“Italy is a democracy founded on work,” asserts the Constitution of the Bel Paese. Italian immigrants to Australia seem to have internalised this phrase.

Always ready to roll up their sleeves, Italians have reinvented themselves on the other side of the world, often without a full command of English.

Amleto Mariani is one of them.

He arrived in Australia in 2012 with his partner Claudia, but after an initial return to Italy - an experience not uncommon among some immigrants - he decided to settle permanently Down Under in 2014.

The following year, he was sponsored by the now-defunct barber chain Men’s Room Barber and eventually reached the much-coveted goal of permanent residency after about four years.

At that point, the tireless and ambitious Mariani began opening salons at a pace of roughly one per year.

Today, he boasts five men’s salons in Melbourne’s CBD and southeastern suburbs, along with a unisex salon along the iconic Chapel Street in Windsor.

“I come from a family of barbers,” he shared, “My uncles, my dad and my grandfather were all in the trade.

“My father is a well-known barber in our hometown [in Abruzzo], even though he was forced into the profession by my grandfather.

“He taught the art of hairdressing to many others who later went on to open their own salons.”

However, Mariani made the choice freely and with great passion, embracing the comb and scissors to continue the family tradition.

He also honoured this legacy in Australia by incorporating his father’s salon logo into his own Testa Studio Hair Artisan in Windsor.

Another aspect he sought to preserve from his father’s salon is the use of hair products from the Tecna Hair Care line, a brand whose name derives from technology and nature.

Tecna was a pioneer in ammonia-free hair colouring in the early 1990s. “Tecna products use only oil-based colour, making them more natural,” explained Mariani.

“In our profession, where we work closely with these products every day, it’s essential to use ones that respect both the skin on our hands and the scalps of our clients.”

When Mariani is not busy overseeing his salons and teaching the craft to the next generation of barbers he employs, he’s spending time with his two daughters and Claudia.

“At first, Claudia was not entirely convinced about moving to Australia,” Mariani revealed.

“Now, she absolutely loves it. She works in a completely different field - she’s an immigration agent.

“I have to say, thanks to her, the entire bureaucratic process for our visas was much simpler and faster.”

Mariani admits, with a touch of pride, that despite Claudia’s focus on paperwork and legislation, she has a great talent for styling both his hair and their daughters’.

Despite the remarkable success Mariani has already achieved in just seven years, he has no intention of slowing down.

“I’d like to enter competitions to make myself even more well-known,” he said.

“In the short term, I want to apply for Business Owner of the Year. If you don’t challenge yourself with these things, you can’t reach new platforms.

“When you have your own shop, you advertise to your customers, but if you aspire to reach a wider audience, you have to compete with other industry professionals and earn recognition.”

Mariani is also keen to pass on this competitive spirit to his young employees, motivating them to grow both professionally and personally.