RAWK Hairdressing sits in the heart of Pukekohe, Auckland, in a boutique-style studio built around a simple belief: going to the hairdresser should be a feeling, not just an appointment. From the moment you walk through the doors you're treated as part of the RAWK family, with top stylists, premium hair products and a standard of service the team describes as second to none.
The salon specialises in all aspects of hairdressing — cutting and colouring, from blondes to brunettes — with particular strengths in balayage and blonde work. Founding director Carla Southan, a current finalist for NZ Hairdresser of the Year 2024 at the Industry NZ Awards, leads a senior team that includes balayage specialist Lilly, creative senior Phillipa Bowler and colour technician Sharnya Drake, each bringing their own craft to the chair.
Guests consistently mention leaving feeling better than when they arrived. Reviews praise the immaculate, inviting salon, beautiful coffee and snacks, free wifi and a team that is professional, friendly and really knows its stuff. The salon also partners with Sustainable Salons to keep hairdressing waste out of landfill, and keeps premium haircare on hand in salon and through its online store so your look lasts between visits.
Walking into RAWK Hairdressing on King Street, the message arrives before the scissors do: this Pukekohe salon is about the experience as much as the hair. The team set out to create a scene you can feel — a boutique-style studio where, from the moment you come through the doors, you are part of the RAWK family. In their own words, going to the hairdresser is more about a feeling, and the promise on the wall reads simply: your time, your hair, your look.
RAWK specialises in all aspects of hairdressing, covering cutting and colouring from blondes to brunettes. Within that breadth, a few signatures stand out.
Balayage is a genuine house strength. Senior stylist Lilly has studied the balayage art-form and is known for placing colour so it flows as if it grew naturally. Her craft extends beyond the colour itself — she educates her guests on haircare so their balayage keeps looking premium between appointments.
Precision cutting is another calling card. Creative senior Phillipa Bowler brings 18 years of experience and a sculptor's eye, driven by watching shape and form come alive as a sculpture of hair takes place — no strand left out of place. Colour technician Sharnya Drake follows fashion and current trends closely, with a particular passion for blonde work and ambitions of developing a blonde specialist title in the future.
At the helm is founding director Carla Southan, a current finalist for NZ Hairdresser of the Year 2024 at the Industry NZ Awards. Her career spans film and television hair and makeup, New Zealand Fashion Week, tutoring and assessing future hairdressers, and years in some of Auckland's top opulent award-winning salons, most recently with Stephen Marr Hair.
The salon's testimonials — fondly labelled 'Love Letters' — tell the story of the experience in guests' own words. Jacqui Fillmore calls RAWK the best hairdressing salon in town, praising an immaculate, inviting space with beautiful coffee and snacks, free wifi and staff who are professional and super helpful. Jodene Hudson reports never having had so many compliments on her colour since moving to Pukekohe, and Laura Leuty writes that she's finally found a hairdresser she loves and trusts, where the whole team works together to do their absolute best for their clients.
A visit at RAWK comes with more than a great cut and colour. Guests can settle in with coffee and snacks and free wifi while the team works. The salon is also part of Sustainable Salons, keeping hairdressing waste out of landfill — a quietly meaningful detail for the environmentally minded. And when you want to keep your look fresh between visits, premium hair products are available in salon and through RAWK's online store, so the same professional care follows you home.
You'll find RAWK at 61 King Street, Pukekohe 2120, in the heart of Pukekohe, Auckland. Doors are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm, with late nights on Tuesday and Thursday until 8pm, and Saturday from 9:30am to 3pm — Sunday is for resting. Bookings can be made online through the salon's booking page, by phone on (09) 238 9658, or by email at info@rawk.co.nz.
Whether you're after a colour that earns compliments, a precision restyle or simply an hour where someone else takes care of you, RAWK's promise is the same: you leave feeling on top of the world.