Urban Man

It is hard not to have noticed the increase in barbershops around Glenferrie Hawthorn in the past few years. With more than 25 years cutting hair and working in salons and barbershops, Jerry Capomolla, owner of Urban Man, attributes the increase to the trends in men's hair. Men's haircuts have come to be just as trend and fashion influenced as women's hairdressing has always been, and it's easy to see that growth and passion for hair when you walk into Urban Man.

Jerry isn’t the only Capomolla that cuts hair – in fact, both his brother and sister were hairdressers and inspired him to head down the same path. After graduating from Caulfield Grammar, he completed a two-year hairdressing course and after managed Le Salon not far from his home in Bentleigh.

Jerry started Urban Man in Hawthorn seven years ago with his business partner and has since opened three other shops in Brunswick, Malvern and Richmond. Their idea of a true Urban Man is someone who wants to look good, and a lot of that is about a high-quality haircut.

A classic clean cut, the short back and sides, has dominated the last few years of trends, says Jerry, but he can see an increase in a lot of men opting for a longer cut as opposed to a fade, and expects that to grow dramatically soon. These fashions, he says, start with prominent celebrities.

“If you see AFL football players with particular haircuts, that often becomes popular,” he says. International celebrities have a similar affect on trends. As for beards, it doesn’t look like they’re going away any time soon. “The beard trend has been big for about three years… it’s very strong.”

Apart from selling good haircuts, Urban Man also has a small selection of clothes and fashion, an idea he took from his travels. “I went to some barbers in New York, and I wanted to bring that here.”

Tapping into another trend, their biggest seller is their collection of Happy Socks, a sock brand that makes colourful and patterned socks.

Jerry lives with his wife and three young adult daughters in Bentleigh and when he is not spending time with his family or at the store, Jerry hits the links for a round of golf at the Sandringham Golf course. Back in Glenferrie Hawthorn, he often enjoys a bite to eat for lunch just a few doors along at Hanoi Old Quarter, or he finishes off the week with a Friday night pizza and a drink at Santoni.