Robin Barker
Founder and Master Hairstylist
Never has there been anyone so devoted to hair who wears so many hats.
Robin Barker has been the President of the Guild of Hair Design, a member of Intercoiffure, Chairperson of the Provincial Government Advisory Committee, hairstylist for many top fashion designers, published in just about every fashion magazine including Italian and American Vogue, a teacher at several hairdressing schools across the globe, a consultant for Top Notch Spa, a television star for City-TV, and a policeman in London.
In his spare time, Robin Barker is a hairdresser.
Robin is the owner of Hair'Sociates, a salon located in Yorkville, where he continues to do what he started more than 30 years ago. “I remember the first haircut I did, the first bit of hair,” he says. “I cut it off and he (my teacher) put it in an envelope. And he said, ‘I want you to put that under your pillow. Because I want you to eat, sleep, and breathe hair.’ And that’s basically what I’ve done all these years.”
Robin came to Canada from London, England in 1965. He opened his first salon in Toronto in 1971. Moses Znaimer, founder of City-TV, was one of his first clients. Robin mentioned to Moses the idea of doing a makeover show for television, and by 1972 Robin was the co-host for one of the first ever programs on City-TV.
"I don’t know how true this is, but I feel as though I started all of this makeover television that’s going on now,” he says, joking that he’s waiting to receive his share of the royalties.
Robin’s career took off from there, marking the beginning of what would become 30 years of work at City-TV. “I got the reputation of being able to handle any head of hair and make the woman look and feel attractive,” he says.
Robin recalls the day early on in his career when he experienced a revelation regarding his work. He realized that he needed to break away from the traditional method of hairdressing, to create a style all his own.
“Since that day, I’ve stopped being a copier, and I’ve started being my own man as far as hairdressing,” he says. “I have my own approach to hair, my own techniques; and that’s probably what made me different from most other hairdressers out there.”
Today, when he’s not educating future hairdressers throughout North America, Robin works at his Yorkville salon with his nine other staff members, performing close to 100 haircuts a day.
"I’m the happiest I’ve been at this location with the staff I have now. I think it’s going to be a breakthrough year with this staff,” he says. “If people out there want to get a haircut, now is the time!”
- Jeff Semple, Reporter for Yorkville eNewsletter www.YorkvilleAgent.ca
Robin can be reached at:Robin Barker Hair'Sociates
84 Yorkville Ave.
2nd Floor
Toronto, ON
M5R 1B9 (416)960-5545 http://www.robinbarkerwelspa.ca/index.htm 
