Wig-makers have stylish streak
WHEN Marriam Khan first tried her hand at creating a hairpiece for a customer, she wigged out.
“We work completely with measurements. So I decided I have everything — let me start styling it so that I can have it ready for her when she comes in.
“So I measured and cut the fringe. When she tried it on, it was so short.
“We looked at each other and burst out laughing. It looked awful!
“Thankfully, she was such a nice person that she understood,” said Khan.
“Her reaction gave me the confidence to carry on and become better at what I do.”
Khan started her wigmaking career as an intern at Emiles Wigs, the company that created one of Tina Turner’s iconic blonde hairpieces and Minority Front founder Amichand
Raj ‘a joy and pleasure to work with’
Rajbansi’s famous toupée.
Now the 52-year-old has opened the doors of her own salon.
Khan and her business partner, Shanitha Ramlall, own a new salon in Umhlanga Ridge, Durban.
Ramlall said the pair decided to strike out on their own after recognising a gap in the market.
“There are a lot of people out there using synthetic hair and not doing it very well.
“When done right, hairpieces can give customers back their dignity, and that’s what we want to do.
“I tell Marriam all the time that she is like a doctor. You have to listen to clients and connect with them.”
The pair source the hair used for the hairpieces from across the globe.
“We obviously want the best to create the best product, which looks natural and gives customers the confidence to conduct their daily lives in a much happier way,” said Khan.
She said the popularity of synthetic hair had little impact on the wig-making industry.
“That is more for people who want to chop and change.
“If you are looking at new hairstyles almost every week, you obviously cannot be spending R8 500 to R10 000.
“Once you’re done with it, it is thrown away. You can’t reuse it, so for those purposes it works out fine.”
She added that they used synthetic hair on occasion.
“It is what the person likes. If what the individual wants is synthetic hair, then we supply that, but it is by far the human hair that is much more popular.
“Either way, you can’t say I’m choosing this pair of shoes for this person. You don’t know if the person is going to like the style or the colour.
“It is all based on the comfort of the person.”
Although the salon’s clientele is largely made up of older professionals, there has been an increase in younger customers who suffer from premature hair loss.
“There is no foolproof cure for hair loss.
“It is a hard experience for a person and they sometimes don’t just need you to do your job, but to offer a sympathetic ear too. Once a customer comes in and sits down with you, you listen to them and build a bond right then and there.”
One such bond was with the late Rajbansi.
“I knew him for about 30 years, believe it or not. And he was really such a lovely person.
“No matter what he might have come across like in the political field, he was a joy and pleasure to work with.”