There are some people you meet in life where you can physically feel their energy when you’re in their presence. You can see the passion they have for life. Their drive. Their want for something more. Malo is one of those people. The man behind Elvte. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him for a number of years now, and every time I see him to get my hair cut, there’s always the biggest smile on his face and he has his hand reached out to shake yours. Being with people makes him happy and this is infectious around the studio. Between the buzzing of the clippers, there’s always someone laughing, and always a smile in the room. When you’re with Malo he takes the time to get to know you. To ask about your life. To learn from you. Sitting in his barber chair is a privilege and is the result of the life that he’s lived, and the village that he’s had around him. This is Malo’s story.
Malo grew up in Manono and Aleisa, Samoa, and is the middle child of 7. He lived off the land with his family in Samoa. They had pigs, caught fish, and grew crops which fed their family and the rest of the villages around them, and everything was cooked by fire. There was no power or running water where he lived, so to drink, they’d walk 5km to fill up their tanks. And repeat. Life was simple, but it wasn’t easy.
At a young age Malo lost his grandfather. His grandfather’s one wish, (which he told Sio, Malo’s dad) was for a better life for him and his kids. Sometime after their grandfather passed, his father signed up for a lottery working visa to go to New Zealand. The chances of winning this were incredibly slim, but somehow, they got lucky and won. Malo’s family believe that this was part of their grandfather’s blessing.
When Malo was 7, his family sold everything that they owned, the timber, the tin from their house, their pots and pans, everything. And with the support of his Uncle Tua, they purchased their passports and plane tickets to New Zealand. In 2000, they made their move to NZ, not speaking a word of English, and headed for the deep south of Invercargill.
It was a huge culture shock compared to the islands. Malo’s family were one of the few Samoan families in Invercargill, so being in a minority was new for them. But with the support of ESOL programs at school, and watching Anime at home, Malo began to the learn English. It was here watching Dragon Ball Z where the creativity sparked within Malo. He loved to draw, and he loved the stories in the cartoons. This was the start of dreaming big for him.
After a few months, their family moved up to Christchurch and once again they started over. Malo and his siblings attended Christ the King, and this is where he met his childhood friends, Godfrey and Jordan. Just as things were looking up for Malo, he sadly lost his younger siblings Nick and June. Malo’s perspective on life changed. He had a shift in paradigm which was to live his life with purpose and intention, and to make an impact while carrying the torch for them. He then went on to Papanui High School and at the age of 13 after getting sick of having the infamous Jonah Lomu haircut (if you know, you know) from his dad, he decided to pick up the clippers and start cutting and he loved it.
Once high school was over, Malo went into the work force. Over the years Malo tried a lot of different jobs, but nothing felt the same as barbering. He’d started to hear about the barbering opportunities over in Australia and decided to move over where he settled in Brisbane. Here he was offered the opportunity to work in a barbershop called Stay fresh, this was his entry into the barbering industry after only ever cutting from his garage. It was here he learnt the fundamentals of cutting from the shop owner, and now friend for life, Ben. Through his time here, Malo discovered that there was more to barbering than just cutting hair. Ben showed him what it could be as a profession and Malo saw it as an artform. And more importantly, beyond the art, Malo could see the potential to do something good with it back home in Christchurch. He could use it as platform to build a community, a place where barbers could come together and do what they love. In 2017, The Barber Lounge opened and Malo got back into the industry full time where he further developed his craft, gained his barbering qualification and grew his name in the barbering game.
Month-after-month, people would come back to the lounge to sit in Malo’s chair. Getting your hair cut by Malo was so much more than just a cut, (even though he is a master behind the clippers). It’s the conversations that make it different. He would share his life’s philosophy, his takes on the human psychology and most importantly, he would talk about the vision he had for a studio of his own one day. Each time he spoke about his dream, the picture became clearer, people could feel his passion, his belief in his dream. It got to the point where the words he was speaking would come to life as he described the inner most details of what he wanted to build. That dream was Elvte. Something bigger than barbering.
Fast-forward to 2020, Malo launched Elvte Barber Studio on Hills Road. It couldn’t have come at a tougher time with COVID-19, but that didn’t faze Malo. He believed in his dream and with the support of his fiancé, Jess, and his cousin Joe by his side, he knew that they’d be able to make it through. Now, building a studio is one thing, but building a brand, a culture, a brotherhood, and a community is a completely different ball game. This above everything was most important to Malo. He wanted to create a place that anyone could come to, no matter where they’re from. A place that cut, served, and inspired growth for the not only the team at Elvte, but for the people who come into the studio.
The name Elvte comes from a documentary Malo was watching on the Hip-Hop beef between the East Coast and West Coast in the US. When he heard the word ‘Elevate’ it really struck a chord with him and he knew immediately that it would become a name that represented something special to me. Out the back of the studio he’s even has a mural of Tupac and Nipsey on the wall as a reminder. Malo first created the Elvte logo 2014, many years before the studio opened. It features an upside-down pyramid, which represents flipping the hierarchy of people. For Malo, it all comes back to his roots, back to community. For him, everyone is on the same level. He wants everyone to succeed with him and sit at the same table. For him, that is what success is. When everyone is winning. Not just him.
What is most exciting about Malo’s pursuit is that this is just the tip of the iceberg. He’s happy with what he has achieved, but in his mind, this is barely the beginning. For a man who has come from nothing and worked his ass off to get to where he is today, and still want more. Man, that’s drive. That’s hunger. Malo is a man that is 100% in on everything. And because of this, failure is not an option. Any setback is a learning. And learning is an opportunity to grow. Malo is proof that if you dream big enough and believe in yourself you can do anything. The sky is the limit with Malo, and the people in his life are very fortunate to be part of his pursuit and he deserves all the happiness that comes with that.
All the best brother. See you at the top.
