Still in their early thirties, friends Marvin Soriano and Zoilo Mendoza have carved a niche in the personal care services industry in Vancouver.

Soriano, who has been cutting hair for 19 years, opened his first barbershop in 2014 when he was just 24.

His barbering skills gave him the chance to cut the hair of A-lister actor Idris Elba and Wu-tang rapper Ghostface Killah.

“Other than cutting hair as a craft, I fell in love with the environment of the barbershop,” Soriano shared. 

His shop has since evolved to what is now called “Knowledge Barbershop.”

Mendoza, meanwhile, who has been a barber for 13 years, was working for Soriano before they became business partners. Both said it was coincidental that the barbers they hired are mostly Filipinos.

“We just wanted to hire people that are closer to us because it's easier to translate the vision and mission of a business,” said Mendoza. 

Although Mendoza studied at a Vancouver barber school, he explained that one does not need a license to work for barber shops in British Columbia.

Their passion in cutting hair started in their teens – mostly practicing on siblings, friends and relatives’ hair – and was further enhanced by YouTube videos.

Jien Lozano has been the haircutter of his family in the Philippines before he came to Canada on a student visa five years ago.

He recalled seeing a job opening at Soriano and Mendoza’s shop and immediately applying for it. 

Lozano’s passion for barbering became a pathway for his application for permanent residency in Canada, which he hopes to secure by the end of this year.

“They helped me whenever I needed some files like documents, LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment),” he added. “They helped me add points so I could get my PR right away.”

Knowledge Barbers has been operating for seven years now and continues to flourish.

It has also encouraged internal training and collaboration among its barbers to learn from each other and enhance their craft.

Their new shop on Commercial Drive is designed like a basketball court, a sport so loved by Filipinos.

“Haircuts and sports are a part of the same culture,” Soriano said. “Athletes get their haircuts all the time, and I feel like when we are able to fuse both of these issues together, it just feels like home."