Lady Barber

It was the urging of friends and family that propelled hair and make-up artist Vanessa Hurley to open her funky little “haircutting saloon” at the Matakana Country Park two months ago.

She says that after lockdown, she was inundated with haircuts.

“I really enjoyed the feeling of giving someone a great haircut, especially men’s haircuts, considering face and head shapes and textures of the hair and what suited them best,” she says. “My brother-in-law said, ‘You should be a lady barber’, and we all looked at each other and chanted ‘Lady Barber’. It was meant to be.”

Although this is Vanessa’s first business venture, her experience with hair and make-up goes back a long way.

After finishing a hairdressing apprenticeship in the 80s, she moved to London to do a film and TV make-up course. Two years later, she returned to work in the make-up department on Shortland Street.

She says it was the glory days in the Browns Bay TV studios, with actors such as Temuera Morrison and Martin Henderson in her chair. Then an opportunity came along to work on Xena: Warrior Princess.

“My Dad Dave Hurley has been in the music industry most of his life. He played with Midge Marsden in the band The Breakaways, and Poi-E by the Pātea Māori Club was recorded in his studio Mandril. He was working on Xena as the sound man, and it opened the door on a six-year career as Lucy Lawless’ personal hair and make-up artist.

“I worked on a lot of other projects with Lucy and even went to LA to do her wedding hair and make-up.”

After a 30-year career in film and tv it was time for a lifestyle change.

“You have to listen to the signs around you, when it’s time to move on. After many lockdowns, the decision came to touch up on clipper skills through doing a Servilles Barber’s Course.”

Vanessa says that as Matakana’s only barber shop, Lady Barber has been well received in the area.

“My superpower is fast good funky affordable haircuts on men, women and children.”