fbpx
photos
PHOTOS
locations
LOCATIONS
article
ARTCLE
Los Angeles

Bunbury Barbershop

time
Tues - Wed: 10am - 6pm
  • Tues - Wed: 10am - 6pm
  • Thurs - Fri: 9am - 8pm
  • Sun: 11am - 5pm
  • Mon: Closed

A two chair barbershop built on the principles of authenticity and community. Arrive to Bunbury in Chinatown for damn good conversation, and leave with a look that is sharp as hell. This is your barbers, barber.  

OUR ARTICLE

BY: Travis Platt Contributing writer

Deep in Los Angeles’s Chinatown, right before the North Spring Street Bridge spans over the river, you’ll notice a totem that’s identifiable across all language barriers and borders. Amongst the empty brick factory buildings, its iconic rotation and curved red lines are a call to men in the City of Angeles.

Yes, it’s a notorious barber pole — and this specific one stands for so much more than a quick grooming fix. This particular infinite red line moving upwards represents the attitude of the community and the belief that deep within the catacombs of the limitless Los Angeles grid, a business can spark the lights on, swing open its doors, and unite a neighborhood that in recent history was just a ghost town.

Every single man deserves a trusted barber, it’s on the short list with bartender and doctor — and at Bunbury, you’ll find yours.

Bunbury Barbershop is as sharp in aesthetic as a straight razor in Mariachi’s toolkit from Robert Rodríguez’s Desperado. It’s the answer to the dull state of modern male grooming. Somewhere in the last decade, barbershops went from one of a kind to a cookie-cutter blueprint, all smoke and mirrors. A cut, fade, or shave has never looked more manufactured than it does today.

Well, not here, not at Bunbury — no f*cking way. This is Brian Lopez and his strident vision of a shop that opens its doors to bold men looking for damn good conversation, a few laughs to catchy tunes, and a sharp new look to help define their personality in the jungle we know as Los Angeles.

See, the barber chair of past is where banter would lead to new ideas and friendships, a seat that allowed men to let it all out for a brief moment. Every single man deserves a trusted barber, it’s on the short list with bartender and doctor — and at Bunbury, you’ll find yours.

Bunbury is a bold statement of Downtown Los Angeles culture. Brian aimed to “provide a traditional experience with modern elements and cater to the spirit of his upbringing in a Latino household.” Everything feels authentic, from the Calaveras to the bullhorns to the serape blanket conveniently tossed on a couch where you can kick your feet up and catch up with Brian.

The community spirit within is alive and present in the barbershop’s art pieces, with a mural from local artist Ivan Virgen and the vibrant works from Wayne Healy, one of Cheech Marin’s 100 most influential Latino artists.

In the coolest sense, Bunbury feels like a stylish living room in a comfortable loft. Two chairs are offered, making any chop a personal one. Book a session with Brian and the crew of Bunbury professionals, and when the scissors are hung up, head up the street to Apotheke to show off your fresh new look.

As blades become duller on replicated grooming concepts and barbershops become dangerously close to what Starbucks has become for coffee, a place like Bunbury becomes even more valuable to a city. It’s so much more than grooming — this is a barbershop built on a dream with a keen mission: to keep the soul of Los Angeles razor sharp.

FIELD TIPS

If Brian is on the blades, you’re in the hands of an absolute bad ass, get ready for days of compliments post chop

Bunbury is built with the intention to let city life slow down, so clear some time to get to know Brian and his story of making the dream of the shop come to life

Wayne Healy and Ivan Virgen are behind the intriquite art pieces

The cavaleras add a killer touch to the clean but alternative shop air

Head to CYTIES staple Apotheke after a cut to grab a drink and show off the new look