Focus On…Itaewon Cutz
While I’d love to say that my barbershop is called Itaewon Cutz- it’s not. It’s called Gabby’s and for the past three months, I’ve been a loyal customer going like clockwork every two weeks.
Itaewon is a district in Seoul where you can find cuisine from all over the world. This area of Seoul holds some of my favorites like Gino's NY Style Pizza, Vatos Tacos and Mr. Kebab. Back home, most of my hair experiences entail me going to a barbershop once or twice a month. Sometimes even more frequently depending on what is going on, I’ll go weekly.
Getting to Korea, one of the first things I did was search for a barber. With Afro textured hair, I can’t just walk into any random shop and hope the stylist there will be able to cut my hair. Well, let’s shift that thinking, I’m sure I could technically go anywhere and get a haircut but I am not willing to experiment with a barber who hasn’t had experience with afro hair.
Luckily a friend I met here happened to know where I could get a quality haircut. I’ll admit, I was extremely apprehensive. Going to a new barber, so many things flood your mind regardless of where you are in the world. Here’s a glimpse into what I’ve actually thought prior to my first appointment; “I hope he doesn’t push my hairline back”, “Will I look fresh after?”, “I’ll just watch him closely when he’s lining me up, then it’ll be impossible to push my hairline back”. I get to the shop and remember the guidance my friend gave me, “It’s the guy in front of the door as soon as you walk in”. In the moment, filled with anxiety over my first haircut in Korea, I almost sat in the chair of the guy furthest from the door. It was one of those moments where I had walked in and immediately following my entrance one of the barbers asked if I needed a cut. Luckily the barber I had been recommended was almost done with a client and I was next.
Before I knew it was in his chair, hearing about his experience being Nigerian in Korea. He’d been in Korea a couple of years and shared some wisdom on navigating the Black experience in Korea. The biggest piece of advice he shared with me was “know your worth”.In this moment, in this space, I found a home. I’m so glad that I started going to Gabby's barbershop back in February because it was a crucial part in establishing who I’d grow to become during my time here .
Fast forward to May, and I still go religiously. I’ll miss my train rides to Itaewon because for me it’s more than just a haircut, it’s connecting with someone who understands the experiences of navigating Korea as a foreigner. If you’re ever in Itaewon, you know where to go and if you want the best haircut Korean won can buy-ask for Maya.
