by By Vashti Dominiqué

Hair Extraordinaire is one way to describe this master barber from Maryland’s Eastern Shore. From Jay-Z, D Nice and Judge Mathis, to lawyers and congress people on The Hill, Marvin Church has been putting it down with the clippers since age nine, "I always wanted to have the girls looking at me then. So I wanted to always look sharp, and my dad would tell me to cut it [my hair] myself. After that I just picked up the clippers. First I had to learn how to handle them. I looked at it as art so I said okay, the clippers, I’ll use them as a pencil and eraser, so I started erasing away on the sides, and the next thing you know, I just started fading my hair. It became as easy as common sense."

Fifteen years a veteran, Marvin began working in a salon as an apprentice during high school, saved his cash, and later went to barber school for certification. He cuts, colors, shapes, perms, the whole nine – and he specializes in razor cuts. Short hair, long hair, straight or curly, nothing is too difficult for this clipper king. And he cuts women too, who make up about forty percent of his clientele.

Marvin says that he wants to bring respect back to the business and break the ‘color’ barrier, "I cut everybody’s hair. I’ve cut people from around the globe. Russian, Asian, Australian, Indian, Arabic and even [people] from Argentina, and the hair is different textures."

Naturally placed behind the barber’s chair, Marvin already knows what to do when a client takes their place to be cut, "It’s like a no-brainer; I don’t even think about it, I just do the work. I automatically know; that’s just through time and through the art for it. Silhouettes, shadows, shapes, form. That’s what I work with. It’s just a God given talent so I use it to its fullest."

You can experience Marvin’s refined skill at the Patrick Segui Hair Salon located at 901 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (McPherson Square Metro stop). Salon phone: (202) 785-0468. E-mail Marvin at marvthebarb@aol.com.