CONSTANT improvement.
That’s the mantra that Semisi Qalica, aka “Sims the Barber”, has used to parlay his self-taught hair cutting talents into one of the most recognisable barber brands in Fiji.
Google Suva barbers and “Sims the Barber” is the first name that comes up.
His clippers have trimmed, faded and lined up some of the most famous Fijian heads from the gold medal winning Fiji 7s team to Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama just last week.
Qalica first started cutting hair in 2008, based out of a small store at Fatty’s Shop in Laucala Bay.
After gathering a small but loyal following, he secured a chair at a barber shop down the road at Sardar Shopping Complex, slowly improving his skills and in the process, his customer base.
His success did not go unnoticed and in 2012 he moved on to a barber shop in Marks St, where young men of all hair types and styles would pack out wooden benches waiting for their turn in Sims’ chair.
Following a brief stint cutting heads in Australia, Qalica returned to set up his own shop in Pender St, complete with his own logo and merchandise that urges Fijians to support local barbers.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing or trimming, so to speak. By Qalica’s own admission, his initial skills were far from what he is able to offer now.
“I started cutting hair at home and trimming some of the boys’ hair in my neighbourhood. Back then I was just using one trimmer and scissors,” Qalica explained
“Every day I would try to learn, from the time I would cut hair in my neghbourhood to when I moved on to each new location. My approach was to cut each individual’s hair as if I was giving myself a haircut and that was the attitude I kept every time I picked up the clippers to work.
“I saw how that helped me, because every day I would learn. I would finish work, go home and still be thinking about what I could have done better. If I made a mistake with a client, I would think about it late into the evening and think how to improve the next day— just to constantly improve.”
And his approach won over many customers, many of whom won’t trust any other barber with their “fade” — Qalica’s signature haircut.
The fade
The fade is a men’s haircut that relies on having the hair on the sides and back of the head tapered in length gradually until no more hair is left on the skin.
It has become a style popular with men around the world for it’s clean look and finish.
And Sims has mastered the different fade styles, from razor fades and tapers to combining the fade with combovers for the more adventurous.
When The Fiji Times visited Qalica at his Sims the Barber shop, he was working on 56-year-old Narayan Singh, who had spent two and a half years searching for a local barber to give him a proper fade.
“I had been in the United States for 38 years and when I came back I was looking around for a barber who could give me a fade,” Mr Narayan said.
“After trying a few and looking around for two and a half years, I started to think I might never find someone who could give me a good fade.
“But then I heard from a friend about Sims and he gave me exactly what I was looking for when I visited him last month.
“When you get a haircut you want to walk out happy. A good haircut makes you feel special, and that’s what you get when you visit here.
“I’m 56 years old but when Sims gives me a fade I feel like a 25-year-old.”
Solomoni Mathewsella, who has been a customer with Qalica since he began cutting hair at Sardar, remembers a time when all Qalica had was raw talent.
“Back then I remember he was pretty rough but over these past eight years he has really developed and I’ll only cut my hair with another barber if Sims is unavailable and I am desperate,” Mr Mathewsella said.
Another regular, high schoolteacher Meli Tuifagalele, says he would compare haircuts from different barbers but found Qalica was always a step ahead.
“I would get a haircut from Sims and try getting the same haircut from a different barber but there was always a difference.
“Now I don’t trust anybody else.”
Fenton Lutunatabua began cutting his hair with Qalica when he was based out of Sardar and says it was not surprising to see how far he had come.
“I have had a couple of bad experiences in the past with other barbers but Sims has always been the most consistent.
“The time he takes to make sure he’s really giving you a good haircut is probably why I keep finding myself back at his chair. He is patient, thorough and his work is of international standard.”
Qalica explains that while constant improvement has been a long-time focus, of equal importance is giving customers a worthwhile haircutting experience.
“I want to relate and get on with my customers as well,” Qalica says.
Moving forward
At his new Pender St location, Qalica can serve up to 18 clients in a day, majority of whom book appointments through an online platform that is accessible through his Sims the Barber Facebook and Instagram pages.
He offers his services as part of a wedding package through Wedding Shop (Fiji).
And last year he also took to the streets of Suva to offer free haircuts to street dwellers.
But despite all his success, Qalica still remains thankful for the all that he has achieved, saying that as always, it’s just about constant improvement.
