Throughout Barack Obama's presidency,  people all over the world were asking themselves one question: how is it possible to keep a supremely fresh cut despite having the most stressful job on the planet? To answer this, we need to ask another question: who is Obama’s barber?
In 1998, a charismatic young man walked into his local barbershop on the South Side of Chicago, Hyde Park Barber Studio, to get a haircut. He learned from one of the barbers, however, that is regular barber had moved to a shop down the road.Â
The young man asked this barber to cut his hair, thus starting a long lasting friendship between the two. Ten years later, America elected this young man, Barack Obama, as its first black president, making Zariff the POTUS's personal barber.
After winning 2008 election, the president was no longer visiting his barber in Chicago. Instead Zariff would make regular trips to the White House, while still maintaining his regular customers back at Hyde Park Barber Shop.
Zariff has also been the barber for many important figures, such as Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee and Steve McQueen. However, he is obviously most recognized as being Obama’s barber and for creating the style known as “the Obama cut”. The Obama cut was invented right before Obama's DNC debut, for which he needed to look sharp. You can still find this cut on the service menu for $21. Due to National Security, Zariff could not say how often the president was getting his hair cut and whether the price was the same.
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During his presidency, Obama was well known from his intelligence, his down to earth approach, his charisma and his, shall we say, swagger. But it should also be said that Barack Obama was loyal to his roots. Clearly, he knew that once you find a good barber you keep him close- no matter what.
Source: Complex.com
Listen to Zariff to hear him talk about his usual start as a barber, his experiences working with the most powerful men in the world as well as the differences between appointments and walk-ins. Finally, you can hear what is the best quality for barbers, which also seems to be the best quality for the President of USA (and basically, everybody else).
In 1998, Obama walked into a Chicago barbershop looking for his usual barber. When he found out his regular had moved, he asked Zariff to cut his hair, sparking a friendship that lasted through the presidency.
It is a signature, clean-tapered style invented by Zariff for Obama's DNC debut. It became so famous that it remained on the Hyde Park Barber Studio menu for $21.
No. Zariff maintained his home base at the Hyde Park Barber Shop in Chicago, making regular trips to the White House as needed to service the President.
Due to National Security reasons, Zariff has never disclosed the frequency of the President’s haircuts or the specific price paid for White House visits.
Zariff’s chair has seen an incredible range of talent, including civil rights icon Muhammad Ali, director Spike Lee, and Hollywood legend Steve McQueen.
