Five years ago, the Schorem Barber Shop opened its doors in Rotterdam. Today, men fly in from Chicago or Singapore to get a new look. But the motivation behind the whole business is still the same: to create a place where the owners themselves can have fun, listen to their own kind of music and to have a beer or two with their patrons.
Most
grandpas have one, hipsters wear it and even Brad Pitt shows one off - the male
beard has become a fashionable must-have and all variants have become socially
acceptable. The mens' RAW look is complemented by a matching hair style.
Whether fancy, retro, or elegant, it always must be: well maintained. That’s
why more and more men see a barber. And the Schorem Shop in Rotterdam has
almost gained cult status as part of this trend - Rockabillies, Gentlemen,
Punks, Rockers but also ordinary consumers from around the world make
pilgrimages to this location to at least once take a seat in one of these
coveted chairs. For what they can expect is the very traditional and highest
form of craftsmanship when it comes to cutting hair. “People are in need of
something that is really unique, something they can’t get everywhere. People want quality again.” And that’s exactly what they get at Schorem.
The Bloody Butcher, Don Daco & Co.
The guys
have specialized in classic men’s cuts: Pompadour, flattops, contours and other
retro variants are styled to perfection by some eleven hairdressers. Howling “MAD” Miky, Don Daco, Lausy Lau or the duo The Bearded Bastard & Bloody Butcher treat the man’s face with classic straight razors and a steam bath. They don’t
care about fashion or trends - “We love the rock ’n’ roll subcultures, and
that’s why we are so much into the Pomps and Quiffs. We live for styles that have have proven
themselves over time.”
First come, first serve...
Schorem has
the “first come first serve” policy, they do not make appointments. You have to
get up early and be prepared to wait if you want the razor treatment. You are
being transformed into a gentleman - at least outwardly - true to old
tradition. The extensive care required for the magnificent hair is then up to
each man. Although it should be easy with the right products offered by the
shop. But in the end, a man feels most comfortable in his very own private
bathroom. Then, after all, it won’t take long before an inner transformation
takes place and George Bernard Shaw’s quote becomes worldly wisdom: “A
gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out.”