A fond farewell to perms and beehives
She might just be New Zealand’s longest-serving hairdresser, but after 60 years she’s sheathing her scissors.
Daveena Dawrant, 77, first started cutting hair in New Plymouth in Taranaki back in 1957, when she was 17 years old and tired of working in a shoe shop.
Back then, the bouffant was all the rage along with a lot of curly styles and perms.
‘‘It was all pin curls waves and finger waves,’’ said Dawrant.
Then, in the late 60s, the fashion was backcombing and big hairstyles like the beehive, followed in the 70s by hair-pieces for balls and cabarets.
‘‘Clients came in every week to get their hair shampooed and set, it took hours, which just doesn’t happen now,’’ she said.
‘‘You got to know your customers really well. Now most people just come in every third or fourth week for maintenance.’’
Dawrant said that she refused to retire at 65 as ‘‘retirement wasn’t at all in my vocab’’.
Statistics New Zealand figures show 40 per cent of those aged 65 to 69 continue to work full or parttime, and 21 per cent of 70-74 year olds are doing the same.
But fate had other plans in store for Dawrant as she decided to finally retire after falling and breaking a knee in January.
‘‘Hairdressing has been good to me,’’ she said. ‘‘Let’s face it, I’ve been doing it for a long time.’’
She has known most clients for at least three decades – ‘‘they are like family’’.
And yes, she once cut a customer’s ear.
‘‘That’s exactly what did happen,’’ she said. ‘‘I was so mortified.’’
Luckily for her, the client just laughed. ‘‘I didn’t even realise until there was blood dripping down the cape.’’
Despite the fact she hadn’t taken on any new clients for the past 12 years, Dawrant had been kept busy with her regulars.
One of them is Jean Keegan – she’s been getting her hair cut by Dawrant for 60 years.
The pair’s friendship started at the shoe shop Dawrant used to work in, and moved into the hairdressers where Dawrant used to practice on Keegan.
They are the same age, share the same birthday and are the godmothers to each other’s children.
Dawrant said she would continue to cut Keegan’s hair and maybe do the same for a couple of other friends, but other than that she was done with hairdressing.