Hamilton Brooks – Hairdresser
Image by Tom Roberton
Hamilton Brooks describes himself as a hairdresser, salon owner and scoundrel. So, in a perfect meeting of minds, when he opened his first salon last year, STOLEN Rum was on hand to ply clients and friends with their liquid wares.
Brooks’ eponymous salon, in Newmarket’s Nuffield Street (number 23 if you’d like to pay a visit), is head and shoulders above the usual wash, dry, chop shop. Brooks’ fascination with mid-century design shines through, and a focus on environmentally sound practices is a key ethos.
While he’s influenced by “molecular gastronomy, wild animals and mixtapes”, Brooks’ is also a very good hairdresser, with a swag of awards and time at top salons both in New Zealand and the UK. And while the cuts and colours are impeccable, Brooks’ warm nature means there’s a distinct lack of fashionable attitude – this salon is warm, welcoming and a pleasure to be in. No nonsense, no prima donnas.
Brooks believes his best night out is still to come, and while he’s a self-described “scoundrel”, the only thing he’s ever stolen have been “some hearts”.
His favourite STOLEN Rum experience, encounter or cocktail: “I had several very good STOLEN Gingers spanning many nights over the festive season,” he says.
Image by Tom Roberton
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