This article is part of the “Urban Discoveries” series, in which we seek and discover interesting and well designed places to eat and drink around Europe and especially in Vienna. This time though we did something else and on the occasion of a bearded friends birthday and the need to buy him a present we visited a barber shop and did a shoot there. The text was written once again by my collaborator in this series Maximilian Martsch with the birthday child and soon to be model (probably) Lukas standing in. Thanks to the nice guys at Brothers Barbers for the warm welcome and the good time.
When you think about a beauty salon for men, Brothers’ Barbershop is probably pretty close to what you’d imagine. It’s a happy place for the bearded half of the population, well bearded until they leave again. Or a little less bearded. Or bearded in a more nicely way. Anyway you get the point.
Right when you enter you will be completely taken in by the stylish yet relaxed vibe of the place. Wooden shelves full of all kinds of products for your manly hair and beard, exposed brick walls, a nice lounge corner if you have to wait for your appointment, and of course the old fashioned, black leather barber chairs. It’s a mix of modern interior design and good splash of nostalgia which is best displayed by the vintage ads for shaving necessities. While you wait for your appointment you can enjoy a beer, a coffee or even a cocktail if you are up for the extra kick – they definitely want you to feel comfortable.
And yes, of course they also have a traditional barber’s pole spinning happily outside of their shop. A little trivia on the side: the red, blue and white striped pole is the traditional sign for a barber to label his shop. It is said to be in use as a trade sign already since the middle ages. There are several explanations for the use of red, blue, and white. Probably the most ghoulish one refers to the spill of blood (blue represents venous blood) and the use of white bandages which goes back to a time when barbers were also consulted for simple medical procedures, like tooth extractions.
Blood is luckily not an all too frequent sight at Brother’s Barbershop – at least nothing happened during our visit. But joke aside, even though the barber’s use open razors, they are all well trained and know exactly how to handle their equipment so you always feel in safe hands. The barbers are also part of the experience at Brothers. Not only are they the living examples of up-to-date hair and beard styles, but they are constantly cracking jokes with each other and the costumers which definitely contributes to the friendly fraternal feeling in the shop.
The interior, the banter, the clean shape, and hot towel in the end, all of it makes a visit at Brothers’ Barbershop a real treat. It might be not the cheapest option to get a haircut and shave but the quality and overall experience totally compensate for that. If you want to visit Brothers’ Barbershop yourself make sure to get an appointment beforehand, because their waiting list can get pretty plong.
For more information, impressions, and appointments go to http://www.barbershop.wien/.
Michael Hoffman Photography 