Ultimate guide to Sydney’s best hairdressers
They know all the celebrity gossip but Sydney’s elite hairdressing crew keep their lips sealed. Read our ultimate guide and vote for the best stylist.
Confidential
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They know our deep secrets and keep them to themselves — our hairdressers are often the people we tell the most about our private lives.
While a long way from Paris and New York, Sydney’s hair stylists are considered some of the best in the world, working with Hollywood A-listers, politicians, sports stars, actors, singers and business leaders. And they know everything about them.
“There is no doubt our artists are among the best in the world,” said David Manah, director of the Australian Hair Fashion Awards, photographer and owner of premium industry title, The Journal Magazine. “Australia is internationally renowned for its tasteful work, commerciality and fashion forward trendsetting looks.”
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While they know all about what is going on in and around Sydney, who is dating whom and who has broken up with whom, our most successful hairdressers are often fiercely private themselves with very little publicly known about them. That is where Confidential steps in.
From Bondi to Penrith, Glebe and even Shellharbour, this column has cast a careful eye over our top hairdressers.
Some of the names will be familiar while others you may never have heard of, although you will most definitely have seen their work on the runway or on red carpets. Here is our list of top stylists from across the Harbour City.
NATHAN CHERRINGTON, ZEPHYR SALON, CONCORD
Come as you are is the tagline of Concord hairdresser Nathan Cherrington who loves “chewy fringes, reworked braids and choppy layers”.
“My style compass definitely lands on the street, very real and raw,” Cherrington said.
Also working in his salon, Zephyr, are Steph Bolder, Josh Anderson, Elyse Asher, Vicky Akkacotochul, Tayla Kiernana, Brielle Messina and Daisy Mylrea.
“Like every business and every industry, it is a pivot to win situation at the moment,” Cherrington said of the industry being hit by Covid. “But at its core, I think Sydney is diverse in terms of service delivery, boutique without being bougie, and globally very highly regarded. Having been fortunate to travel with my scissors to a few fashion capitals, Sydney is seen as so much more than the home of the beachy blonde or just-left-the-surf salty wave. We have some benchmark labels and sessions stylists to thank for that.”
Cherrington’s notable clients include Lenny Hayes, Jessica Bogut, Josie Werner and Costeen Hazi.
KELLY WRIGHT – TONI & GUY, BONDI BEACH
Diversity, creativity and inspiration are the pillars to which Kelly Wright aspires. Based at Toni & Guy Bondi Beach, Wright runs the business with Morgan Weiss, also an award-winning and respected hairdresser.
“I suppose that I have a lot of clients with naturally curly hair so I could be categorised in that way in terms of my style but I also have a huge diversity of clientele and I think it’s my love of clients and working with them to create something that is unique and individual for them,” she said. “We have some of the best hairdressers in the world working right on our doorstep. The creativity and personality covers all walks of life and if you’ve ever been to a Sydney hairdressing event they come in all colours shapes and sizes and the hair is spectacular.” Her clients have included Julia Stone, Todd Sampson, Becky Lucas, Vashti Whitfield, Lucy Davis, Emma Balfour, Steve Waugh and Kate Peck.
ASH CROKER, THE SALON, CLOVELLY
Based in the lower key Clovelly, Ash Croker is a go to for Sydney’s top celebrities with her clients including Jackie O Henderson, Jessica Mauboy, Elle Ferguson, Kate Bond, Nicky Oatley and Deborah Symonds O’Neill.
“My style of hair is lived in luxe colours bright buttery blondes that grow out well,” she said. “Cuts, I like things shaggy and love the 70s effortless hair. My approach is being visual and keeping it personal to each client.”
MARIAH ROTA, COLE HAIR, DOUBLE BAY
Double Bay’s Mariah Rota is the founder and director of Cole Hair and Hair Talk Australia and Pacific. Rota has just opened a new luxury salon designed by renowned Melbourne interior designer Nickolas Gurtler. She has a team of top stylists working with her, including Jordan Crugnale, Poppy Fitzsimmons, Remi Jeffers and Daire Lalor. The salon’s celebrity clients include Ellie Aitken, Candice Warner, Emma Steele, Laura Csortan, Krissy Marsh, Nellie Tilley, Terry Biviano, Dina Broadhurst and Martha Kalifatidis to name a few.
“As a leading-edge salon, we always look to push the boundaries and pave the way for other stylists. Our creative and fashion-forward team is always up to date and on-trend and specialise in all aspects of hair including precision cutting, colouring, and extension work. Our beautiful new space in Double Bay combines first-class service with modern interiors and is home to a revolutionary education precinct. When it comes to specific styles, we are known for our creamy ash-blondes, deep rich brunettes, and soft falling waves.”
PETER THOMSEN - CHELSEA HAIRCUTTERS, SHELLHARBOUR
Internationally renowned Peter Thompsen is a global artist for L’Oreal Pro and Dyson, who runs a small yet popular salon on the south coast. His clients have included Candice Warner, Dannii Minogue, Simone Holtznagel, Tiahna Cattanach, Daisy Files, Amy Castano and Charli Wrenn.
RENYA XYDIS, VALONZ, PADDINGTON
Many would regard Renya Xydis as the ‘queen of Sydney hair’. A stalwart of the industry, she covers all bases and is known here and abroad for her editorial, runway and salon work. On top of her countless awards, Xydis has a mammoth celebrity clientele that includes Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, Toni Collette, Miranda Otto, Natalie Portman, Simon Baker, Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Phoebe Tonkin and Rebecca Gibney.
“Make it sexy and beautiful, listen to your clients and give them a twist in all that you can do,” she said when asked what she is known for. “Being from Sydney, we are always trying to find that point of difference and the Australian aesthetic of sexy, lived-in hair is coveted worldwide.”
Xydis’ team includes Keiren Street, Nathan Di Natale, Haleema Morastis and Chloe Euers.
Other clients at the salon include former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Lucy Turnbull, Anna Quan, Anna Plunkett, Tash Sefton, Francesca Hung, Tash Oakley and Kate Waterhouse.
AIDEN XYDIS – THE MEN’S GROOM ROOM, PADDINGTON
The protege son of Renya Xydis, Aiden has not only followed in his accomplished mothers footsteps but he has made a name for himself in his own right with some big names on his books. He has worked with everyone from Chris Hemsworth to Adam Demos, Lincoln Younes, Thomas Cocquerel, David Wenham, Alex Russell and Keith Urban.
DIANE GORGIEVSKI – KODA CUTTERS, BONDI
It was after working internationally as a top hair stylist for a decade that Diane Gorgievski opened Bondi salon, KODA, in 2016. She had previously travelled the world assisting hairdressers Luigi Murenu and Guido Palau and quickly rose to become one of the busiest salons in Sydney with clients including Rita Ora, Georgia Fowler, Jesinta Franklin, Grace Tame, Laura Enever, Nicholas Molnar, Gemma Ward, Jessica Gomes, Montana Cox, Delta Goodrem and Pip Edwards. Her team includes Adam Hopkins and Louis Paco.
“It’s been imperative to me to bring passion for our industry back into the feeling of salons – loving what we do,” Gorgieveski said. “I live and breathe fashion, always have. It’s so fun to collaborate all my loves in this space – fashion, music, hair, art, makeup and hair.”
MADISON VOLOSHIN – A.H SALON, NEWTOWN
Known for his impressive editorial work, Madison Voloshin has his own base at A.H Salon in Newtown. He is a two-time Australian men’s hairdresser of the year with his editorial work featured in Vogue and GQ and his styles have graced the runway with designers Commas, Camila and Marc, Mariam Seddiq and Scanlan Theodore. His clients have included Jacob Elordi, Baz Luhrmann, Nicole Scherzinger, Virat Kohli, Mick Fanning, Ruel, Dacre Montgomery, Austin Butler, Shanina Shaik and Amy Shark.
“Good hairdressers aren’t always in the most expensive suburbs in Sydney or the biggest salons. I was trained as a precision cutter but through my career I’ve taken this and learnt to adapt the rules to each person individually so no two cuts are the same,” Voloshin said. “I consider each clients style, hair type and face shape to ensure they leave me looking and feeling their best.”
He continued: “For both mens and women’s cuts, I like my work to look good as a wash and wear cut, not just when it is styled. As a hair stylist I understand that styling hair isn’t everything – it is about the cut. Because when they wash their hair at home, the cut is what remains. I make all my clients look effortless.
ANTHONY NADER – RAW SALON, SURRY HILLS
A leader in the industry, Anthony Nader keeps it fresh after more than three decades cutting hair. Based out of his Surry Hills salon, Raw, he has worked behind the scenes for the major fashion houses internationally and tends to the locks of many local celebrities and industry heavyweights. He has worked with Cate Blanchett, Giselle Bundchen, Miranda Kerr, Margaret Zhang, Olivia Palermo, Diane von Furstenberg, Karlie Kloss, Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman, and Jordan Barrett.
“Every day I feel blessed that I’m still in the game and absolutely doing what I love to do,” he said. “I love seeing my salon clients, and I love being in the studio, creating wonderful memories.”
ALI HOLMES, WILD LIFE HAIR SOGO, SURRY HILLS
An “all rounder”, Ali Holmes has never wanted to specialise in one style of hairdressing.
“I would get FOMO if I had to choose and live and breath it daily,” she said. “Sydney hairdressing aims to provide a service that is constantly improving and changing, we are education focused always updating our skills and never sitting still.”
Holmes, whose business partner is Piet Pantano, has worked with top local labels like Double Rainbouu and Hansel and Gretel as well as celebrities Nikki Phillips and Dan Brown.
MARY ALAMINE – ROYALS HAIR – CASTLE HILL, HORNSBY AND CHERRYBROOK
Award-winning Mary Alamine has been in the business since the age of 16 and now runs multiple salons and a hair academy.
Her clients have included Samantha Harris, Nicole Da Silva, Sonata Giri, Sammy Robinson, Adriana Chidiac, Andy Lee and Lucy Markovic.
“I have always believed that in order to run a successful salon and team you need to do so with passion and love,” she said. “Passion is what helps us excel and is the fire that keeps us motivated. When our clients visit us they can expect to find a knowledgeable and friendly team that are ready to offer advice and create beautiful hair.
TOM COLE – TOM COLE HAIR, DOUBLE BAY
British expat Tom Cole has firmly entrenched himself in the Double Bay scene, work-wise and socially. Previously married to fellow Double Bay hairdresser Mariah Rota, Cole recently set up his own salon with a team including Dane Wakefield. Before moving to Australia several years ago, Cole worked with the British Royal family alongside top stylist Richard Ward. His clients include Abbie Chatfield and Saskia Teje.
SHANE HENNING – NODDYS ON KING, NEWTOWN
Shane Henning is co-owner of Newtown’s iconic Noddys on King, having been at the helm of the salon for 31 years with Phillip Galbraith. Shane is a six time Australian Hairdresser of the Year, who specialises in “working with you and your hair type and suitability to face shapes”. The salon is a four-time Salon Team of the Year that includes Janine O’Sullivan, Aaron Potter, Fraser Chompunut, Peter Bacusic and Kylie McMahon. Federal Labor Leader Anthony Albanese is a regular, as is Labor Deputy Tanya Plibersek, who frequented the salon for three decades. Henning has also worked with the likes of Nicole Kidman, Rose Byrne and Lisa Wilkinson.
MARIA UNALI – SALON KIIN, PENRITH
Penrith salon KIIN is a standout not just in the area but across Sydney. NSW Deputy Opposition leader Prue Car is a client of owner Maria Unali, who has been cutting hair since the age of 14. While the current KIIN salon is six years old, Unali’s father owned the business before her so it has been in the family for 40 years. Unali and her team, including up and coming colourist Dylan Hooper, have won numerous awards. “It is a legacy and an honour to keep it alive,” she said. “My approach is simple. As a hairdresser, it is all about the person sitting in my chair. It’s about service. It fills my cup knowing that the person is leaving loving themselves and feeling the best.” More broadly of the Sydney hairdressing landscape, she said: “It is shifting a lot and has been for a while. My focus in my business is still building and nurturing team members that represent a strong and highly skilled future in hairdressing.”
SCOTT SLOAN, SLOANS LANE COVE AND NORTH SYDNEY
With multiple Hairdresser of the Year titles to his name, Scott Sloan is a leader in the game.
Describing his style as “relaxed glamour”, Sloan has worked with top fashion houses including Dior, Chanel, Fendi and Balmain.
“I love to interpret the latest trends back here in Sydney for my clients,” he said.
Sloal too added that it had been a difficult few years through the pandemic.
“After an incredibly tough last couple of years, it is ready to thrive once again,” he said. “We missed all ourclients throughout countless lockdowns, but we are so grateful to them for making those bookings and coming back into the salon in 2022 to keep the Sydney hair industry as one of the best in the world. There is absolutely nothing like that fresh salon feeling so it’s time to leave those DIY hair disasters behind us and look fabulous once again!
NATALIE ANNE – NATALIE ANNE HAIRCARE, CROYDON
Hairdressing is more of a feeling than a technique of skill for Natalie Anne.
“If a celebrity is wearing it on the runway, chances are we are already teaching it,” she said. “I think I’m most known as a celebrity hairdresser who creates hair trends via my social platform, while sharing all my tips and tricks with the world”
Natalie Anne has a long list of celebrity clients, including Pia Mia, Desi Perkins, Ellie Gonsalves, Havana Brown, Martha Kalifatidis, Sammy Robinson, Tayla Tamir, Francesca Hung and Amarni.
KOBI BOKSHISH – INTERSHAPE HAIR, BONDI JUNCTION
Bondi Junction’s Kobi Bokshis describes himself as a chameleon. At the helm of Intershape Hair, Bokshish has worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Sheldon Riley and Samantha Harris. He has been a hairdresser for 28 years and is the creative director of Matrix Australia and is co-founder and director of Ecoheads.
“I truly believe that my style is like a chameleon,” he said. “I’m known for my boldness, fearless approach, I love to push every boundary.” Bokshish works with his stylist wife of 16 years, Michelle, as well as “superstar Michelle McPike”.
STEVIE ENGLISH – STEVIE ENGLISH HAIR, GLEBE
Operating in Sydney’s inner west for 15 years, Stevie English and his team have won many awards. English is the current AHIA Australian Creative Colourist of the Year and is in the finals for Global Colourist of the Year. His team includes Leanne Kay and Georgie Bools.
“I would describe the style of our work as ‘punk regal’- we specialise in creative colour and great, flattering cuts,” he said. “We look after a wide age range and are gender-neutral in pricing because our belief is that everyone should look equally cool. In order to look after everyone who comes to our salon, we have to be good at everything so we focus on training and having a broad skill set so we can do curly, straight, textured, long, short, from natural colour to very creative bright looks.”
English has been in the business for nearly 30 years and is creative director for Aussie brand, evo.
“The Sydney hairdressing landscape is evolving and progressive and really creative,” he said. “We learned during the pandemic that people really value the service we provide, and that self-image is important to people’s health. Hairdressers have been through a lot in the past few years with lockdowns and mandates and have realised our worth.”
JULIEN MASIAN AND ELLE MARTIN, EDWARDS & CO, SURRY HILLS
Owned by Jaye Edwards, who has been named Hairdresser of the Year, Edwards & Co has seven salons across Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Byron Bay. His top hairdressers include Julian Masian and Elle Martin in a team that also includes Remington Meyer, KK Tulisi, Aisling Delaney and Rob Szincsak. The salon’s clients include Lara Worthington, Mia Freedman, Zoe Foster Blake, Bree McCann, Roxy Jacenko, Isabelle Clark, Rowi Singh and Jordan Simek.
“The hair game in Sydney is super competitive, particularly in this social media world … but at the same time everyone is super supportive of each other,” Masian said. “My particular style is to make everyone look expensive, I love big, 90s super model blow outs and perfectly blended, creamy blondes.”
British expat Martin meanwhile has been working in the business as a colourist and stylist for a decade here and in the UK.
“The Sydney hair community has been amazing for me, I’ve been connected with so many other talented creatines and been given me the opportunity to work at so many incredible events,” she said. “I love creating lived in, beachy hair, with shaggy 70s bangs and sun-kissed highlights.”
JAYNE WILD, WILD LIFE HAIR, MILSONS POINT
Three-time Hairdresser of the Year, Jayne Wild is top of her game.
She co-owns the business with Ali Holmes, who runs the Surry Hills salon.
While obviously her hairdressing is at the fore, she is known for her bubbly personality.
Ginger & Smart fashion designers Alexandra and Genevieve Smart, as is Toni Maticevski.
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