Description
Hope springs eternal, and Salon International-India’s 12th Anniversary Special is all about a promising tomorrow. We began our journey with hope in our hearts and an unwavering determination to bring about a positive change in the mindsets of people. Back then, the beauty business was an unorganised cluster of parlours being run by wealthy owners who lacked skill and training. Those who were desirous of education travelled abroad as in India there were no beauty schools. Needless to say, learning was done on the job. Over time, however, the situation improved and with thearrival of international professional brands in the country there was some semblance of order. Cut to today and I have to say, the industry has come a long way! Within a decade the beauty and wellness industry has grown manifold and guess what – there is potential for stupendous growth still!
Or so we thought. 2020 came and we were struck by the deadly pandemic. The impact was so debilitating that several brands and establishments decided to wrap up their operations, while some decided to go slow. With this as a backdrop, the In Focus section has been created. We speak to stakeholders for their views on the status of the industry, their renewed marketing strategies and business recovery plans for FY21-22. As they say, hope floats.
In the Hair section, we meet Victor Alonso, a celebrated hairdresser from Valencia in Spain. He is a respected third generation hairdresser since his grandfather, Juan Andrés Hernández, began the path that the others would follow. He juggles between being a trainer for several hair brands, hairdresser, and also the owner of Espacio Kibo, his salon. What’s more, in 2020, he was the finalist at Contessa Awards in the International Hairstylist category! In the International Stylist section, be ready to be mesmerised by Xavier Arcarons from Barcelona. His collection called Euritmia has the ability to take your breath away. From enigmatic colour placements to texturised cuts, the techniques have been worked upon and honed for years. But one cannot beat the expertise and mastery of our home-grown Ritesh Ashok Limbachiya! Again from the third generation of hairdressers, Ritesh finished his basic education and then decided to study hairdressing in detail. He joined Kromakay Salon 12 years ago and under the able tutelage of Kanta Motwani has risen to be an expert at cut, colour and styling.
In the Beauty section, Monika Rastogi shares her dreams as an independent make-up artist. And what make-up cannot correct, doctors will fix – four of India’s best dermato-surgeons share their favourite aesthetic procedure that are easy to do when one is working from home. Take your pick from trending nail art, but the cutest and cosiest is that of Sweater Nails. We present a step by step guide! In Spa Focus, we showase award-winning and visually superlative spas and hammams from around the world and apprise you on their design principles. We also bring to you excerpts from the life of Dr Vishnuraj Prakash, who is the Head Ayurveda at the Vana Retreat in Dehradun. He shares his views on the status of the wellness industry, Ayurvedic therapies, and more.
All this and lots more in this energetic issue of Salon India. It is our previledge and honour to bring to you informative articles on the latest in the beauty and wellness industry of not only India but even abroad. With optimism in my heart, I along with my team, wish our stakeholders and readers a spectacular 2021!
