australian female barber award 2021 First Place Winner “Her Shot Aus”

TEERAPON PEARAPONWIPUT

AKA SUNSHINE

Colette Saunders, founder of Australian Female Barbers, had the brilliant idea of holding a competition for Australia’s Barberette’s by way of submissions of images of their work. These images were to be taken by the Barberette, in their chair or in the shop, real, raw, and unfiltered. Everyone had the same brief: 2 models, 3 shots each, one front on, one side on and one from behind, the results exposed...pure talent!!

Congratulations to everyone involved and especially the winner Sunshine Teerapon Pearaponwiput AKA Sunshine who we had the pleasure of interviewing and featuring this issue as part of her swag of prizes.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL OUR READERS YOUR BARBER STORY SUNSHINE?

I have been barbering for about 7 years now. It all started in Bangkok, Thailand, where my mum used to work as a hairdresser. I used to try cutting my brother’s hair, but it turns out I had unleashed a mess upon his head. Since then, I have always had this feeling that I wanted to prove myself when it comes to barbering. Time passed by until I graduated from university and worked as a Creative at the radio station in Thailand and then I decided to take barbering seriously. I asked my mum to teach me, but she encouraged me to attend a specialist school for proper training and be honest to her if I had any questions. In 2013, I attended a full-time course taught by a government-funded vocational school that offers free lessons. I eagerly attended the class every weekend and always asked my friends and colleague for a chance to practice. I started offering my services as a part-time job for my keen clients, while I was working full-time in an advertising agency. I decided to follow my passion to become a full-time barber like my mum in 2016.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WINNING THE AFBA AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

I was so happy that I could not stop myself from crying. Coincidentally, the result was announced exactly on my birthday. To me, it was like a dream come true; it was the best birthday present of my entire life. This competition means a lot to me because initially my family did not support my decision to become a barber in Thailand. So, I moved to Australia to pursue my passion. Winning this award is the best way to prove to my family that I am serious about being a barber. It is what I love, and it is what I am passionate about.

I found that being a barber while being a woman of Asian background is difficult. There can be so many limitations at work where people often do not believe that one can and go as far as a barber. This award is the best evidence that I have improved and proved my skills and dispel any doubts about me. I am so happy and proud to be the first Thai person to win this award. I have received so much goodwill and friendship from both domestic and international fellow barbers. I am so very grateful to have been part of this competition and community.

“IF I CAN IMPROVE MYSELF EVERY DAY, I AM CONFIDENT THAT EVERY DAY WILL BE A BETTER DAY.”

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WINNING SUBMISSIONS AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THEM.

My submission is inspired by the 2 styles that I personally love: the modern hairstyle and the classic hairstyle.

The first submission is what I would call a Crop, textured with mullet hairstyle. I love the mullet because I think it exudes such a sense of Australia and felt that it would combine very well with the Crop Textured style that I like. I thought that if I can pull this fusion off, it will be a masterpiece that can showcase a multitude of skills within a single haircut, namely, scissors clipping, tape fade with a trimmer, and razor texturising. I was also lucky that my model has very thick black hair, which is very suitable for a razor cut since it accentuates his hair’s beauty even more.

The other submission is called a Medium Skin fade with Side Part hairstyle. I wanted this second piece to be completely different from the first one. The first piece is modern in style; I tried to return to classic and simple, yet cool and elegant. This is an iconic hairstyle that never gets old, where I can truly showcase my fading skill.

WHO ARE YOUR BARBER IDOLS/INFLUENCES?

The first person I cannot forget to mention is my mother. She is the person who sparked my interest in becoming a barber. I also personally love Charlie Grey from Hair in Motion, as he inspired me to be the barber I am today. There are also many internationally renowned barbers that I draw inspirations from such as Josh Lamonaca, Menspire Educator, Josh O-Meara-Patel(Barberjosh OP), Alan Beak, Robert-Jan Rietveld (Schorem Barber), Hayden Cassidy, Tori Gill, just to name a few. Everyone really drives me to become better at what I do.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF BARBERING.

I find it difficult to describe my style in a singular term. I like to mix and match several styles while also trying out new ones. I love all the styles, so I combined them all to create my own unique blend of technique.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS?

Honestly speaking, 5 years is a very long time into the future. I want to make today the best I can. I want to improve myself every day, learn all there is to know about barbering and hairstyling. I want to understand more, learn how to tackle challenges and be the best I can be.

If I can improve myself every day, I am confident that every day will be a better day. Could you imagine that in the next 5 years? How amazing it would be by then?! I am very excited to see myself in the next 5 years as well! I am sure it will be a bright future ahead!

Instagram: @sunshinesmileyhappyplace

Special credits & Thank You SO MUCH TO australian female barber and ‘‘barbershop magazine’’ mocha australia