you think and feel, not what you are told.
Revlon Professional nurture, promote and celebrate a diverse community of unapologetic and unique hairdressers, unleashing talents to…
CREATE BOLDLY, LIVE BOLDLY.
Uros Mikic, National Artistic Ambassador Revlon Professional And New Salon partnership with Kinky Curly Straight, Adelaide.
“With our product partners we look to contribute to their goals, be it brand recognition, attaining new clients, or working towards a stronger business performance, we view these relationships as true two-way partnerships where we all grow and share in each other’s’ successes.” Uros Mikic
SALON KIINS LITTLE SISTER BY THE SEA
Salon Kaia
It’s been a decade since ‘that girl with the pink hair’ from Western Sydney began to make a mark. Back then she worked in her Dad’s salon s.81 Hair in a modest shopping centre in St Clair. She employed four staff members, invested heavily in education, and battled with the precarious balance of bright lights verses business.
Fast forward to March 2020 and the now a birth mother of two, business mother of twenty-two, and owner of some serious award silverware opened the doors to her second salon. This time she is joined by her best friend and now business partner Lee-Anne Lamanna, we caught up with Maria Unali as she opened the doors to Salon Kiin’s sister by the sea.
MEET SALON KAIA.
Why Wollongong?
Both Lee and I made the move to the coast to build our forever homes, to raise our families by the sea. Lee also spent her childhood there. I felt right to have something close to home, close to our families.
Penrith to Wollongong must be a 3 hour round trip? Does it take its toll?
The drive doesn’t bother me I make use of the time. I listen to podcasts and they instigate ideas. I do a lot of my best work on the Hume Highway! I also only head to Kiin three days a week, I get there after the peak and leave late, so traffic isn’t an issue. I also have a massive support network in my husband and my mother-in-law.
It’s a fairly iconic building did you have your eye on it for a while?
Maybe a bit of manifestation ha ha.. no, we were actually in the process of reviewing terms on another lease, but the terms were a bit heavy for a startup. When 58 Campbell Street was up for grabs it felt like magic. We wanted an intimate space, which was really different from KIIN, we want to create this whole journey of self-care idea, it worked in the space, for me it always starts with the space.
So Kaia is different from KIIN?
In many ways no. Culture, communication, service, core values are the same. It’s Kiin’s little sister by the sea. It’s much smaller, with four operators for now including me (for now). I think the way you run a business is standard. Spend less than you make. There is a lot I’ve leveraged from Kiin to give Kaia a leg up in the processes. And that’s the perk. So yes, a lot will be run the same as Kiin but on a much smaller scale. The team is tighter. The space is more intimate. The 1:1 service offering- the same. The incredible hair- the same.
Who designed the space?
We Are Triibe. They brought KIIN to life. They just get it. Not just exquisite interior design, palettes, and pretty stuff, but the things that matter most, lighting, efficiency of space, basin verses bench. Those girls are the goods!
So how does the partnership work?
Lee and I are different in lots of ways but our core values as people are aligned. Lee is happy to let me shape the hair side of things, I have had ten years+ in salon business, twenty years in hairdressing. I have made mistakes, plenty of them. I also know what works in terms of building teams, retaining clients, pricing, promotion, that kind of thing. Lee is from a Corporate Sales background, she runs a tight ship and is super social. She is a real host, she makes people feel cared for naturally. Lee is an extrovert, I am an introvert. It’s a good balance.
The campaign is beautiful, it oozes coastal vibes? Who did what?
Brogan Chidley shot Kaia, she does a lot of bronzed beauty work, we wanted it to be beachier, fresher, more natural, and less styled than Kiin. Shooting it with an ocean backdrop cemented the location and communicated our marketing pledge of creating a sanctuary by the sea. Isabelle brings the whole thing to life, she was the perfect muse, she’s just a dream.
How will you split your time between the two salons?
I will do one day on the floor at Kaia for now. We are really lucky with the team we have. With Scarlett, Megan, and Mandy on the floor and Lee managing from the front (back and sides!) we should be more than alright. It’s always them, it’s always the team.
How have the staff at KIIN responded to Kaia’s opening?
They’re so happy for us and for the brand to do well. They loved being ‘clients’ in the process. We involved them asking them about opinions on the logo and website functioning. I love getting them involved!
MELBOURNE’S ONE-OF-A-KIND
By Louise May
Innovative design, bygone charm and local collaboration for the freelancer that pines for a place to call their own, sans the commitment.
Open 24 hours, seven days a week, 1 Maples Lane invites freelance colourists and hair stylists to rent a residency at the chilled-out yet staggeringly beautiful communal salon space in Melbourne’s brave, new post-COVID world.
1 Maples Lane is Melbourne’s first co-working, ‘lock up and go’ hair salon. The clandestine co-working salon is tucked away off the beaten track of Prahran’s main circuit, aptly named after its hidden address. After navigating a laneway swathed in graffiti and grunge, clients and freelance hair stylists will step inside a utopic, all-white portal of beauty.
The stark-white, expertly designed studio haven is a project of local hair colourist extraordinaire Nathan Jeffrey. After 18 years in the industry, Nathan has forged and finessed the first-of-its-kind space. From claiming impressive accolades like Redken’s Future Colourist of the year in 2008, to working backstage at New York Fashion Week, Nathan has garnered a wealth and diversity of knowledge on how hair professionals operate and the myriad ways of working.
After the beauty industry took a cataclysmic hit in the peak COVID era, Nathan left his salon role to pursue his zeal for the flexibility and excitement of freelance work. With a yearning for greater freedom and frustrations with the conventional hair salon model, lockdown proved the perfect time to shift gears and pull the trigger on cultivating a space of his very own (while welcoming other like-minded creatives in on the fun).
client refreshments bar. Each renter will also have access to all stations, basins, and premium floor stock from Oribe and R&CO, but must BYO eftpos machine, booking system and dyes. The studio undergoes a deep clean weekly to ensure the space is left sparkling, but each visitor is encouraged to treat the dazzling space with respect and care for the next arrival.
“The vision is for freelance hair stylists and colourists to feel at home at 1 Maples Lane. They can do what they want, how they want, when they want, in a totally transportive, Palm Springs-esque space that clients will love. From my own experiences in the industry, the goal here was to offer a working space that nobody feels smothered in. That’s why creative freedom is at the core of everything we do at 1 Maples Lane,” says Nathan.
Joining forces with local designer Anouska Milstein of studio a.m.i, Nathan turned the industrial bones of 1 Maples Lane into a midcentury marvel.
The bleached warehouse space still retains some of its original quirks and edgy charm. Everything eye-height-up is untouched, while eye-height-down has been reinvented and dipped in luminous white. A central ‘colour table’ zone is where clients can sit and sip and work rather than gaze into a mirror while their colour sets in.
The space is loosely divided by white curtains and adorned with locally sourced furnishings that offset the vivid white vault. There’s scatterings of tall, aged cacti sourced by Nina Pederson, Fenton & Fenton potter and an original Willy Rizzo coffee table from the 70’s from Smith Street Bazaar. This mix of old and new drives the feel of the space, with the overarching aesthetic motive to be a hybrid of perfection and imperfection.
A concrete trough created by Concrete Collective allows hair artists to easily wash up and clean their tools in a deep-set, school art room sink. The concrete balances practicality with a grandiose aesthetic, reflecting the mix of function and beauty that underpins 1 Maples Lane. Retaining the galvanised steel of the studio’s pre-existing front door, metallic touchpoints are carried throughout on silver benchtops and cushion coverings. Doing things differently doesn’t stop there, with three grand Italian-hailing Maletti hair-washing basins — thee Rolls Royce of their kind — are plotted on a step-up stage and cradled by white leather massage chairs.
Hair Biz Editor Louise May caught up with Nathan to congratulate him on the new absolutely stunning creative space and to find out a little more about his vision and his “why”.
Do you feel that Covid has changed the Hair Industry and the way Salon Owners are wanting to do business in the future?
Absolutely. And that’s why I came up with 1 Maples Lane. From the salon chairs to the beverages bar and amenities, everything is made stringently COVID-safe and socially distanced. The chairs are plotted two metres apart and all cups and bottles are single-use and recyclable (no lippy marks left behind) to minimise waste and hassle. When COVID coincided with the early design and conceptualisation phase of the space, it forced me to put the hand-break on planning to consider COVID compliance. I think it’s something that will make hairdressers reconsider existing salon spaces, start renovations or look to forge a similar space as 1 Maples Lane.
What Inspired you to go down the communal business path and create a space for freelancers, instead of the more traditional salon concept?
For 18 years, I was employed as an apprentice, then came salon work, after that a management role, then opening a business of my own with a silent partner and employing nine staff on the books. From there, I went freelance for the sake of creative freedom. I covered all ways of working as a hair colourist to experience the whole gamut of salon life and see firsthand what works best. I see 1 Maples Lane as an antidote to the anxieties and rigidities of working in a conventional salon. With this lockup-and-go model, you can be your own boss (sans commitment). The flat rate per month allows for flexibility and come-as-you-please ease, with total autonomy, a safe space to store your tools and a fridge to store some G&Ts for you and your client to share if that’s how you roll.
What’s on the agenda for the future?
Next stop would be Sydney. I’d love to explore the opportunity of expanding 1 Maples Lane interstate with a similar concept, but different name to match the bespoke location. The coworking model allows me to entrust hair professionals with a key to the studio and give them total creative reign over the space. This means I simply don’t need to be in two places (Melbourne and Sydney) at once and can bring the same concept to Sydney’s talented beauty and hair landscape.
Design team:
Interiors: Anouska Milstein, Studio A.M.I @studio.a.m.i Concrete trough: Concrete collective: @concrete.collective Cacti: Nina Pedersen: @b.tanical_creations Photography: Sharyn Cairns: @sharyncairns
