Melvin de Jesús Vargas Ureña is a native of Dominican Republicbut it feels more Peruvian, and above all arequipeno, since he came to these lands in search of new opportunities. From a very young age he was interested in the art of barbershop and personalized aesthetic services for each man who wants a change of look, specializing in this branch and undertaking with Black Barber Shopwhich began operations in the White City in 2012. Mail chatted with Melvin about his barbershop.
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how did you get to Arequipa?
From a very young age I was inclined towards the category of masculine beauty. At the age of 17, I studied a technical career in my country at the most prestigious school in the Dominican Republic: Infotep. I came to Arequipa thanks to a job opportunity at the end of 2012. I saw a good business opportunity in this city, because the barbershop concept was not very popular here, so, after working for a while, I decided to start my own brand: Black barbershop.
How did your business start?
I remember that I started with a small place, I only attended. Now, almost 10 years later, the barbershop has 2 floors and 14 collaborators work with me, on Bello Horizonte C-13 street, Umacollo. We are currently known as one of the best barbershops nationwide for our quality work.
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What is the client from Arequipa looking for in a barbershop?
They want personalized service. They don’t want the so-and-so cut, so to speak. They want a cut that suits them, for example, they show me a photo with Paolo Guerrero’s cut, but they don’t want it as is, it’s just a reference to later do something more originalaccording to the type of hair and personal image they have.
Do you have prices for all pockets?
We have cuts ranging from 40 soles to 300 soles. The first is a classic faded cut, plus hair wash, with products from the American Crew brand. The 300 includes haircut, beard, facial cleaning and hair color to suit the client.
What is it that distinguishes your business from other barbershops?
That we provide an exclusive service with the best professionals in the field, with the aim of offering maximum satisfaction and comfort, personalizing the tastes of each of our clients.
What is your projection for the future?
We want to achieve national and international recognition with our work, expanding our brand to several barbershop branches. We also want to be an example of organization, talent and ethics in this area, maintaining a constant commitment to our clients. Because a barbershop is not just any service, a barber is a trusted friend to whom you trust your hair.
