For a long time, the barber was considered to be a traditionally masculine craft, and a little bit old school. With the advent of the disposable razor in the 1970s, the profession was at risk of being forgotten. During this period, Sarah Daniel-Hamizi, watched with fascination as her grandfather shaved with a straight razor, in front of a makeshift mirror, fixed on a large oak. That was all it took for her to decide what she wanted to do in life.
First, a hairdresser for men, Sarah trained how to shave and trim beards in Paris, with Jean-Louis Bourrasseau and Osan Turak, a Turkish barber. In 2005, she opened her small salon: The Barber of Paris.
Sarah admits that fellow barbers, as well as customers, were not always kind. Regardless, she took her share of business right under the backbiters’ noses. A fly in the ointment in this macho environment, she was still able to impose her expertise, along with her feminine and innovative approach. “When I arrived, I shook things up a bit by offering a global beauty package to include waxing, color, blow dry, and makeover.”
In 2014, on the strength of her success, she opened a new barbershop in Les Halles in Paris: no less than 200 m2 of space dedicated to men.
This barber chose to focus on male beauty, “because men are straight forward, know what they want and are very loyal if we manage to satisfy them.” She admits also to enjoying the seduction with customers because it is important for a man to be appreciated by the opposite sex.
First, she takes time to observe her clients and conduct her analysis: fluffy hair, dense, thick, hair, long or round face, flowing beard or mustache, hair implantations, skin type, possible medical treatment … Sarah, a natural expert in male psychology, tries to guess who the man in the mirror is, based on his morphology and his behavior, so he reveals himself and she can make him look even better. Sarah gives her opinion with care. She provides tips and advice for daily care.
When shaving, with a straight shaver, customers are reassured by Sarah’s steady hand, which works in harmony with the skin type. One customer dreams of having a traditional shave, another, with a grey beard, comes to the barbershop because he is nostalgic for the old practice, a young man comes for his first shave, a pretty dandy pays a visit to maintain his hipster beard, another visits for a moment of relaxation and pleasure.
Better than a traditional upmarket barber, Sarah is always on the lookout for what could change her profession. She notes down her ideas in her little notebook. This is how she launched six years ago, a new steam shaving technique, inspired by a visit to her beautician. It works by using a vapozone to open the pores and soften the hair. Similarly, she has integrated the use of shea butter, since she noted the similarity of texture between the beard and Afro hair.
Sarah is extremely rigorous and works in close collaboration with dermatologists to ensure that a particular treatment can be used on skin weakened by acne, with eczema, with herpes or a mole. The Barber of Paris will soon launch her own range of products, including soaps, oils, and innovative scents.
Finally, in April 2015, Sarah opened a training institute in Nanterre, near Paris. At the institute, she offers business leaders programs that range from one to four days. These gentlemen can get to grips with the straight razor, develop certain techniques and benefit from her skill and passion.
Barbers and barbershops have become trendy again. This institute has therefore opened just at the right time!
Marie Tourres / Translation by Natalie Faulkner
Photo credits © Didier Pazery
