INSTYLE MEN: MANSPACES

MANSPACES

NAME: WB Barbers

WHO: Derek McFadden

WHERE: Newcastle

SIGNATURE: WB Barbers brings a new vibe new to the Warners Bay Village precinct. With over 40 years of experience Derek McFadden is a hair salon and barbershop owner, British barber champion and master barber that personalises every haircut to suit the client’s personality, face shape and career as an individual.

A quintessentially modern barbershop designed by Derek, the space curates the experience to suit clients’ continually changing needs. With an abundance of natural light, street frontage and lots of passing trade, as well as its position adjacent to a new bar and restaurant area that’s touted as one of the best in Newcastle, WB is the destination for men’s hair in the region. Standing by the motto that you’re only as good as your last haircut, Derek’s clientele spans from sports stars to TV personalities and beyond.

The shop has been designed to be open plan with custom made barbers chairs, leather lounges, a coffee machine bar with a fridge whiskey bar and relaxing music. Derek believes communication is vital as it’s that first minute of conversation where you can get the haircut right or wrong.

SERVICES: All the expected cutting styles, fades, shaves and everything to make a man look his best and stand out from the pack. Individuality is key.

NAME: AREA Academy

WHO: Eoin McCarthy and Leigh Winsor

WHERE: Melbourne

SIGNATURE: Mentorship and coaching for the wider men’s barbering industry. SHOP STYLE: Modern men’s hair in a minimal and highly functional envIronment. SERVICES: AREA Academy is an up-skilling facility based in Melbourne. AREA pride themselves on tailor-made educational experiences and personal development. What makes AREA unique in the field of education is their unconventional, conscious and holistic approach to hair education.

They are pushing the boundaries within men’s hair to blur the lines between hairdressing and modern barbering. The award-winning team currently contains two-time Barber of The Year and FAME Team member, Leigh Winsor and Eoin McCarthy, Dyson’s first ever Ambassador in the men’s specific hair space.

Alongside their offerings for in-person education, AREA have an online education platform called ‘The Network’ that allows the AREA network to spread their message to a larger audience more consistently. With weekly uploads and over 50 haircutting tutorials, as well as hours of business acumen to help you grow into a full 360 degree hairstylist in 2022, AREA Academy is pioneering the future of men’s hair education.

NAME: Zeppelin.B

WHO: Jase Alpen

WHERE: 2460 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, QLD

SIGNATURE: Zeppelin has been around for 6 years with some of the most outthere stylists in the industry, with a range of knowledge exceeding 15 years in hair.

Imagine a band coming to town full of Rasta sports men and rockstars, then you have Zeppelin. “Our style brings together such a wide range of people from men to women, CEOs, to your local wheeler and dealer. I have worked at a couple of other shops over my time and never seen such diversity in people that come through the doors, and that is purely a reflection of these people, the vibe and the aesthetic set in the shop,” Jase said.

SHOP STYLE: Zeppelin is clean and minimal, but still with all the quirk and character of its owner’s personality. From a dirt bike hat rack to striking brown chairs, 50s tennis rackets to beautiful flowers set on a jungle of polished concrete, this wide-ranging mix is pure Zeppelin. With the music; one minute you’re at Woodstock or Coachella then all of a sudden you’re at a lounge bar in Italy. It's an eclectic beachside enclave that’s all about charm and happiness.

SERVICES: “We do all the nuts and bolts from style cuts, fades, colours, shaves and hair cleansing, and specialise in your longer style cuts and colours now too. Every customer is welcome to drink from San Pellegrino water or have a beer, whiskey or even popcorn. It’s the type of place where we do warn guests that they may come for a half hour haircut and there is a good chance they will be there for the rest of the afternoon.”

NAME: BY FRANCE.

WHO: France Khamees

WHERE: 50 King Street, Sydney

SIGNATURE: The salon’s unique atmosphere is identified at the entrance with an exclusive and inviting feel that’s different to a lot of barbershops and a whole lot more lush. Having this aesthetic from first sight, according to France, provides the comfort that the service will match. Each appointment is tailored to the client’s individuality, and they are consulted and educated on how to best treat their hair type and what is best suited to their face shape. Appointments are run on a timely schedule to ensure each client experiences the highest quality service focused just on them. A haircut at BY FRANCE. is recognisable – even on the streets, to those who have experienced the service and its particular details.

SHOP STYLE: BY FRANCE. is set within an exquisite heritage building. The interior design and fabrics used establish a modern men’s hair studio feel that features metallic stainless steel walls, corian and silver stone. The lighting is highly personalised and further atmosphere is created through the in-built Sonos sound system. The chairs with luxurious leather fabrics used by Takara Belmont and the scent of LeLabo Santal 26 also assist in casting the store with a sophisticated contemporary warmth.

BY FRANCE. have engaged with Australian brands including Morris Motley, Patricks and KEVIN.MURPHY as well as international brands to offer high quality hair products.

SERVICES: Haircuts and beard reshapes constitute the salon menu. Each service offered at BY FRANCE. includes a tailored consultation followed by a hair cleanse and a complementary beverage.

NAME: Barber Bro’s & Co

WHO: Emir Kanalic

WHERE: Shop 1e/11 Charles Ave, Broadbeach, QLD

SIGNATURE: “Barber Bro’s & Co is all about quality haircuts and shaves, but also about the modern experience we provide to our valued guests from the moment they visit, until the final moment when they leave. Barber Bro’s & Co relishes in the uniqueness of the fact that it’s a BARBER-ESPRESSO- BAR in the heart of the Gold Coast,” Emir shared.

“Barber Bro’s & Co have taken the BARBER-ESPRESSO-BAR concept to another level,” he explained. “While our patrons are waiting, they are exposed to culturally crafted coffee, the highest quality alcoholic beverages, and a unique warm and friendly barbershop vibe. Big screen TVs broadcast live sports from around the globe, and a Bose sound system plays background music from legends such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley or Otis Redding, without inhibiting conversation. However, we also like to break it up with new-school music, and genres range from hip hop to soul and country music.”

“Traditional barber chairs have been sourced from the US and restored to their former glory, ensuring every single patron can feel comfortable and share camaraderie with both staff and fellow patrons, while sipping on beer, whisky or culturally crafted coffee,” he continued. “Since its opening, Barber Bro’s & Co has been frequented by patrons from every echelon of society. We have got the fine gentlemen, school kids, greasers, rockabillies and hipsters. Name it, and we have it.”

STYLE: “The respect for traditions and heritage of barbering is what drives our passion. We believe barbering is not about fashion, but about style and tradition. Most mornings there is a line of customers already waiting for us to open so they can get a sharp, ruthless and rag haircut or a hot towel straight razor shave. What also makes the job enjoyable is meeting people, listening to their stories and creating a relationship with our patrons.”

SERVICES: “The barbers specialise in traditional, classic and signature haircuts, as well as hot towel straight razor shaves. Our favourite styles to cut would be the Executive Contour, Tight.”