Australia’s Leading Barbers and Fashion Visionaries Redefine Masculinity

American Crew ®, the iconic brand that continues to define men’s style and grooming trends, on Monday hosted an exclusive night and panel discussion in Melbourne that aimed to open up conversations around masculinity in our modern world.

The panel – called MASC. – was hosted in premier barbershop Men’s & Co in Melbourne CBD. Melbourne barbers, fashion icons and next gen men that are known for pushing boundaries of masculinity gathered to listen to the panel explore, deconstruct and redefine masculinity in our modern day.

The panel consisted of some of Australia’s leading barbers and fashion visionaries, from different generations, genders and backgrounds including:

• Stephanie Pfalzgraf: Stephanie is the winner of American Crew’s All-Star Challenge 2021, an annual global competition that crowns the world’s best, next-gen barbers. Stephanie works as a barber at Kings Domain in Melbourne and her vision is to celebrate diversity and challenge masculinity through men’s hair.
• Shayne Tino: Shayne is a Melbourne fashion designer, creative and fashion visionary who is known for his progressive style and for going against norms in fashion and content.
• Gary McKenzie: Gary is considered one of Melbourne's best hairdressers and is the owner of The Meddler salon in South Yarra. Gary has been an American Crew All Star for 24 years and took home the global competition in 2015.
• Collin Allingham: Collin is an established Melbourne barber and the owner of Sweeney Todd, one of Melbourne's most well-known premium barbershop brands.
• Carla Bond (MC): American Crew’s Business Consultant, Carla, was the panel MC. Carla has immersed herself in the world of American Crew for nearly a decade.

American Crew was founded by renowned stylist David Raccuglia in 1994 when he foresaw a future where men could pay as much attention to their looks as anyone else without losing their masculinity in the process. Ever since then, American Crew has reinvented the way men look, feel and ultimately define themselves and the MASC. panel is one example of the leading grooming brand’s continued effort to push boundaries in the men’s space.

David Raccuglia says: “When I founded American Crew, I not only wanted to create grooming products that catered to men and their needs, but I wanted American Crew to be a place where all men can feel comfortable and confident within themselves. I truly believe this dialogue (masculinity) is more important now than ever. To me, the barber chair is a natural place to talk about all the different facets and meanings of the term masculinity. It is our duty to make the barbershop and the world at large an inclusive place where everyone can feel confident and empowered” 

Australia’s Marketing Director, Cristobal De La Ruba says: “As a brand that caters for men’s needs, we felt a responsibility to open up the conversations around masculinity to make sure that men today and in the future feel comfortable expressing themselves whatever way or form that may be. Each individual and every brand need to take action to create a safe space where men can be themselves and the MASC. panel is one of American Crew’s many steps to achieve this”

On the night, guests were treated to an exclusive evening with experimental and premium food, progressive music from renowned Melbourne producer, DJ Prequel, and cocktails from Batch & Bottle, a new premium, pre-batched cocktail brand.

For further information of the panellists and MASC., visit American Crew Australia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americancrewoz/?hl=en.