Nina, what drove you to create Extra Silky? And what led you to opening in Paddington?
Extra Silky is a small salon I own and run in a tiny lane in Paddington. I started operating here about three years ago, but before that Extra Silky was an inspiration Instagram account where I collected cool hair styles that I liked from the '90s, fashion, and would do basic hair tutorials – it basically all stemmed from that. While I worked for someone else the Extra Silky idea was built off wanting to have my own creative outlet. Then I had an opportunity to actually start my own thing, and fortunately I already had lots of clients: so that's when I went out on my own.
I had always worked or lived in the East: in Bondi, Surry Hills, and Potts Point, so Paddington was a natural progression for my style. I really like it, I know the area and when you run your own salon you get a bit more of a clear image of what you want to do. You find out what's more you and how you fit in the neighbourhood.
So Extra Silky is an extension of your personality?
A hundred per cent! Everything here is very much me, down to the furniture, the music, the plants and décor, everything.
To start a new hair salon in an area with lots of existing options... it's a very competitive space. How did you go about starting something unique and innovative?
I have always been interested in every aspect of the hair and fashion world. I have a history in fashion and music events as well as hair and I think my interest and experience in all of those things is what makes Extra Silky unique. I host parties under the Extra Silky umbrella at places like Freda's and I try to also bring all those interests together in the salon space. I like to be recognisable as all of those things. So it's a fun salon, it's casual and relaxed and I think it's fun for people to come to. I think that's the most important thing to me, that it's a relaxing and enjoyable environment for people... and you can also get your hair cut!
Who are the innovative people and interesting businesses that you admire in Paddington and Surry Hills?
There are a lot of my friends' brands that are really cool that I identify with. The Burton Street area, for one, houses places like PAM, Supply, Passport, and I like the vibe that comes with them all aligning with each other on the same street. My friends from the gallery China Heights are amazing at what they do; the way they work is innovative as they are always chasing the next cool thing. They keep art interesting for everyone around. I always walk past this beautiful gallery called Saint Cloche I love the work they show there, it's not just a regular commercial art gallery – they make a point to show emerging artists, have a coffee machine in there, and have a really fresh conceptual space. Don Peppino's restaurant is also amazing, they started as a pop-up, and are always keeping it fresh by changing their menu every week. Other locals I like are Dimitri's Pizzeria, they have such great and interesting flavours and it's just so cool to see more young people in the area opening their businesses. I always try and support them where I can.
How has Paddington evolved in the time since you started Extra Silky? And what do you think can be done to keep that evolution going in a positive way?
I think people have started to open businesses again on Oxford Street,and it's the start of positive change. It's definitely more full than it was when I started here two and a half years ago. It's very slowly changing for the better, it's definitely not dead like it used to be. When I started here, it was almost every second shop that was for lease. I would like to see more small businesses pop up again, and I feel like this part of Paddington is on its way to this happening again in the near future.
You have some unique sustainability initiatives at Extra Silky. Can you tell us about them?
We deal with a place called Sustainable Salons, who have an amazing system with four bins for hair, plastic, metal and paper. The amount of waste we have in this small space is crazy, but Sustainable Salons is so great because you can fill the bags, and they sort it at their warehouse where they have specific places and applications for their waste. Even the hair scraps – normally that's straight to landfill – but they make what they call a hair boom. It's like a knee high stocking that they chain together like a sausage line and make a ring of it, which can be used to throw out into the ocean to drag in oil spills. They also recycle a lot of materials from local businesses, like the hard plastics from shampoo bottles, which is something we use a lot of.
Was that kind of wastefulness something you noticed from working in salons previously?
Oh my gosh, yes. Even foil, which is a huge part of hairdressing life for colour services, usually goes straight to landfill. Aluminium is the only element that can be reused infinitely, so for us, they melt down all the foil and make recycled foils. If everyone did that, just imagine! Sustainable Salons is super-easy to get, and while it is a bit more expensive, there's no question for me in its value.
Are you noticing other businesses in the area engaging with exciting sustainability initiatives like these? Do you think it's a vital practice for a small business?
Yes absolutely, Sustainable Salons have specific purple bins which stand out. I walk a lot, so I notice them around Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Paddington.. and I mean, it could be better, but there's definitely more people out there doing it. I think it's important, especially for sustainability awareness. I think business owners should be more aware and conscious of where their waste is going. I think it's a responsibility of small business owners to implement more practices like these and to spread awareness about it.
What local green spaces or community gardens are you into?
Paddington Reservoir is across the road and I think it's the most underutilised park ever! It has a beautiful green space, there are chairs and sun lounges to sit on, and you can even go underneath it to a tranquil water garden. There's also the Royal Hospital for Women dog park, which is really small but it's lovely, you obviously get to see lots of dogs.
As well as cutting hair in the day, you've organised night-time events, could you tell us more about those? What drove you to incorporate Extra Silky into the area's nightlife?
It actually started when a friend asked me if I wanted to put a party on because they had double booked themselves and couldn't host the event they'd promised to. I was fortunate over the years to have lots of friends involved in music, so I was like "yeah, why not," and it happened to tie in with the first birthday of Extra Silky. It was such a great success, I mean it was stressful for me, but very fun for everyone else. I love running fun events, it's part of my whole vibe and it came together after that with parties I threw at the George Hotel and Freda's . There's definitely satisfaction in it, and I'm always pushing for the next thing. I like to have Extra Silky as a multi-disciplinary brand, I couldn't just do hair. I think that's part of the brand's identity as well, it's about having fun.
What after-dark businesses in the area do you go to and enjoy? And what could be done to improve the area's nightlife?
I love the Cricketers Arms, that's our local, it's such a nice vibe there. There's no pretentiousness, there are amazing people there all the time, and they created a low-key brand for themselves which is what I like and identify with the most. It's a shame that they can't stay open later, because there's not a huge amount of stuff here where you can stay out until late, which is my preference. Freda's, for example, is my other go-to, but around Paddington unfortunately a lot could improve culture after hours. More late-night options might start happening in the future now the lockout laws are over! But in Paddington now there's always a nice bite to eat, like Love Supreme providing great local pizza. Don Peppino's and Dimitri's are kind of a cool way to go out, you can have food and there's a fun vibe. You can hang out with your friends without having to go to the club.
