55 years
of scissors.
The story of Rosario Di Fiore, the longest-serving barber in Yverdon-les-Bains, and the legacy he passed on to his son John.
Rosario Di Fiore
Born in Sicily, Rosario arrived in Yverdon with his family in 1962. By the age of 13 he knew he wanted to be a barber. He began his apprenticeship at 15 with Mr Siegfried Höwler on rue Cordey — a master who guided him and under whom he progressed quickly.
Top of the canton at the end of his apprenticeship, he already showed an excellent hand with the scissors and a genuine passion. After two years in Lausanne with Alain Bianco, Rosario returned to Yverdon and worked alongside Carmin d'Alonso on rue du Lac, before taking over the shop. That is where he welcomed his first clients, and he stayed there for seventeen years.
From father to son
For more than fifty-five years, Rosario cut the hair of generations of Yverdon residents. His clients became friends. He cut fathers' hair, then their sons', and even their grandchildren's.
In 1997 he joined Toni on rue de la Plaine — the premises where the shop still stands today.
In 2003, John joined his father in the shop. Rosario passed the craft on to him, gesture by gesture, and the handover happened gradually over the years rather than in a single day. Today, John runs the shop with the same passion and eye for detail. Rosario has retired, but he never truly left the chair: he comes back to support John whenever the shop needs him.
Modern cuts require real mastery — you can't improvise them.
Photos from the past
On social media and in the newspaper
Rosario Di Fiore — Instagram, 8 February 2026I look back and realize how lucky I am. Some of my clients have trusted me since the beginning of my apprenticeship. Today, I even have the privilege of cutting hair for four generations of the same family!
A sense of welcome, attention to each person, and a job well done have always been essential to me. I am proud to have passed them on to my son John, who is following my path and forging his own way today, with talent and personality.
Thank you to the newspaper Le Nord Vaudois for taking me back through all these memories. See you soon, at the salon or elsewhere.
The legacy continues. The next page is written in the chair.
Before you come in, meet the people who will welcome you in the chair.