Retro meets modern in new salon's classy look

Eddie Edwards and Ants Haines from My Barber. Photo / Stephen Parker

Ants Haines is setting about creating his own legacy - and that involves spacie games and DJ turntables going hand-in-hand with a haircut.

For the Rotorua man, it is about keeping the good parts of an old school barber shop and combining it with the stuff he loves, such as arcade games and good music to create an atmosphere that is not just about haircuts.

He opened My Barber in Hinemoa St this week, about five weeks after deciding he might venture out on his own.

"I've been working on it for four weeks, thinking about it for five weeks. The opportunity just popped up and I thought I may as well give it a go."

Mr Haines said he needed a change and while he had always wanted to go out on his own he never really though he'd end up owning his own shop.

After working for Wilsons Barber Shop for more than four years, Mr Haines said everything fell into place with the new shop and the change.

"I sort of thought about it but I didn't think that I would just jump in. It must have been meant to be." Mr Haines said art would be a key focus because he was known around town for his artwork - and he planned to transform the walls of the shop into artworks, making it a bit of a gallery as well.

"I guess you've got to put a bit of yourself into it. For us growing up as 80s or 90s kids arcade games were it. I wanted somewhere modern and fresh where they could play some spacies and listen to some good music."

He said it was important to keep some of the more traditional aspects of the barber's shop, too.

"This is how I always envisaged it."

While the decision happened fast, Mr Haines said he had done his research and had taken on board requests, such as earlier opening hours - including opening at 7am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mr Haines said the past couple of weeks had been a bit of a headache trying to get the shop ready, and learning to rely on others to carry out the work.

"That's the hardest thing for me because I like to work real fast - I'm a bit of a rip, tear and bust kind of dude."

He said being responsible for paying wages and the logistics of running a business was a big step from where he started out in the industry - cutting "the boys" hair after his mum bought a pair of clippers when he was about 11.

Mr Haines said as a kid going to get a haircut was a big thing, and he hoped to recreate that.

These days it's that arty styles that he clips into the hair of the next generation that he sees as his biggest skill.

"I want to start my own legacy."

A grand opening will be held on April 11, featuring DJ Gooda.