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[title]The feeling of a good haircut is hard to replicate in any other way – you’re instantly fresher, more confident, and overcome with the sudden urge to fill your camera roll with selfies.
Hair salon owner Sheridan Shaw knows the importance of this feeling very well, as she’s been witnessing it in action for the last 18 years that she's spent in the hairdressing industry. Shaw is known as the hair aficionado behind Footscray’s much-loved, award-winning Mama West salon. Because she understands the impact a good haircut can have, she lends her expertise to help people in need, for whom a fresh cut means much more than an added spring in their step – it can mean a new lease on life.
Shaw offers free haircuts to those experiencing homelessness and hardship because she knows what it’s like to need a helping hand. The 32-year-old was once homeless herself, after she lost her high-end salon job to a battle with addiction and alcoholism years ago.
Shaw says she really loves being able to give haircuts to these people, and the impact it has is indescribable.
“There's something about it for me, [because] I've been able to recover from that kind of lifestyle… [and now I’m] able to give back, and show compassion and empathy for people that are going through issues like addiction and alcoholism,” she says.
Shaw donates haircuts through the charity Reaching Out in the Inner West, an organisation that invites anyone in need to gather in Footscray to receive food, supplies and much-needed services.
This isn’t the only way Shaw strives to give back to her community through the power of hair. She’s a fierce advocate for the inner west, passionate about the unique spirit that makes its neighbourhoods special. She wants to see it thrive even more, and hopes other new businesses will open in the area to create further opportunities for its residents.
“We're just trying to bring more to the west… there's still such a gap on this side of town, and I think I'm really inspired to bridge that gap,” Shaw says.
She can pinpoint the exact moment she became determined to start her own business in the inner west. It was during the pandemic lockdowns, when she drove past a café that had a line of people out the front, and it was buzzing with the energy of a connected community trying its best to band together in a tough time.
“It was that community spirit and that uplifting energy that [made me think], ‘I've got to open here, and it's going to be nowhere else’.”
“I'm not really a trend follower, I like to start trends. So I decided to create a space on this side of town where you can get the best haircut and colour you've ever had.”
But opening her own business wasn’t always her dream. When she was struggling in the grip of addiction, she says she wasn’t able to think ahead.
“I wasn't really thinking about my future… I was in a lot of denial, so I wasn't even able to see that I had an issue, even though I was using every day.”
As Shaw recovered, Mama West was partially born out of the desire to direct her energy into something positive and productive. Her journey taught her about the importance of community, and is an inspiration for the community-focused ethos that’s at the core of her business.
“It was the community that eventually saved my life, by going to rehab, going to meetings… that sense of sharing and people helping me get through my problems,” Shaw says.
“[Now] I think I’ve learned how to live a principled life, and a principled life for me is giving back, being of service and being community-centred.”
In just four years, Mama West has made a huge splash on Melbourne’s hairdressing industry. It won the Best Australian Newcomer Salon in 2022 and Victorian Salon of the Year in 2023 at the Australian Hair Industry Awards. This year, Shaw was a finalist for the Victorian Hairdresser of the Year.
“I'm the underdog that has come out of nowhere and has been able to build a platform and a profile in the industry in a really short amount of time.
“And I can't explain that other than living a principled life and trying to give back and help.”
Now, Shaw has taken her business to the next level. In August, Mama West moved into impressive new digs. It’s still in her beloved Footscray locale, but the salon has been reimagined as an exciting beauty destination.
The 336-square-metre space is sleek and modern, while also being colourful and fun, with bold red accents and heart-shaped mirrors. It’s quite the one-stop shop, also housing Miss Jay’s Nails and Beauty, You Be You café and a creative studio for hire. Shaw says she wanted to create a place for people to gather, to foster that community spirit she holds dear.
“It is so much more than a hair salon… It was really important to me to create something special here.”
Find out more about Mama West on the website.
Sheridan Shaw’s inner west recs:
Migrant Coffee, West Footscray: “They do a great bagel, that is part of my ritual to get one a week.”
Nabo, Kingsville: “I feel a part of their community, and I really believe their coffee is the best in the west.”
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