Al Rubaie, co-owner of Monsieur Barber Shop, a male only salon, part of a growing phenomenon in Toronto, puts the finishing touches on Byron. Order this photo Witness the emergence of the retro-sexual man.Defiantly masculine, dismissive of frilly self-indulgences such as exfoliators, frosted hair treatments and manicured hands, the throwback guy is done taking his seat at the local unisex salon between women reading Cosmopolitan in tin foil curlers.The light Zen yoga “music,” muted interior design tones and inexplicable pile of petunia-scented pillows make his teeth clench.For far too long now, it has been either this kind of Martha-Stewart-inspired estrogen den or Barbicide-splashed barber shops with their nine-year-old Playboy magazine selections and inappropriate wall calendar art.A third way has emerged.Call them man grooming caves: Male-only environments with old-school barbershop sensibilities, big screen televisions, luxurious barber chairs and men’s magazines.The modern barbershop revival is a reflection of an intriguing “menaissance” moving us from metro to retro.
Don Draper, that devilishly clean-cut rake from Mad Men, is suddenly the new David Beckham.That return to 60s-style manliness comes the refurbishment of old-school barber shops in new-school digs.Among them is Monsieur Barber Shop and Spa at 415 Bloor St. W.“We started talking about this idea because the barber shops had all started closing in the last couple of years and we saw that most of the men have no choice but to go to women’s salons,” says Al Rubaie, a traditionally-trained barber who has been coifing for 26 years.And so, Rubaie and his partner, Sarah Aziznia, decided to take a counterintuitive business risk: Alienate half the population and focus a salon entirely on men.But since opening in March, there’s been no shortage of men sitting down in the store’s 100-year old, plush leather barber chairs and surveying themselves in the oversized, ornate dark wood mirrors.Others linger by the fireplace amid antique furniture that came right out of grandad’s study. Just above, a large flat panel screen broadcasts sports highlights.
Other than Aziznia, there are no women to be seen here.“Guys come in, finish their haircut and stay to watch the TV, have a drink, read the newspaper,” says Rubaie. In one corner of the room, men recline in a vintage shaving chair where Rubaie conducts hot lather shaves with straight razors the way they used to: Lots of lather and steaming hot towels.These are no 15 minute quickies.A Rubaie shave takes between 30 and 45 minutes. If you’ve got sensitive skin, plan on reclining for up to an hour.One specialized grooming technique unfamiliar to most North American males is “threading” — an alternative form of hair removal for the ears, eyebrows, neck and beard using a plain old piece of thread twisted into a double strand.While Rubaie and Aziznia have seen good demand for traditional luxuries in a retro, testosterony environment, Toronto men have not responded nearly as well to “softer” services such as manicures, pedicures, massage and facials.It seems we North American men are oblivious to the personal grooming habits of our European and Middle Eastern brothers.“
We are in 2010 and men here are still shy,” says Rubaie, whose massage chairs, two $11,000 massage chairs and spa rooms have been approached with caution by customers.In the middle of giving a haircut last week to Aaron Paas, a 26-year-old marketer, Rubaie asks him if he’s interested in a pedicure.“Not today,” he responds. “I don’t see the need. I like my feet.”Paas is a big fan of the high-quality, low-cost haircuts ($25) and the cool digs.“I’ve been looking for a place like this for a while. I’ve been paying three times as much at a salon.”But let us not be too rigid with this connection to our inner scruff.Having subjected my unpampered back muscles to a recent massage amid lilting pan flute music, I have to say, it was fabulous.Afterward, however, I did feel an overwhelming need to drink warm beer from a dirty glass., each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.
Deco Barber SStyle Barber SSalon BarberStyle CoolmenShop StyleStyle ArtVintage Barbershop DesignThe BarbershopMary S BarberForwardThis chair is second to none.. like old cars this chair exhibits some style! Art Deco barber chair. Cool Shop find: Frank & Oak Toronto Montreal-based menswear label Frank & Oak have taken Toronto by storm with their flagship store on a buzzing corner of Queen Street West. With a thoughtful selection of clothes, shoes and books, and a cafe and barbershop thrown in for good measure, Frank & Oak will keep you lingering far beyond just the clothes.Understated basics including soft knit sweaters, quilted blazers, and covetable outerwear sit alongside subtle and sophisticated shoes, boots and leather goods. A carefully curated selection of design and travel books dot the breezily arranged mid-century furniture, making this feel more like the effortlessly-stylish lounge room we all wish we lived in. An easy, uncluttered space with monochromatic artwork and touches of wood and marble, Frank & Oak’s interior happily avoids the cliched ‘reclaimed-wood-and-taxidermy’ combo that too many menswear destinations fall victim to (although; it must be said; the vintage pistachio-colored barber chairs are pretty amazing).
The humming cafe serves Stumptown coffee and an assortment of pastries, and offers the perfect vantage point for people watching on Queen West. Childhood friends Ethan Song and Hicham Ratnani founded Frank & Oak in Montreal in 2012, and in addition to the menswear label, the brand has also ventured into print media with the bi-annual culture mag Oak Street. With stunning original photography and cracking content, stories on German designer Jesko Fezer and Canadian art world wunderkind Terence Koh give Oak Street a strong international voice without losing sight of its unique Canadian roots. Frank & Oak Toronto 735 Queen Street W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1G1 (Photos courtesy of Frank & Oak Toronto) Benedikt is Melting Butter’s NYC-based design editor. He’s also a freelance architect, designer and writer with work that’s grounded in a strong multi-disciplinary focus, encompassing architecture, interiors, product design, curation and visual communication. Right now, Benedikt’s creative projects include an illustrated book, a site-specific art installation in the Manhattan streetscape, and several ongoing creative collaborations.