Hair and beauty industry surges ahead

With Sri Lanka placing huge emphasis on the garment manufacturing industry some years ago, when the country pursued a liberalised economy, fashion took big strides. Fashion, hair and beauty are closely interwoven, resulting in the hair and beauty industry too, rapidly moving forward in tandem. Following are excerpts from an interview with Ramani Fernando, highlighting her impressions about these developments:

 

Q: Is there a big difference in the hair and beauty industry now and when you started?

A: The difference is unrecognisable. The industry has taken itself to another pedestal. When I started there were just a few salons and hairdressers and beauticians of any standing, in Sri Lanka. The hair industry was in the hands of the barber shops and there was very little known of beauty culture here. Moira, Charmaine, Janet and Gabriel’s could be termed the few trail blazers, in those early days.

Q: What do you see in the quality of hair and beauty services now in Sri Lanka?

A: A salon is only as good as the staff it has got and apart from a moderate percentage, I see this as a problem. While the facilities, equipment and infrastructure available in most of the new salons are very good, a good number of these have opened up without paying any attention to the quality of staff they could hire. Once they are opened, they run around frantically and finally poach trained staff from the established salons, offering fancy wages and terms. Very soon they find out that it cannot be sustained.

Q: We see salons springing up like mushrooms today, any comment?

A: Some sort of regulating is necessary on the aspect of competency, because a lot of salons are opened by entrepreneurs without an iota of knowledge of the hair and beauty business. It is always useful to partner with a professional who knows running a hair and beauty business and learn a considerable amount about running a profitable business, as the aspects are many. Developing and training your own staff is the only way to long term success. Trained staff is of paramount importance in this industry.

Q: Is the market for hair and beauty growing to keep pace with the large numbers of new salons being opened?

A: I certainly think so. Sri Lankans are now generally well aware of the need to develop appearances and are extremely conscious of it. The well groomed teenage girl and boy and youth we see today, even in the remotest parts of the country, are evidence of this.

It’s very nice to see these young people very well groomed, without in any way dramatically changing their cultural backgrounds. With this trend there is good scope for well-equipped salons with quality staff in every town. I can only see the market increasingly growing and it is up to the established professionals to take the message and training to every corner so that not only other young hair and beauty professionals benefit but that the base of customers also expands vastly.

The growing culture of good grooming not only sees that more and more people are visiting salons but also an increase in the use of professional products for regular maintenance.

Q: How good is the hair and beauty training available in Sri Lanka?

A: The training available, by and large, is very good, and there is a conscious effort being made to continuously upgrade it. The Skills Development Authority has set standards and national qualifications have been established. It will be good if all diplomas conducted in the country keep to these minimum modules and qualifications.

City & Guilds and some other international bodies conduct hair and beauty examinations which are recognised internationally and it is always best to be armed with these qualifications. This not only helps to have a thorough knowledge but also improves confidence and employability. It is always advisable to find a reputed academy or school to follow structured training.

Q: Is a diploma sufficient to be a successful hairdresser or beautician?

A: A diploma is only the end of the beginning. It would provide you with the foundations and only serve as a guide to what you are about to do. It is very important that you then get yourself apprenticed under an experienced and competent operator and learn everything that he or she could teach. Starting first with the menial jobs and then moving up the ladder is the best way. Remember that the more you practice, the better you would be with confidence to use your own initiatives and artistic talents.

Q: Bridal dressing is a field that is growing rapidly as well today, isn’t it?

A: Weddings in South Asia are not only big, but could also be lavish events, and so it is, in Sri Lanka too. Because of this, there is plenty of scope for bridal dressing in every part of the country, as brides without exception, want to look their best on their wedding day.

In order to dress brides there isn’t much technical knowledge required, some artistic talent and an idea of style would, to a great extent, suffice. There are many bridal dressers and you need to carve a niche for yourself in the type of style you produce. Many bridal dressers, as a rule, get better on the job but regular refresher courses and seminars on the subject are educative and can turn out to be very useful.

Q: Do you see the hair and beauty industry in Sri Lanka going to another level and spreading overseas?

A: While I certainly do believe that we have the talent and ability, and in fact some have already spread their tentacles, prohibitive regulations in some of the host countries do not make it easy for foreigners to indulge in service industries such as this.

In Sri Lanka there is excellent scope for the establishment of a larger chain, like we see overseas where some companies have over 1,000 franchise/owned salons. This is possible here, on a smaller scale, but I would think that even then, considering the organisation required, it must pass down to a larger corporate with adequate back up personnel and facilities.

It must be remembered that the Sri Lankan is very talented, and with good training, matches up to the best internationally. Sri Lankans in these fields are now in great demand overseas. There is no doubt that with trainable, talented people available, there is potential and scope to take the business to another level in our country.

I am however not quite sure whether I have the energy to handle 50-100 franchises in every part of Sri Lanka and see that they are run efficiently to the highest standards. It may be worth considering; assisting a corporate, which thinks it’s ready to handle it.

Q: Fashion, hair and beauty have moved forward side by side and all three fields in Sri Lanka are now drawing international attention. Your impressions?

A: With fashion, hair and beauty all being very important ingredients in a total look, it’s inevitable that one cannot do without the other. The rapid development of the garment manufacturing industry, exposure to international television and travel have all contributed to the vast interest paid by Sri Lankans to all these aspects. It is a sign that there is a definite movement forward.

Events like the Colombo Fashion Week, and other high profile fashion events have provided the impetus and created awareness of our fashion scene, not only here but overseas too. Consequently, our fashion designers are also now starting to make a name for themselves in the international scene.

Hair and beauty have not been outdone and various professionally organised events, like world class hair shows, exhibitions and international competitions which have drawn vast public interest, have continued to forge these industries also to the front.

I have no doubt, that Sri Lanka before long, would be well up there with the best in the region, not only in hair and beauty services, but with its Sri Lankan-made nature-based cosmetic products too.