High Life

HIGH LIFE 35 W ith its monochromatic black and white brickwall façade providing a starkly unique first impression, it should come as no surprise that inclusivity and challenging the status quo are the driving motivations behind the Macau Barbershop. Arriving on a black motorcycle wearingmatching all-black streetwear ensembles, Sara Kei and Yasmin Sung are shifting the norms of what might traditionally be called a “man’s world”. So why open a barbershop? “I’ve askedmyself that question a lot,” Sara replies. “But I don’t feel the need to be called a female barber. I’m a barber, period. If a client likes the result of what I do, then that should speak for itself regardless of me being a man or a woman.” Having spent most of her childhood years in Macau before studying at the beauty school CEPAB in Lisbon, Portugal, Sara says her interest in hairdressing began as a teenager when she would often cut her friends’ fringes. “Sports and art were my real passions – I wanted to become a volleyball player – but my mom would tell me there’s no major in volleyball. So instead I thought of something that still required artistic taste but didn’t involve too much studying,” she laughs. Yasmin, the marketing mind of the duo, has long been enthralled by music and in her former life booked DJs and conducted nightlife marketing in Beijing, Hong Kong and Macau. Music still rings true to this day and it is her selection playing in the background of Macau Barbershop as we chat that gives the store its edgy and unique vibe. Business smarts are clearly in Yasmin’s DNA. Originally from Ireland, she earned her master’s degree from Beijing’s University of International Business andEconomics but couldn’t resist the opportunity to try something a little different after meeting Sara at a local football game. “Sara talked to me about this business opportunity and I was immediately fascinated to see what could be done here,” Yasmin recalls. Like sports, barbershops have traditionally been seen as a predominantly male domain. But by presenting society’s problems as a binary choice – black versus white, male versus female to name just a few – we risk simply perpetuating an exclusive system. Instead, Sara and Yasmin are testing the theory that true diversity is not merely a social good but can also have a dramatic impact on a business’s bottom line.