Craig’s Creations 2023: Craig Ferguson and his team in their Christmas Facebook photo that was on the eve of the business celebrating its 40 anniversary.
A Facebook post by one of Kyabram’s longest serving hairdressers offered up a fitting tribute to its long-time clientele and the various hair fashions that have been ushered in since Craig Ferguson became involved in the industry in the early 1980s.
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Craig shared the story of his 40 years in hairdressing in both written and pictorial form, from his Craig’s Creations Facebook page.
He explained that after leaving Year 12 with dreams of being a police officer, his life took a different turn.
While saving to buy my his first car (a Holden Torana LJ worth $2000), he became aware of the opportunity to pursue a career in hairdressing.
In his post he said, “I helped in my parents chicken pizza bar to save every $5 I could, while waiting to apply for the force.
“Then fate stepped in. While cleaning up tables, the staff from Snip Hairdressing came in for their lunch to say how busy the Christmas session was.
“My ears pricked up and I thought of opportunity to get some extra cash and asked if I could help them as well and do some floor sweeping,” he said.
What was expected to be a two-week appointment before Christmas turned into much, much more.
Snipping away: Craig started his career at Snip Hairdressing after overhearing a conversation between staff who were having lunch at his parent’s chicken and pizza shop.
While washing hair, listening to Christmas carols and Carpenters songs, an apprenticeship came up at the newly established Tangles Hairdressing.
“I applied for along with a large number of others and it got down to two of us,” he said.
“I was the fortunate one,.
After four years, business owner Donna and Craig opened Tonny Tangles in Tongala, enabling the virtual newcomer to the industry to go out on his own after a year.
“I was fortunate that a lot of my clients followed me out, and with all my new Tonny clients, it was a very busy salon,” he said.
Fast forward three or four years and he started up another salon back in Kyabram, in Garrett’s Walkway — called Craig’s Creations.
“For a while I ran the two salons, before eventually selling Tongalam” he wrote.
After five years, to allow for a larger salon, he moved into Fitzgeralds supermarket walkway before the Albion Hotel burned down.
It created an opportunity for him to open a salon in one of the buildings next to the ruins.
Picture of concentration: Many couples will have used Craig for their wedding day and he continues to thrive under the pressure of being part of special days and celebrations with his clients.
All these years later Craig’s Creations remains, the hairdresser thanking his many employees — including a large number of apprentices — and clients, particularly those that have been with me from the start of his journey.
“All those stories I’ve shared with clients, along with the laughter and even sadness, I appreciate every one.
“Many wedding styles, as there was one every weekend back then — pixie cuts, spiral perms, blonde tips, flat top mullets, barrel curls, French rolls, beehive sets, finger waves just a few to mention a few are old memories.
“Now we have the new names — baliage, ombré, fade (taper ban) bangs (fringe) and several made up names,” he said.
Craig said that he wouldn’t go back and do anything differently.
“I’ve been very happy and proud of all those years I’ve had doing a career I’ve loved and still do.
“Call it fate or not, work hard put in the hours to build a business, good times and bad, happy and sad and make it happen.
“Thanks to everyone who has supported Kim and myself through my 40 years of hairdressing and remember the one most important thing (It’s all in the Cut),” he wrote in his Facebook celebration of the four decades in business.
