At the Chair with Brother Wolf
Step inside Brother Wolf Fitzroy: clippers buzz, scissors snip, voices layer over the shop's eclectic playlist. The kind of place where people come for the cut and stay for the chat.
The vision traces back to founder Pádraig Whelehan, who opened the first Brother Wolf on Prahran's Greville Street in 2014. He set out to create a space where like-minded people could hang out and talk music, fashion, art and sports, all while getting a cut under the same roof.
A decade on, that original Prahran shop has grown into a network of four locations spanning St Kilda, Fitzroy and South Melbourne—the latter a hybrid barbershop and retail space that opened in 2025.
The brand has also expanded beyond the chair, launching a namesake clothing line with a standalone shop in Prahran and No.113, a haircare range created in-house using Australian botanicals and premium ingredients.
Meet the Team
Shane Manley, Harry Kemp and Guilly Vetu work the Fitzroy floor, and they each have their own take on what keeps them in the game. But the thread that runs through it all? The people.
Left to right: Harry Kemp, Guilly Vetu, Shane Manley
Shane came to Brother Wolf in 2023 with eight years in the industry behind him. 'It’s hard to beat the vibe at Brother Wolf,' he says. 'You walk in and straight away it feels warm and welcoming. It never gets old seeing someone's confidence go through the roof after they've gotten their haircut.'
Guilly joined in 2023, four years into the trade. 'It doesn't feel like work. Barbering is my hobby and my passion. I meet wonderful people all day and make people look and feel good.'
For Harry, who's been cutting for eight years, good barbering comes down to the fundamentals: 'Good service means listening to what a customer wants, but also recommending what will actually suit them.'
The work is rewarding, but the physical toll is real: long hours, hard floors, constant standing.
'A typical shift has us standing for eight to ten hours, with a short break, sometimes just enough time to run and grab a coffee!' Harry says.
'If your shoes aren't comfortable, you feel it by midday,' Shane says. 'Sore feet, knees, even my back. Clippers drop, water splashes, hair gets everywhere. You need shoes that can cop a bit of punishment and still hold up. Solid soles, decent materials, nothing too flimsy. Looks matter too. We're in a style-focused job, but if they're not ticking those boxes first, they're not making it into the rotation.'
The team has been wearing the Super Birki 2.0 from Birkenstock's Professional range to meet those demands.
'They made standing all day feel effortless,' Shane says. 'I was honestly surprised by how much less fatigue I felt at the end of the day. They're super easy to clean too, which matters when you're dealing with hair, product and whatever else ends up on the floor.'
'The contoured footbed offers proper arch support, which helped ease the pressure off my knees,' Harry says. 'We need shoes that take impact off our bodies. These deliver.'
'They're SO comfy—like wearing slippers with style,' Guilly says. 'The cushioning makes you feel like you're walking on clouds. I didn't want to take them off at the end of the day. The fact that they fully cover my feet means I don't get hair on my socks, which is a big plus as a barber. I'd recommend them to any barber who wants comfort without sacrificing style.'’
Ten years on, four locations, countless cuts. But at its heart, Brother Wolf stays true to its foundations: craft and connection.
