Local barber Peleti Oli won big at the recent national BarberCraft competition. He talks to Mark Story about the rise of the industry.
What sparked your interest in barbering?
Back at Hastings Boys' High School, in Year 11, my good friend John Whiunui said to me 'your hair would look good with a 'FADE'. I said 'what's a Fade?' and he said let me cut your hair and I'll show you'. That's where my barbering journey started.
Barbers seem to be enjoying a resurgence - why is this?
Barbering has found its 'cool' again. It's traditional barbering with a modern twist. It's become like how tattooing now is - popular with everyone.
I follow the urban American culture so barbering in the US has never lost its cool. Over there they have big barbering expos. Even barber competitions in nightclubs! So I guess us Kiwis are slowly catching up. I feel as a barber it's part of my responsibility to bridge that gap and keep our people up with the trends.
So, what's the difference between a barber and a hairstylist?
I feel there is not much difference between barbering and hairdressing. Hairdressers tend to do a lot of shear (scissor work) on longer hair. Barbers favour the clippers a bit more for shorter lengths. The stereotype with not allowing women into a barbershop is becoming a myth because a lot of women are now getting shaved sides with designs and we love to cater for that.
Beards and moustaches too – are they part of what you do and if so, are they part of a barber's training these days?
Yes the traditional hot towel face shave has made a comeback. Men love to grow beards so we take care of keeping their beards groomed and sharp. They do include face shaving and beard grooming training at barber schools. It's now become part of the assessments, especially at HITO.
