French-Trained Hairdresser in Sydney · Samir Samaali
Paris-trained. Surry Hills-based. Every hair type welcome.
From Paris to Crown Street
I’m Samir Samaali. I’ve been cutting hair for 21 years.
Originally from Lyon, France, Samir began his work in hair and fashion in 1991, mastering everything from thick and fine hair textures to Afro hair in one of the top Sassoonian hair salons in Lyon. After honing his craft in Paris, working in TV advertisements, fashion shows, and editorial shoots, he brought his portfolio to Sydney in 2002.
For 15 years, Samir was a fixture on the global fashion circuit, styling for Fashion Weeks in Sydney, Paris, and New York.
From 2003, he worked for Jayne Wild, at Wild Life Hair, renowned for leading the hair industry at the time. During the 6 years working for Wildlife Hair, Samir showcased his work in hair sculpting at The NZ and Australia Hair Expo, over consecutive years.
In 2012, he fulfilled a dream by opening Le Garage Salon in Surry Hills. As a musician and a professional DJ, Samir curated a the salon to include selling vinyl records and fashion accessories, promoting local artists as part of his Le Garage Brand.
In late 2019, Samir made the decision to close his salon to start renting chairs in top Sydney salons, to allow him time to focus to music. During Covid, Samir completed a 2 year music production course whilst being dedicated to his hair clients, when restrictions allowed.
Today Samir sharing a creative and special space at The Barberia, owned by Cheryl and Matthew, both community minded and creative hair experts. The Barberia is located in the heart of Surry Hills, on Crown Street.
Samir is available for bookings at The Barberia from Wednesday to Friday.
What I Specialise In
I work with every hair type: afro, textured, straight, curly, fine, thick, wavy. Men and women. That range is unusual for most hairdressers, but it’s normal for me because of where I trained and where I grew up.
The things people come to me for most: skin fades and taper fades, dreadlocks and crochet locs, women’s cuts and restyling, afro shaping, and blow waves. But I’m not limited to those. If you have hair and you want something done with it, I can help.
I also do something I call ‘Hair Sculpture’: freehand designs shaved into the hair. Tribal patterns, Arabic calligraphy, geometric shapes. It started as a creative outlet and became one of the things people travel across Sydney for.
How I Work
Every appointment starts with a conversation. I want to know what you want, what you’ve hated about previous cuts, what your hair does when you’re not trying. I’ll tell you what I think will work, but it’s your head, and I’m not going to push you into something.
French technique means precision. It means understanding geometry, weight distribution, how hair falls and moves. It doesn’t mean pretentious or expensive. It means I was trained properly, and it shows in the finish.
I don’t use juniors. I don’t hand you off. From the moment you sit down to the moment you leave, it’s me.
What People Say
“Samir is incredible. He actually listens to what you want and then makes it better than you imagined.”
Alex M.
“Best fade I’ve ever had. Not even close. I’ve been coming back every three weeks for a year now.”
Jordan T.
“I’d given up on finding someone in Sydney who could work with my hair texture. Samir changed that on the first visit.”
Amara K.
“Finally a hairdresser who doesn’t try to talk me into something I don’t want. Samir gets it.”
Nina R.
