95. HORRIBLE BOSSES.

I'm here to tell you about my Horrible Bosses moment.

Not my Boss, he’s not horrible- I have to say that, he reads this blog. Let me explain Mr Boss, if you are in fact reading this. I was talking about the movie “Horrible Bosses”. You see, I got involved in a spot of grooming for the Horrible Bosses Film Tour of Melbourne. Yeah I know what your thinking, me hanging out with Hollywood types like Jason Bateman, the charming Jason Sudeikis and the very funny Charlie Day is all soo glamorous. But to tell you truth, it was.

80. MEET LISA MUSCAT

I discovered your work titled Seraphic, which is very beautiful by the way. What was the thinking behind the shoot? And how did you prepare the shoot? Is there a story behind the shoot?

Thank you! Seraphic was influenced by International Catwalk trends and global advertising Campaigns; in particular session stylist Guido Palau. I wanted to create something where the hair “dressing” was “undone” and I wanted to create something pure and almost angelic. I collected a series of advertising campaigns such as Prada, Tom Ford and Burberry and transformed elements that inspired me into my work and my creation.

I see a lot of photo shoots by young hairdressers, your shoot feels like it comes from a certain maturity, who shot them for you and who else contributed to the shoot ?

I worked with a fantastic team on this shoot and we all worked together to clearly execute my concept and ideas, and I think having a great team behind you also helps to achieve the balance you look for in a creative shoot through the hair, styling and photographic work.

The team included:

Makeup: Victoria Baron

Styling: Peta- Marie Rixon

Photographer: Paul Scala

Mentor: Emiliano Vitale

Apprentice of the year is such a wonderful thing. Is this something you have been working towards? When did you decide to chase this particular accolade?

What is actually quite interesting is I always wanted to enter Apprentice of the Year for Hair Expo however it wasn’t long before the deadline for the Australian Hair Fashion Awards closed when I decided to put this shoot together. That’s why it helps to have such a fantastic team working with you, inspiring you, mentoring you but most importantly, encouraging you.

You have trained with some inspirational hairdressers like Richard Mannah, Robert Bava, Denis Langford to name a few, how did that come about? What have you learnt from them?

Yes I had the opportunity to be trained by the 3 of them whilst I was on the Australian F.A.M.E. Team which I was selected for through a competition I entered in 2009. The 3 hairdressers are each incredibly talented and inspiring stylists. Denis Langford spoke to us a good deal about stage presence and communication to your audience, Richard Mannah spoke to us about photo shoots and his experience as a hairdresser and Robert Bava did a cutting work shop with us.

I have found that doing hair for a shoot, and doing hair for fashion show and in the salon means I have to have a completely different approach to hair in these mediums. How do you balance them?

Yes they are extremely different but its nice to have the opportunity to be able to do all three and balance them out. Working on hair for a photo shoot and for a fashion show are both absolute privileges and I am very fortunate to be able to do both. To be creative is about opening your heart and your mind to allow the world to see what it is capable of, so I never say no to anything and always try knew things and get involved in as many opportunities as I can. However salon experience is still extremely important to maintain the balance and help control stress levels! Also our clients are really what inspire fashion and allow us to be creative and try new looks or styles or colours.

What advice would you give to a young hair apprentice who is looking to enter competitions?

Don’t ever give up. Always believe dreams come true. And most importantly believe in yourself even if nobody else does. Work for yourself and do things that make you happy and eventually people will see you shine.

I hear you have just returned from London Fashion Week, can you tell me what you got up to?

Yes it was fantastic! I worked on 5 shows including Pussy Willow, Satoshi Date, Felicity Brown, Louise Grey and Heikki Salonen. Each show was different and and challenging and looks involved braids, knots, accessories, mohawks, buns and a ‘chanel tucked under bob’.

What are your top five hairdressing tools?

Cloud Nine irons, Vs Sassoon Tongs, Sassoon Denman, L’Oreal Professionnel tecni.art Volume Mousse and Mycurl are the 5 key tools l like to have in my kit bag.

When did you have a “hair-epiphany”, or when did you want to become a hairdresser?

I started in a local salon close to home, working Thursday nights, Saturdays and Sundays and I loved it straight away. I didn’t know just how big this amazing world of fashion and style was, however I knew there had to be someone behind it all and knew I wanted to somehow be a part of it.

And how did you get started in the hairdressing business? Did you start at e Salon?

One year into my apprenticeship I moved to é SALON and found an incredible salon, with an amazing mentor in Emiliano Vitale who believes in his staff and wants to help them grow and succeed as stylists. It was at é SALON that I was introduced to photographic work and fashion shows, and my passion continues to grow every day.

How has e Salon helped you get to where you are now?

My time at e SALON has been truly inspiring. They really believe in each member of staff and are committed to helping each stylist whenever they need it. This salon team inspires me everyday and by allows me to wake up everyday come to work, play with hair and do what I love to do!

What are your plans in the future?

Big things I hope! I have some personal goals I would like to achieve yet work-wise I want to be involved in much more photographic work, more fashion shows and all of the above on an international level. My biggest goal is to hopefully have a salon of my own in a few years.

Lisa Muscat at é SALON

029487 80011

shop 7/2 Redleaf Ave Wahroonga, NSW 2076

emiliano@esalon.com.au

----

This article was originally written by Jean-Paul Rosette for Style Street.

79. BRYAN FERRY- SUAVEST MAN ALIVE.

Bryan ferry came to me in a dream when I was about four years old. Well, perhaps it wasn’t a dream, perhaps I just fell asleep in front of the TV while MTV was on. He was singing that song “Let’s stick together”, my subconscious must’ve sharpened at that bit where Jerry Hall yelps and screams like a banshee. She looks like sex on legs. In the very next shot is Mr Bryan Ferry wearing a white suit, red tie, that amazing floppy hair and a pencil moustache.

I recall looking at Jerry Hall, I recall looking at Bryan Ferry, my impressionable little mind made the connection -If I looked like him I could get a girl like that.

The song itself resonates with me. I believe in the year 1976, the year the song was released my parents broke up. Here was Bryan Ferry, a father-like figure giving advice as to what a man should do. Or what a man should be. Well dressed, loyal and above all else, stand by his woman.

Enough of the sentimentalism. This blog is about hair and grooming. I’m bringing up Bryan Ferry because it’s all about Movember. You see, I’m one one those guys you see about town growing some questionable facial hair at the moment. And Bryan Ferry is the inspiration.

So unless you’ve been living under a rock Movember is an annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The event has been claimed to have been invented in 1999 by group of Australian men from Adelaide.

Since 2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression in Australia and in New Zealand. In 2007, events were launched in Ireland, Canada, Spain, the U.K and the U.S.

All The King's Men

Your shop has an excellent name. “All the king’s men”, In my mind it conjures up the infamous Alexander the Great, who made his soldiers shave their beards off for the purpose of gaining an advantage in hand-to-hand combat so that his warriors were able to grasp an enemy by the beard, while themselves were safeguarded in this method of fighting. Is there any correlation between this story and your shop? How did you come up with the name of the shop?

Wow! I've never heard that story before but i really like it! I came up with the name when i was at trade school in my apprenticeship. In fact my cousin and I came up with it. He was studying hospitality at the same tech and we had a hairbrained scheme to start a barber shop/cafe. It sounds completely bonkers to me now but back then it seemed like we had come up with the greatest idea ever.

It’s a great looking barbershop, the old movie posters, especially the 1949 movie of the same name. How long have you had the shop, and how long did it take to get all the memorabilia?

The shop opened in 2007. I have been collecting all sorts of bits and bobs forever really. The first thing I got were the chairs, they are vintage Takaras and are incredibly beautiful to me. The lines on them are so classic and so sleek. They remind me of the classic, huge American cars of the 50's. I had them for about a year before the shop opened and in that time i had them in storage. I used to go to the storage unit and visit them regularly, and really built the rest of the shop around them. The posters are all vintage Italian action movies and I have sourced them from all around the world. They are so dramatic and so visually engaging, and so old and creased. I love that old world aesthetic. Then the cut throat razors I've collected from op shops and antique dealers, and from friends who have found them in their shopping expeditions and also a few from clients who have had their grandpas razor floating around and don't really know what else to with them, and I like that they have all ended up together in the cabinets. All the other stuff has just turned up over time.

My research tells me you worked at Dr Follicles for a time. Was it hard to start your own shop? And what sparked the idea of going starting your own?

I worked at Dr Follicles for a long time, and it was a great place to work and I made some very good friends there. But my idea was always to open my own shop and that really started back in trade school. In the time between starting my career and opening my own shop, I had been involved on some level in a few different shops from early on in their operation, so when the time came to open my own, I'd seen first hand and learnt from watching what other people were doing in starting up their shops. Some were more successful than others and I think I sort of watched and listened as much as I could to what sorts of things worked and what didn't work. So when the time came to open my own shop, I had a really firm idea of how i wanted my shop to operate.

Where have you worked previously?

I started my apprenticeship in Canberra at Cataldo's in 1995. I did two years there, sweeping, shampooing, coffee making, colors and perms. Lots of perms. Then I finished my apprenticeship at a salon called Globe. It's no longer there. It was a crazy little shop with a great 50's kitsch, John Waters, Vegas, lounge bar sort of vibe to it. It even had a one-arm bandit poker machine in it. It was really different to all the other shops in Canberra at the time, and we had a lot of fun. It was like one big party for a few years. All the staff were really fun and we were like a gang. Then that closed up and my friend Mark Bayre (principal director and owner of Mest) bought it and he's still there and going great guns!

Then I moved to Melbourne in 2000 and started to move towards barbershops. My first job here was at Wax in the city. It was a great little shop. I worked there for a couple of years and then to Dr Follicles in Richmond and then to their Fitzroy shop. And then opened All The Kings Men.

How long have you been doing hair and when did you have your first hair “epiphany”?

Started in 1995. I guess the most important epiphany I had is that cutting men’s hair is where i wanted to end up. That was very early on in the piece.

For readers who want to be a men’s hairdresser…how did you become a barber, did you at any point in your career do women’s hair?

I did women's hair for a while, but pretty much two thirds of my career has been men’s hair. When i worked in salons I saw that a lot of the time they were catering predominantly to women and when most men came in they were obviously uncomfortable there. These were the guys that seemed to like me cutting their hair and it just sort of clicked there. And this is at a time when men really, REALLY didn't get into the grooming thing that much. Now guys are so much more savvy about using products, colors and even straighteners, but at that point guys just seemed to get haircuts to get the hair out of their eyes. But that shift towards men’s grooming is really why you see resurgence in barbershops now. Guys now not only want to have adventurous haircuts, they EXPECT it. It's great really. So now not only is there a market for cutting just men’s hair, it’s a really progressive and dynamic market, which is so awesome. It really has changed so much in that time, it's amazing.

Top five favourite tools?

1- cut throat razor! Easily my favorite!! It's such a wonderfully theatrical tool. And it’s a great symbol of barbers and barbershops. Like Sweeney Todd or that great scene in 'The Untouchables' where Al Capone is getting a shave and the barber nicks him. It's just such a great way of finishing a cut, tidying up the neck with a cutthroat. It just completes the whole haircut experience. And it's such a cool looking tool as well.

2- scissors. Obviously. I use 7'', great for scissor over comb.

3- clippers. We do LOTS of clipper work and i mostly use the good old classic Wahl Super Tapers, although i used to own a fantastic set of Oster rotary clippers, which I often remember fondly. They got broken when a client jumped out of my chair and hooked the cord around his foot and they fell onto the ground and smashed. That was a sad day.

4- Passion Razor. I have had this for years and i love it. Great for longer shaggy, rock'n'roll stuff. Such a simple tool, but I cant imagine not having it. And it looks cool too.

5- ipod. Music is so important in getting the vibe in the shop right. Its important to have some sweet soul tracks to start the day, but also to have some proper rock and roll to drive it home at the end of the day. Sounds silly, but I couldn't get through the day without the right music.

I really love the history of barbering and hairdressing, for example back in ye olde days your barber was your dentist and your surgeon. Another example is the red and white stripe barber pole to signify bloodletting. Do you feel any connection to that heritage?

I love the history of hairdressing, and especially barbering. The blood letting and tooth stopping and leeches and all that is so interesting. It's so kind of macabre and creepy to think that people just popped into the local barbers to get a boil lanced and a quick tidy up. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to do it.

What do you feel are the problems facing the industry right now?

The public opinion thing has ALWAYS annoyed me. I sometimes think people don't really understand what it is we do. It’s such a cliché, but at the end of the day, what we do is make people feel good. We make people feel confident, we listen to people and we form these unique friendships with our clients. That is very important. It's so much more than people like to make out it is.

What are your plans for the future?

I'm in the process of looking to expand the business into a second location. It's pretty exciting actually. I have the greatest staff ever at the shop and I have absolute faith in them looking after it so I can go and start all over again in another shop. From there, I'd really like to one day open a really big, really sleek shop. Still keeping the same philosophy of what we do now, but on a grander scale. And then from there, maybe a girls version, maybe.

All The King's Men

16 Errol Street, Nth Melbourne.

93285599

Meet Thy Maker- Denu shampoo giveaway

Hey y'all. I have in my hands a package of 100% natural and organic Divine Shampoo and Conditioner, plus a bottle of a new men's shampoo from the good people at Denu to give away. All you have to do is comment on this post to be in the draw to win. Entries close on June 10th 2010 and the winner will announced on Monday 14th June 2010.

The winner will receive

One bottle of Divine shampoo 275ml

One bottle of Men's shampoo 260ml

One bottle of Divine conditioner 275ml .

Good luck, but first of all,

Meet thy maker..

I’m interested in the natural and organic angle, was that something you’d previously been interested in?

I became aware of the added ingredients in food, body products and cleaning products about 7 years ago. It was such an eye opener; l was completely shocked at the number of chemicals in products l was using on a daily basis especially as l knew skin is the largest organ of our body and absorbs what’s applied to it and l didn’t want all of those chemicals in my body. Hair and scalp also absorb what’s applied to it so l started looking for natural and organic shampoo and conditioner and found several options although l wasn’t completely happy with any of them – some were ineffective, incredibly expensive, foreign made or ridiculously over packaged (such a waste both economically and environmentally) so l knew there was a gap in the market l could fill. After working for 10 years travelling as a sales & marketing manager for a global company, l decided to start my own business and create a range of body products that are effective to use, natural & organic, made in Australia, packaged beautifully and support local charities - denu is almost 3 years old and growing strong..

Can you speak a bit about your process, in terms of how you create your products, choose your fragrances and came up with the name of your company?

Denu comes from the word denude meaning bare and this is the idea behind the products – using bare natural ingredients.

The process involves lots of testing! I have many fabulous ‘testers’ (family & friends) who willingly test new products and scents and let me know what they like and don’t like in regards to the effectiveness, the feel, the smell and how long it lasts them, etc. l also have a great team that l work very closely with; for example, my scent lady (as l affectionately call her) created the denu scent that’s used in several products such as the hand cream and it’s based on feedback from my market research for a fresh, citrus base scent without lavender.

This is a question I get asked about a lot in terms of shampoo, which is “does this contain sodium lauryl sulfate?” And I understand most consumers are aware of the harmful dangers using SLS and we all know why other shampoo companies use sls, simply put, because it’s cheap. I noticed your shampoo contains olefin sulfonate. What should a consumer know about olefin sulfonate?

Yes, SLS is something to avoid as studies have indicated that SLS easily penetrates through the skin and enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain. Olefin sulfonate is an emulsifier which, helps essential oils mix with water and is plant derived, from coconut. It allows the shampoo to bubble without the nasty side effects associated with SLS.

Sigmond Frued said “Soap is the Yardstick of Civilization”. Back in ye olde days people just used soap in their hair, modern shampoo was made because our water was becoming harder and regular soap wasn’t doing the trick. Today, our water is extremely treated and the customer is well practiced in the use of hair irons and straighteners. Is this something you consider when making a product for modern use?

To a certain extent, yes. l wanted to produce and only happy using a shampoo that is natural and contains organic ingredients where available. Is also must be effective on many types of hair – be that oily, dry, chemical treated, coloured, etc so people can reduce the amount of chemicals they put on their head and scalp. Whilst this wasn’t my main aim, the fact that my products work so well on any type of hair without using synthetic ingredients means hair will be healthier.

What are your future plans?

I’ve recently added a shampoo and body wash for my men’s range; the shampoo has a new specially created denu scent (my clever scent lady worked her magic yet again) which is an essential oil blend
of traditional masculine notes modernised with fresh citrus and it’s getting a great response with men; in fact l already have several women who have bought the shampoo for their partners and love the scent so much, they start using it too. Both of my shampoos are suitable for all hair types - so that works fine! Next l’d like to introduce children’s products to the denu range; specifically a no-tears shampoo/ body wash and lovely moisturiser. I often receive product feedback from customers which l really pay attention to as it often gives me ideas for new products..

Sarah from Denu Products.

Born to be Mild- Neoclassic Man

This article called Neoclassic Man was originally written for The Hub Magazine. I thought I'd share this with you.

What’s a modern man to do? What with the weight of the world on his shoulders: interest rates, the global economy, duties around the house, baldness, rising trouser waist lines – not to forget ever-expanding waist lines – coupled with the compulsion to check the crackberry and i-phone at every given moment whilst keeping the trouble and strife happy. What’s a modern man to do in an age of rapidly changing expectations? Even the most rebellious men about town amongst us are questioning themselves.

“Am I suffering from change fatigue?”

It seems, the tide has turned for men’s hair and men’s clobber, now favouring a more groomed and slicked back, parred down approach ala Don Draper from the popular US hit TV show, Mad Men. Men, it seems, on the surface at least, have finally grown up. It’s the logical next step. Gone are the days of hogging your girlfriends straightening irons, or sporting elaborate multi-directional hair (I know you’re out there).

Thanks largely to the fashion world’s continued obsession with Tom Ford and his new muse actor Nicholas Hoult – star of Channel 4’s coming of age drama Skins, and Ford’s film A single Man – there has never been a better time than right now to neaten up and carry a comb in your back pocket.

If – like me – you followed the Milan men’s fashion shows from January in magazines and online, chances are you might have thought you were clicking through a casting call for Mad Men, or one of those late night war films. It seemed as though every model, fashion editor, photographer, stylist, and man-about-town caught on one of those hip street-style blogs was rocking a side parting and slicked back.

Modern man is neoclassic, he puts style over fad. This is quintessentially men’s hair at its best. Think of it like the backbone of male grooming. This is so refreshingly understated and unpretentious. Minimum fuss and maximum efficiency. Of course, the boys in Milan already knew that. Just check out the flagship Dolce & Gabbana Barbiere in Corso Venezia. The real question that modern man needs to answer is, where to find a decent barber?

Why not try the oldest barbershop in London, Truefit and Hill barbers who offer a close shave and a chat. Or across the Atlantic, VL Studio, 198 7th Avenue, New York, (212) 929-3039. Its where Scott Schuman, he of The Sartorialist fame, goes to get his locks seen to.

When in Melbourne, Australia, go and see Nick at All The Kings Men. A friend said it best, “They combine the unpretentious charm of an old-school barbershop with the reassuring artfulness of a ritzy salon, without all the hair tonic, herbal tea and unsightly fauxhawks.”

Speacial thanks to Rachael Oku from Creative-idle.

Images Dominic O’Keefe, Eddie Tucker from models.com, Jon Hamm depicted in Mad Men, street style photograph courtesy of The Satorialist, Dior Homme 2010 and Nicholas Hoult For Tom Ford.

available where all good stuff is sold.

Quick post of some hair I did awhile ago for Maryon's lookbook.

www.maryon.com.au

Oh Errol, I would do anything just to be like him.

Errol Flynn

Okay so it’s that time of year again when men of a certain age walk around with questionable facial hair. That being Movember.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock Movember is an annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The event has been claimed to have been invented in 1999 by group of Australian men from Adelaide.

Since 2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression in Australia and in New Zealand. In 2007, events were launched in Ireland, Canada, Spain, the U.K and the U.S.

To help me raise money for the cause go to

www.au.movember.com/donate

And enter my name Jean-Paul Rosette

or registeration no# 207753

Cyril R Salter Professional Moustache Wax


Provided in a pocketable, matte-finish glass jar, this neutral-coloured wax has one thing going for it: a sublime vanilla aroma. Lacking the rigidity to last all day, it’s best for emergency touch-up usage, because it’s less messy than Pinaud or Taylor’s. Just rub some on your finger, and apply to the ends.

Clark Gable

Further reading

www.theerrolflynnblog.com/blog

www.mustachesofthenineteenthcentury.blogspot.com