Mi Hermano Barbershop

Edison Vargas was waiting for a haircut at a busy Toronto barbershop in 2013. As he didn't have an appointment, Edison waited for hours but he spent them observing the interaction between the barbers. “I thought, ‘These guys really nailed it. They’re hanging out with a group of gentlemen, sharing stories and providing them with a gift – making them look sharp and feel fresh,’” Edison remembers. He went home that day determined to pursue barbering as a career, and registered for a private barbering course in January 2014.

After completing the course, Edison converted his living room into a barber station and invited friends, family and the surrounding community for a cut and shave while he honed his craft. “As with any trade, you really have to apply yourself and put time and energy towards it,” he explains. From there, Edison did an apprenticeship at the Kensington Market’s Proper Barber, then worked for a year at Rod, Gun & Barbers in The Junction before he founded his own barbershop – Mi Hermano – in the summer of 2015.