A Cut Above Time

Tell us a bit about yourself. 
My name is Darren. I’m a hairdresser. What else do I gotta say? (laughs) I live around here, and I’m actually heading to work in an hour at my salon in Holland Village. It’s called Salon Kream!

How long have you been doing this?
Over 20 years! I’ve been doing it ever since I finished school. I actually studied film, but somehow ended up in hairdressing. I fell into it quite unintentionally—I originally always wanted to do sculpture, but my parents wouldn’t pay for art school, so I studied something else instead. When I came back to Singapore, I didn’t really know what to do next. Some friends of mine who were hairdressers suggested I come by and check it out, so I just said, “Okay, let’s go.”

What’s your favourite part of hairdressing?
The creativity, and getting to meet lots of people from all different walks of life. It’s quite diverse—from teachers and bankers to artists and photographers, you name it, there’s somebody. We still do plenty of creative stuff, but I’m older now, so the clientele naturally grows along with you. I do get younger people, like my clients’ children, but for the most part, they are all working professionals.

Where’s your outfit from? Outside of hairdressing, do you have any other hobbies?
I go to the gym, watch movies, and read. When it comes to books, I like fantasy, autobiographies, and war books—you know lah, guys. I watch all kinds of movies too. I like horror, but not so much like, “Boo!” I prefer eerie shit, like the older movies—The Shining or The Exorcist. But I mean, recent ones like The Conjuring, they’re not bad too.

We couldn’t help but notice your tattoos! Could you share a bit about them?
I’m on the way to getting a full black body suit done—full tribal. My legs are already done, and my back is already finished. I started getting them over the past three years. As you can see, the arm is still in progress, so there’s still a bit left to do!