New Hairdresser steps up amid Tasmania’s Covid closures

Many hospitality and retail venues have shut their doors, but one new business has picked now to open shop.

Rebekah Ward didn’t count on coronavirus riddling the state when she opened her new CBD Hair Salon, but she hasn’t let the outbreak cramp her style.

Before her daughter was born, Mrs Ward travelled to educate budding hairdressers and built up a career snipping tresses in various Tasmanian salons.

Now, she has stepped out on her own with new salon Ukiyo Hair.

“Every day I wake up and come in and think ‘oh my gosh, I’m doing this’,” Mrs Ward said.

“It’s always been in the background as something that I would like to do but at the same time it was really hard … thinking ‘you’re not good enough’.”

Mrs Ward has been working against the backdrop of a historic heritage building miraculously surviving the adjacent Myer fire and flood.

Rebekah Ward of Ukiyo Hair in Hobart. Ukiyo Hair has only been open for a short time however is now experiencing a business down turn due to people being concerned about covid. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

She said “Ukiyo” meant “the floating world” in Japanese, hinging her customer experience on escapism.

“When you come in you find a space away from the stresses of the world,” she said.

Mrs Ward said unlike many hairdressers which charge higher fees for women regardless of the complexity of the cut, her prices were non-gendered and categorised as short, medium or long.

Setting up the business amid material shortages was a challenge, and since opening in mid-November, Mrs Ward has seen some bookings cancelled due to Covid.

But she remains optimistic.

“With the way we’re spaced out we’re quite ready,” she said.

Rebekah Ward of Ukiyo Hair in Hobart. Ukiyo Hair has only been open for a short time however is now experiencing a business down turn due to people being concerned about covid. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“There will be (disruption) but you’ve just got to keep pushing through.

“I have to believe there is a light at the end of all of this.”

Many hospitality and retail venues have shut their doors, but some Covid-affected businesses have made headway.

Urban Greek restaurant and Pilgrim Coffee reopened in recent days, and Tavern 42 Degrees South has planned to emerge from their hiatus this Friday.

Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said further aid for businesses was in the works.

He said the pandemic had caused the sector “considerable disruption” since 2020.

“We recognise the circumstances businesses found themselves in very quickly, we’ll have more to say in a few days,” he said.