Tom Cole and ex-wife Maria Rota open competing hair salons in Double Bay

Leading eastern suburbs hair stylist Tom Cole has opened a new salon just two streets away from the parlour bearing his surname that is being run by his now ex-wife Mariah Rota.

It’s the Double Bay hairdressing scandal that is splitting hairs, marriages and even names.

Expat Brit and leading stylist Tom Cole has opened a new salon just two streets away from the parlour bearing his surname that is being run by his now ex-wife Mariah Rota.

Tom Cole and Mariah Rota outside their Double Bay hair salon in 2018. Picture: John Appleyard

While Mariah has taken ownership of Cole Hair on Knox Street, which the couple opened together as their flagship store in 2018, Tom has now reclaimed his first name for his new salon 220m away on Cross Street.

Tom was reluctant to speak when contacted by Confidential, refusing to be drawn on any of the previous controversies that led to the high-profile pair’s separation.

Cole at work in his new salon.

The 30-year-old said, however, that Double Bay was his only option for the new salon, with his store Tom opening its doors this week.

“My clients are all in the area, I can’t really open anywhere else,” he said.

“I was offered a shop in Paddington but it just wasn’t me.

“This is a new street, it is fresh and there are lots of new shops opening. It is a great area.”

His new operation employs another five full-time hairdressers, including Dane Wakefield from Edwards and Co.

In June last year, it was reported that Cole and Rota separated after he was spotted with eyebrow queen Kristin Fisher, who also split from her then-partner of 10 years, personal trainer Chris Barnes.

Tom and Mariah’s marriage started with somewhat of a bang when in 2017 celebrity hairdresser Joh Bailey was asked to leave the couple’s seaside wedding in Bali
after showing up 90 minutes late to the nuptials.

Confidential understands Tom has started a new relationship with a lawyer friend and is believed to be “very happy”.

Having previously released a range of haircare products titled Tom Cole Hair, the stylist is now understood to be working on a new collection under his, ah, abbreviated salon name, Tom.

Before moving to Australia in 2013, Tom worked as a hairdresser with the British Royal family alongside top stylist Richard Ward.