{"id":5350,"date":"2022-01-12T13:22:44","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T18:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=5350"},"modified":"2026-07-07T01:21:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T05:21:58","slug":"buster-berkeley","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/profiles\/buster-berkeley\/","title":{"rendered":"Buster Berkeley"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t

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Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Grenada-born Buster Berkeley went from cutting kids\u2019 hair in the street to becoming a celebrated celebrity hairstylist and salon owner in Toronto.<\/li>\r\n \t
After emigrating to Canada and refining his skills in a barbershop and New York, he opened Amorphous Salon, a beloved Eglinton West landmark.<\/li>\r\n \t
Teaming up with makeup artist Shelly Lashley, he styled stars from Destiny\u2019s Child and Wyclef Jean to LL Cool J and Dwayne Johnson.<\/li>\r\n \t
Fiercely driven yet generous, he now mentors young hairdressers and musicians, determined to break barriers and leave a legacy of excellence and education.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Buster Berkeley got his first taste of hairstyling as a young boy at home in Grenada. \u201cI began by cutting other kids\u2019 hair, usually on the street, using scissors and a razor blade. I really wanted to see what I could make of it,\u201d says Berkerly.<\/p>
Today, he is renowned in the industry for his expertise and extensive knowledge of hair and hair care. He has worked with the best artists, from Dwayne Johnson to LL Cool J and Beyonc\u00e9. \u201cI take pride in being a hair care specialist,\u201d Berkeley tells us, \u201cbut the public would tell you I\u2019m a great hair shaper.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Photo courtesy of Buster Berkeley<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Shelly Lashley, Makeup Artist, Collaborator<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Berkeley, who is the fourth of five children, has an older sister and three brothers. He describes his childhood in Grenada as amazing. \u201cIt was a very close-knit community,\u201d he adds, \u201cwith very good parenting and lots to eat.\u201d Once he was in school, it became obvious to him that he had creative energy flowing through his veins.<\/p>
Initially, his passion was for acting, and he grew up playing both men\u2019s and women\u2019s parts. \u201cI remember my first female character and the audience not realizing I\u2019m a male,\u201d he recounts. \u201cI had to speak like a girl, act like a girl, dress like a girl. It came easy to me,\u201d he adds. \u201cAt the time, I wasn\u2019t able to turn my dream of acting into a reality, but I\u2019ve always had an affinity and affection for role-playing and the arts it encompasses,\u201d says Berkeley.<\/p>
At 19, he moved to Canada due to the political issues in Grenada. \u201cThe ruling party was not taking the interests of the younger people into consideration, not caring that we wanted more. But leaving was not an easy decision to make, \u201d he remembers.\u00a0 \u201cIt was my mother,\u201d he reveals, \u201cwho pushed me to emigrate here.\u201d At the time, he was a musician in a band, and he tells us that \u201cto this day, there\u2019s a part of me that regrets leaving Grenada.\u201d<\/p>
After arriving in Canada, he worked a few different jobs unrelated to the fashion industry, none of which he enjoyed. \u201cI wasn\u2019t flourishing.\u201d \u201cI started taking music lessons at Mason School of Music, at Eglinton Avenue West and Oakwood where,\u201d he explains, \u201cI met a barber, Franklin Ford, who had just opened his own barbershop. I ended up working for him.\u201d<\/p>
This is where Berkeley further developed the haircutting skills he learned as a child. \u201cI enjoyed learning from people who had more experience, and I became one of the best barbers in the shop, setting trends and then breaking them,\u201d he says. Berkeley always wanted to stay ahead of the curve and be the best. \u201cThat\u2019s who I am,\u201d he explains.\u201c It\u2019s what I was taught, it\u2019s my way of life.\u201d<\/p>
Berkeley left Toronto for New York in the 1980s, and there, he truly went on to master cutting and styling Black hair. He stayed three years before returning to Toronto, opening Amorphous Salon on Eglinton Avenue West, which became a community landmark.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lashley and Berkeley would go on to become a dream team, with Berkeley doing the hair and Lashley doing the makeup of many high-profile clients.<\/p>
In the early 2000s, they had the opportunity to do the hair and makeup of Destiny\u2019s Child for a MuchMusic video shoot.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Buster Berkeley with LL Cool J (Photo courtesy of Buster Berkeley<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Fashion and Diversity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It was at Amorphous where Berkeley met Shelley Lashley, whom he encouraged to become a makeup artist. A long-time collaborator and friend, she began her relationship with Berkeley as a client.<\/p>
Lashley recalls, \u201cI\u2019m very picky, but he cut my hair good.\u201d She remembers rushing to a payphone to call her girlfriend, to tell her about her new cut and that she had to get her hair cut there too. Word of Berkeley\u2019s talent quickly spread.<\/p>
Lashley became the Amorphous receptionist and from there she became inspired to pursue a career in make-up artistry, \u201cI remember Buster touching up clients\u2019 eyebrows with a razor and an outliner, mostly used by barbers,\u201c she tells us, \u201cand I wanted to try it, which is how I got involved serving the clientele.\u201d<\/p>
Berkeley and Lashley would go on to become a dream team, with Berkeley doing the hair and Lashley doing the makeup of many high-profile clients. In the early 2000s, they had the opportunity to do the hair and makeup of Destiny\u2019s Child for a MuchMusic video shoot. \u201cBeyonc\u00e9 is very nice,\u201d recalls Berkeley.<\/p>
They worked on many other projects together, including a Wyclef Jean music video, which Berkeley reflects on as one of the predawn, oldest accomplishments of his career. \u201cI had to put a wig on his head. He had long dreadlocks, and I had to make them disappear,\u201d explains Berkeley. \u201cPlus, I had to cut the wig into a flattop style. It was very challenging.\u201d<\/p>
Back when Berkeley was trying to break into acting, the industry was undergoing a lot of change, but it hadn\u2019t yet welcomed people from multi-cultural backgrounds. Berkeley acknowledges he encountered racial barriers, \u201cof the norm and times,\u201d he shares. \u201cBut it didn\u2019t stop me from becoming successful. I don\u2019t think anything in this world could stop me from achieving my goals because of my race,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019re going to meet barriers, but you have to break them down; barriers are meant to be broken down.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Influence and Legacy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On top of running Amorphous Salon, Berkeley has many other creative hobbies. \u201cI\u2019m a Gemini, and we never stop thinking,\u201d he says. Right now, he channels that creative energy into playing music, especially jazz.<\/p>
As for Amorphous, he says he\u2019s looking into passing it on to new ownership and focusing on managing young musicians. But his impact on the hairdressing industry won\u2019t be forgotten.<\/p>
Berkeley\u2019s legacy is more than just hairdressing. It\u2019s also about mentorship and his true understanding and care for hair and what it means to us and our self-esteem.<\/p>
Lashley says Berkeley is a great teacher, \u201cHe\u2019s a person who shares his space and knowledge with you.\u201d It\u2019s important for him to pass on his knowledge to others. \u201cI don\u2019t want to leave this world without educating young hairdressers,\u201d says Berkeley.<\/p>
Although Berkeley may be shifting his creativity from hairdressing to other pursuits, his artistry will continue to be enjoyed by many. As Berkeley says, whatever he chooses to be or do, he will be the best. His first musical project, E<\/em>d and Bev Shake It<\/i>, can be seen on YouTube.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Berkeley\u2019s legacy is more than just hairdressing. It\u2019s also about mentorship and his true understanding and care for hair and what it means to us and our self-esteem.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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