Zucci in the 80s!

This story began in 1984. Rocco decided it was time to open his own business. After managing two salons for two years and having partnership promises not seen through by his employer, he knew it was time to go out his own. What did this look like? What did this mean?
He found a salon for sale in the suburb of Ivanhoe. He was living in Preston and had worked in Knox and Airport West. This area was foreign to him, but he saw the strength of the shopping strip and the community.


The salon was pink, with palm trees and flamingos and with little money to make any changes; this is the way it looked for a few years. With his girlfriend (now wife) working on reception and one other hairdresser they started this journey. Because this business was already a salon, Rocco inherited a clientele, and from day one started growing the business. He focused on great hair, excellent service, creativity and consistency. He worked hard to continually improve his skills in hairdressing, business and customer service. Zucci became part of the community, with parties and events and donations. It was a wild and fun time!
After a couple of years of having the business, Rocco was able to renovate the salon. Away with the pink and hello to monochromatic design, with silver, black and white, no more pink! The creativity was flowing, and Rocco and the team were competing in hair competitions, doing photoshoots and hosting shows in the salon and at industry events.
The 80s were an exciting time, full of glamour, excess, and the sense that anything goes, but like with any new business or just business in general, there were challenges. Recession, team members leaving, changes in laws and industry regulations. All these challenges did not deter Rocco from wanting to grow his business if anything it spurred him on to find more success and build more resilience.

The 80’s was a pretty big era in Rocco’s life. In 1984 at 21 Rocco started, married Tania in 1986, bought their first home in 1986, had Shakira in 1988, had Nabila in 1989, sold their first home, bought their second home all before 1990. It was a wild, fun, scary, exhausting and exhilarating decade, and this was just the beginning.
Look out for our next post about Zucci in the 90s coming soon!
By Shakira