Man-cave with a difference

t was while watching the TV series, ‘Narcos’, about the notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar, that Marlon Naidoo began thinking about the potential of creating a version of a ‘cartel’ for his barbershop in Johannesburg. Says Naidoo: “It was not my intention to sensationalise the ‘drug cartel’ and its activities but rather to associate it to a mancave set up, where men and boys would feel comfortable. Where they would be willing (and find it cool) to have their grooming done. So, with the ultimate goal being to attract and win over a loyal following of customers, the concept of The Barber Cartel was born. We then sat down and threw around ideas on how we could carry this through in the decor, set up, service offering and experience.” I Little over a year old, Medellin Gentlemen Groomers – The Barber Cartel, does not resemble a traditional barbershop in look, feel or concept. NATASHA CHISESE and JOANNA STERKOWICZ infiltrate the cartel to get the details.

He points out that Medellin is the name of the Colombian city that was associated with Escobar’s cartel. “Most people know about this association but our focus is on men being their better self and encouraging others to do the same by becoming part of The Barber Cartel.” For centuries, most teenage boys and men had the view that a male has to look like he is dangerous, or capable of danger, to seem cool to other men. Masculinity was built around power, strength and roughness. Man-cave difference with a

Décor and style Some 70 square meters in size and currently employing seven barbers, Medellin is situated in Pineslopes, Fourways. This area was selected primarily for its high volume of traffic.

To create the ‘Narcos’ theme, attention to detail was key and every design element had to work seamlessly together. Medellin’s layout ensured that there is ample space for products, barber chairs, a waiting area and a stockroom. The colour scheme is a mix of matte black, grey and white. Tiling and work stations follow the colour theme, with a black and white chequered pattern. Glazed concrete sheeting was used on the floors, and at the heart of the room you will find the Medellin logo.

All the furniture is vintage, with the highlight being a custom made table featuring the Medellin logo. Floating shelves are used to display products, with matte black piping enhancing the vintage rustic look.

The walls are primarily black with grey strokes. A wallpaper illusion of an exposed brick wall is used with typography murals featuring information on Pablo Escobar. This information is not to be taken as idolising Escobar, but to create a system that motivates men to take selfies, known as mugshots in the barbershop.

Subtle lighting brings the cartel theme together by complementing natural light with warm lighting. And, just when you thought the barbershop could not possibly offer more, the reception desk serves complimentary drinks and triples up as a perfume bar for the man on the go.

According to Naidoo, the interior design goal was to create a barbershop that is family friendly, encouraging a ritual for families going to the barbershop. Mugshots In this selfie-obsessed world, Medellin clients are encouraged to have mugshots taken instead. “For centuries, most teenage boys and men had the view that a male has to look like he is dangerous, or capable of danger, to seem cool to other men. Masculinity was built around power, strength and roughness. As such, selfies were not very common and mostly seen to be feminine.

“Our mugshot wall seemed like an interesting idea to encourage men and boys to take their pictures without feeling awkward. Not to sensationalise getting arrested but rather to provide the positive alternative, whereby males don’t feel that they need to do bad to get a mugshot taken. Our spin on this is to take a mugshot to capture your ‘best look’ rather than your worst. We do know that some males, especially the younger generations, seem to think it is fun and cool get arrested and have a mugshot taken,” explains Naidoo.

Personal attention Rather than focusing on pushing huge volumes of clients through the door, Medellin is centred on the customer experience.

Naidoo continues: “It is all about the experience and this has always been the intention. My wife, Maheshnee Nair, and I were always big on grooming and being regulars at most beauty and grooming establishments, we knew what worked for us and what didn’t. What kept us satisfied and what prevented us from going back. We took our own experience, considered our own needs and began thinking through what we wanted to invoke in customers’ minds and experience when they come through our doors. From this we built the customer ethos and the unique elements/ touch points that would create it.

“Off course there will always be a need to tweak or enhance our offering as customer needs are ever-changing, but again, this is something we decided from the start to never compromise on. Very importantly, we will never offer a service or product that we would not purchase for ourselves. I am all about people, and if you focus on the person, the rest will come. So, whereas the list of services and products are mostly common in the barbering world, this cannot be replicated.”

He notes that Medellin has just launched its own booking app, which has proved very popular. Customers can shop for products on the app, as well as book appointments. The Medellin team plan to open four new stores in 2020, some of which will be franchised. PB