And welcome
sweethearts to another ‘blog. Rakis is buzzing this month with joy and alarm in
equal measure – Uncle Stavros is finally green lit to go under the knife to fix
his Stylists’ Elbow and the operation is set for the 25th of this
month! Office elves Jessi and Anthea will contact everyone scheduled to be
treated by the maestro and repair the timetable damage as best they can – there’s
a lot of you though so I recommend calling the girls up to secure the best
place.
In happier
news FROC was a stunning success, thanks to all who supported the magnificent
event, and Pece is due back from Macedonia soon! If anyone wants to
form a tan pool, I’m tipping him to return hued Peruvian.
Finally,
with Fathers’ Day looming, Rakis has received order of a big batch of gift
vouchers and I heartily recommend them as a way to keep the big fella happy on
his special day.
Ciao belli!
D
J
uly 2010
Hello again to all our stylistic
sweethearts! FROCs are going on this month as Rakis gets behind PeterMac
in support of their life saving research. You can help to by joining in with
FROC’s fund raising extravaganza!
Next month Stavros is taking a short break
from life at the salon – he’s off to spend a week lounging in bed with drugs
and ‘nurses’ and so won’t be able to take clients in the month of August. After
that you’ll have to book fast to get him in the week before he and James blast
off for a second stab at their high level fashion talks in Germany.
Stay well Groovers,
Darcy.
June 2010
Hello to you dedicated followers of fashion!
June twenty-ten has been as exciting as a month can hope to be in the Rakis
workshop with Stavros returning from LA, where he worked with Step-Up 3D’s Rick
Malambri (who’ll be dropping by in August), and Sydney where he joined the
Instyle Magazine shoot.
This Monday also saw the annual Rakis staff
portrait where the elves were snapped with silk slippers and serpents; stay
tuned for a dazzling photograph.
For a short while we’re bidding farewell to
two of our dazzling darlings, Stefania and Pece are winging it away to the warm
waters of the Mediterranean in order to escape the Bass Strait chill that’s
infesting Melbourne,
so wish them a happy holiday when you see them next.
From me and all the elves,
All the best.
May 2010
This has been a month of tingling and twitching in the Rakis workshop with yet more highs and lows to report. Uncle Stavros is still booked into Las Angeles for his American Crew photo shoot but he and James have to wait until September for their Berlin trip as the ash down from Iceland continues to thwart fashion's best efforts to hold high level talks.
It’s not all bad news for Aunty
James though,
because he’s now challenging me for the glory of being Rakis Writing
Elf!
You can find his regular column in the Weekly Review magazine, a
princely new
publication that’s almost as glossy as he is.
And a big thank you from Rakis
to GHD for having us
along to the launch of their new hair irons during Fashion Week; enough
wine
was laid out for them to receive a hearty recommendation from all the
elves
present.
Well that’s goodbye from me,
I’ll see you
all next month!
Darcy.
March-April 2010
Dear friends of
the notoriously resilient fashion industry, the Rakis elves have mixed news to
deliver this month, masks of comedy and tragedy have been dancing a whirlwind
around the salon and sending hair everywhere.
The sad news is
that after three years we are bidding farewell to Troy, hitherto your faithful correspondent,
who has left the workshop to follow his dreams in the greater world. Troy worked as hard in
the office as anyone out on the boards, perhaps even harder, and so it’s not
just his tinder-dry wit that we’ll be missing! We wish him the very best and
hope that you do to. Thank you for all your hard work Troy.
On the other
hand, our elves have been strutting the world stage with fantastic success. In
addition to Uncle Stavros’s American Crew Face Off victory (Black and White
Photography and Grooming), Stefania was laurelled with a High Commendation in
the L’Oreal Colour Trophy, Next Generation division. When asked for a comment I
was told “Let me think about it” and I’m still waiting, but never mind that,
she’s seriously good at hair.
After his Amcrew
coup, Uncle Stavros is taking Aunty James off to Berlin,
where they’ve been invited to participate in the Revlon and American Crew
launches (not to mention take advantage of Europe’s
enervated economy). If all goes well Rakis may be graced with a seat at
fashion’s own Security Council, deciding what’s hot and what’s rot for the
upcoming year (so beware all men with rich locks of hair – Stavros might become
an arbiter of taste). While they’re away the stylists are free to indulge in
whimsical shenanigans and I gather the cheeky creatures are offering fifty
percent off all colours from this Friday to the thirteenth of May – Lord help
us, it’s not coming out of my wages.
The very best
news however is that Rakis is welcoming a new member into her Gold Books,
namely me, the new staff writer. I like to think I was employed because of my
literary renown and peerless penmanship, but I have to admit it’s probably
because Stavros wanted a poet called Darcy to lounge about the salon with the
paintings. While here I’ll be taking a small portion of Troy’s enormous workload and dumping the rest
of it on poor Jessi, not very chivalrous perhaps, but then I’m not a Richard
Curtis character.
I aim to advise,
but hope merely to entertain.
Darcy Moran –
The Rakis Book Person
THE DEVIL WEARS HUGO BOSS…
February 2010
As usual, we're busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest, but despite that, Stavros has still found the time to take out first prize in this year's American Crew Face Off Competition (with model Stefan and photo by Robin Lowe). Congratulations, boss!
In other news, we welcome a new senior colourist to the team, Sheridan, as well as a new apprentice, Kieren. And after his sojourn to the US, we also welcome back Karlose.
But, of course, it's about hair here at Rakis on Collins, so I better get back out on the floor and make sure they're working...
Talk soon,
Troy
November 2009
Well it had to happen. A client finally rang and tried to book a haircut with me. Me. The guy in the backroom who's not even allowed to hold the scissors (let alone run with them!). Stavros is still laughing.
Meanwhile, he's also taking home another award - this time as a Victorian finalist in the American Crew Face-Off competition. He's also prepping for a shoot with Australia's current Miss Universe, Rachael Finch, and has officially launched Rakis on Little Collins, our new baby brother salon on Little Collins Street, which comes complete with it's very own attached beauty salon. Haven't seen it? Swing by at 285 Little Collins - right at the back of David Jones. Tell 'em Troy sent ya!
In other news, work is under way for the Rakis Class photo for 2009, which will include, among other things, several staff in feathers. We'll also be presenting several new shoots by Maria, Pece and Candice, and we bid a sad farewell to everyone's favourite apprentince, Jake.
But enough about us. What's new with you?
Troy
October 2009
Stavros is back from Kokoda (and with little more than a scratch on his head, costing me 30 bucks in the office pool – I had him at odds on for at least a sprained ankle). Photos can now be viewed both in-salon and on our Facebook page (along with some brilliant new shots from Maria, and some great shots of the team at Fashion Week). In fact, if you were starting to think a professional photographer is tracking our every move here at Rakis, you could probably make $30 in an office pool.
In other big news, Rakis is pleased to introduce you to Kevin Murphy styling products, opening up a range of new styling options for you, and creating yet another paperwork nightmare for me (yeah, thanks, Kevin).
Otherwise, it’s business as usual at the theatre that is Rakis on Collins. We’re all hunkering down for Spring Carnival (book now for Cup Day!), and gearing up for the silly season (which is pretty much year-round around here).
We hope you’re well and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Troy
May 2009
With Stavros away for the week, I finally have time to catch up on all those things I usually have the excuse of being too busy to do. I've tidied my office, filed away all the random business cards at the bottom of my bag, built Stavros a gazebo and below-ground pool, and finally found the time to update the blog.
By now you've probably already seen the James Bond-inspired shoot with the staff (if not, check under 'Downloads' in the main menu). Plans are already under way for the next class photo, but all I can tell you is that feathers will be involved.
But if you haven't been in a while, this is what you've missed: James has recently returned from London, styling Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) for Warner Bros. Stavros has been named by Harper's Bizarre as one of Australia's top 10 hairdressers (check out the June issue), and our very own Maria has seen her colour work appear on the cover of a magazine in the US. Pece worked with Jennifer Hawkins at L'Oreal Fashion Week, and we now have a new face assisting Karolina with reception, Amber.
But enough about us. What's new with you?
Troy
November 2008
The salon is abuzz with this year’s ‘class photo’ scheduled for the middle of November. After last year’s Hollywood shoot (which took 4 weeks, 6 days and 2 nervous breakdowns to coordinate), the bar has been considerably raised, and we’re not-so-quietly desperate to clear it. I can’t give away too much, but I can tell you it involves weaponry, a small fluffy cat, and James in a wetsuit. I wish I was making that up.
Meanwhile, while the staff take a deep knee-bend after the chaos of Spring Carnival, we’ve recruited a new Senior Colourist, Peter, and continued work on Project Little Rakis, scheduled for February. We also styled the hair for the Hardy Bros parade, the girls for the MYER launch of Gwen Stefani’s new fragrance (creatively titled ‘Fragrance’), and James made a guest appearance at the Press Club Oaks Day Breakfast alongside George Calombaris & Arthur Galan. And if that’s not enough bragging, the work of Rakis protégé Lok Lau is in the current issue of Italian Vogue.
That’s it for now. I have to go mock the apprentices and I think Stavros needs to take a time out on the naughty step. He’s currently leading the salon in song. This is a fun place to work.
Troy
September 2008
I’ve had a few people ask exactly what it is I do as Stavros’s PA. It varies on a daily basis (my job description is really short – it literally says ‘do as your told’), so I thought I’d demonstrate what a sample day is like for me. It was a Friday.
I opened the mail and checked the emails, which include reminders for me when Stavros wakes at 3am and emails me nuggets like 'buy post-its'. I’ve only just broken him of the habit ofcallingme at 3am when he has these epiphanies. The mail included a book about Panerai watches I bought Stavros from eBay, and as a result I lost 4 or 5 minutes while he explained the benefits of luminous hour markers and alligator straps.
I followed him around for several hours trying to get him to sign several forms, one of which now entitles me to his first born. Don’t tell him.
I entered the new pink GHD irons on the computer. They come with 3 great little lip glosses, and $30 from the sale of each one goes directly to the Australian Cancer Foundation.
I checked Facebook for a guy Stavros once knew who’s apparently become a gym bunny and has several –er, let’s say ‘uninhibited’ pictures on his home page.
I went downstairs and handed out Rakis business cards and menus to the assorted white trash that had accumulated along Collins Street for the Grand Final parade. After a while I started to be selective and only hand them out to those who were in Hawthorn colours. A while after that I started to hand them out only to cute guys. When they ran out, I handed them to anyone in a Toni & Guy t-shirt.
I fed him twice, which isn’t a personal best. I once bought him 9 lunches over 4 days.
We poured over designs for the ‘Little Rakis’ project, then negotiated how much of the project I was allowed to reveal in the blog. We decided I was allowed to reveal it’s called the ‘Little Rakis’ project. Pester him in person for more details.
I typed up a flyer introducing our new hair extension expert, Danielle, and another requesting models for Tuesday morning training (Have friends who would love to be cut and colour models? Send them to us!).
I rescheduled a doctor’s appointment, chastised him for making a mess in my office (well, actually,hisoffice), broke into the upstairs bathroom after someone locked the key inside, bought the salon a recycling bin, dropped off the new menus to our sister salon, Geisha, made fun of the apprentices, drank way too much coffee, and typed my thesis on the social ramifications of communist policy in Bulgaria and it’s impact on the unionization of textile trade.
Then I wrote this blog.
Any questions?
Troy
July 2008
Only the third month, and I've already fallen behind. The boss is back, my inbox resembles an airport giftshop, and I can barely see the computer screen for post-it notes, but we're still all about the hair at Rakis, and this month we've been working it overtime.
On top of shooting our American Crew entries, James has been leading the staff in a variety of fashion shows including wine consortium V-Kno, fashionistas Rutherfords and Suzanne (in conjunction with Marie Clare), and the upcoming Fashion Right on Track Show, a Collins Street collaboration that includes AG, Husk and aspiring talents from RMIT Fashion.
This month also we bid a sad farewell to Matisse, who embarks upon a German adventure for the next 12 months, and welcome Candice, our newest colourist and stylist. You'll also notice a new apprentice, Jake, and you may hear whispers and rumours about a project we've codenamed 'Little Rakis'. Be sure to hassle your hairdresser for more details on what we have up our sleeve...
Anyway, the boss is bellowing for his second lunch (I need to feed Stavros every couple of hours or he gets a little nutty), so I better get back on the floor...
Troy
June 2008
While the cat's away, the mice are in charge, so you'll notice a few changes at Rakis while Stavros is in New York, not the least of which being we've painted the entire salon hot pink, hired 12 exotic dancers, and bought ourselves a puppy (ok, we haven't really done any of that, but half a world away Stavros is reading this, and giving him a scare is fair punishment for not taking me with him).
What you will find is a shift in our in-salon music stylings, all new art (thanks to our new artist-in-residence, Alison Bennet), and another feather in our collective caps with Maria being named Victorian finalist in L'Oreal's Style & Shoot competition.
We'd also like to thank everyone for their comments and emails about the website - we sincerely appreciate it. And hey, if you've got any photos from your time here, send them through - we'll make you a star! And don't forget to check out our Facebook page - packed with baby photos of the staff...
So we'll see you through July for the Return of Stavros, the New York slideshow, and the usual antics and shenanigans of the Rakis team...
Troy
May 2008
It’s 25 years to the day that Stavros first opened the doors of Rakis (an anniversary we usually delay, since it’s also 40-something years to the day that Mr & Mrs Razos gave birth to a little bundle of joy named James). But here we are, 25 years later, website complete. Amid the tears and tantrums (mostly mine) of getting up and running, we’d like to send a special thanks to the Lowe girls, Jessica and Roisin, for their incredible work (and patience) in seeing this project through. What Rakis does with hair, these girls do with pixels, and we’re incredible grateful.
So have a browse. Check out our latest shoots, our gallery of behind-the-scenes images (that many of the staff didn’t know I have), our monthly specials, our all-new menu, and let us know what you think. We’ll be constantly updating the site (new photos, new specials, new ramblings) so check back again. You never know who might turn up here…
Oh, and I’m Troy. Stavros’s PA. I’ll be your host.
