IF you want a new image with your hair and extreme enjoyment when having a haircut, salons in Hongkong will surely not disappoint you.
In Hongkong, hair salons are of different kinds and styles, and of course their prices are also very different. If you have a haircut at a street hairdresser, it only costs twenty-something. However, it will cost you a few hundred or even above a thousand at a salon with fame if you want quality services and advice from the stylist.
There are many street hairdressers in Hongkong. They usually build their “salons” at the alleys of streets with a few chairs and some simple but necessary equipment.
They do not have a strategy to promote their business. “People come here because they know my salon for years and some of them live nearby,” an owner of a street barbara said. “All the customers want simple and inexpensive services.” Their customers are mainly old people and some young children.
For most young people, modern salons will be their choice. These salons not only provide a hair cut but also emphasize giving an image that suits clients. These salons have their own promotion strategies and most of them will establish an image for customers to identify with. Some of them launch their ideas through doing hair for popular artists or magazines. Professional advice on hair fashion trends and complete hair treatment are provided as well.
“Our main concern is communication with clients rather than just selling our ideas,” said Mr Raymond Lam, shop manager of Salon Picasso.
The equipments of modem salons like chairs, perming machine and hair-washing facilities are more advanced than those of the street hairdressers.
If you want more than just a modem salon, Private I salon will be the right choice. It is the first “concept salon” in Hongkong that is a combination of art gallery, coffee shop and hair salon.
There are four VIP rooms in Private I and each of them is equipped with a telephone and a television set. “Some clients want to enjoy the service in a quiet, private and relaxable place,” said Miss Leanne Lui, manager of Private I.
Prices charged by modern salons are very high compared to street hairdressers but they can still attract many people. “People nowadays always demand a personal image and their standard is rising,” said Mr Sherman Ip, Managing Director of Orient 4.
STORY & PICTURES BY ALISON LUI