US plans for the lady barber of Paris

Sarah Daniel-Hamizi, known as La Barbière de Paris, has opened four barbers in the city since she launched in 2000.

Cutting and trimming beards became a passion for her at a young age, following a trip to the barbers with her grandfather where she says she enjoyed watching the rituals around shaving and beard styling.

After training to become a barber she set up her first business with the help of a bank loan and support from her younger brother.

She now employs 40 people and personally trains all her barbers herself.

Now she plans to expand her training scheme by opening an academy and launching a range of barber shops in New York and San Francisco.

Ms Daniel-Hamizi’s attention to detail and well-designed interiors have created a loyal customer base, and she has been hugely helped by changing fashions.

“I had always wanted to open a barbers, so when beards were the fashion around 2007 I was already there to meet the need,” she told Connexion.

Beards are still ‘in’, with barbiers opening up across France. The actor Jean Dujardin sports a greying beard and even politicians are daring facial hair after decades of a clean-shaven parliament. Operating as a barber requires different approaches to those of a hairdresser, she said.

“It requires different skills with many techniques and I introduce new ones all the time.

“Men spoke of irritated skin, so I now spray lightly with steam before cutting, which softens both beard and skin.

“Men can change styles; as for a man who wants to look more authoritative to win promotion, and a woman’s advice makes them feel confident.

“Our salons can colour beards, add extensions, apply make-up when there are patchy areas and, of course, give a trim.”

‘Uberisation’ threat to traditional hairdressers

Despite 85,000 plus salons for its 35,500 communes, France has a chronic shortage of hairdressers with many salons unable to fill vacancies.

“It’s catastrophic, salons are unable to expand because they can’t hire the staff they need,” said the president of the Unec federation of hairdressers and barbers Bernard Stalter. Around 55% of vacancies for hairdressers at Pole-Emploi are classified as ‘difficult to fill’.

Mr Stalter cited three reasons: cuts to apprentices’ grants and payments led to a 20% drop in job applications; mothers leaving a female-dominated industry as childcare costs make it less worthwhile and, lastly, hairdressers opting to set up independently to go to people’s homes, rather than a salon. Some salon owners fear an ‘uber­isation’ of hairdressing with Paris salon chain owner Jean-Claude Big­uine saying too many staff are working two years and then quitting to go solo with former salon clients.