HAIR FLAIR
Vasantha De Silva
He’s a barber! He cuts hair, sculpts, moulds, forms and tweaks to create a fabulous magnum opus. The secret is drawing on the fundamentals of an engineering degree gained at Loughton College (now Epping Forest College) in the UK. Who would believe that Vasantha De Silva is dyslexic – and as a result, failed his O-Level exam because he couldn’t write a single cohesive sentence? But he excelled in math, algebra and chemistry, which is why engineering seemed to be the singular prospect of turning the boy into a man.
But that was not to be.
Armed with a degree, he began interning at a factory measuring friction and velocity. He hated it and was on the brink of depression when his sister suggested travelling. With UK£ 100 and a suitcase, Vasantha trotted off to Milan and quite accidentally bumped into the Locatelli family whose vast business empire included hairdressing schools at the time.
At 19, Vasantha walked into the hairdressing school and thought he was in heaven. He fell in love with hair, stayed on in Europe for over a decade, and proved his prowess in Paris and Australia through his inherent skill of adding “sexy and glam” to any style.
The world’s trendiest fashion capitals have been his home. He has holidayed in the lap of luxury and high end designer wear maps his effortless style. But regular trips to Sri Lanka highlighted the lack of opportunities for people in hairdressing and that broke his heart.
So he made it his life’s mission to change the status quo.
Indeed, the affable super fit Vasantha who also excelled in athletics in his teen years, and speaks Italian and Tamil fluently, is fulfilling that mission. His team members at Salon KESS have honed their craft and count lifestyles that exceed any hairdresser’s expectation. But ‘Malli-aiya’ as he is called by his nephews enjoys an uncluttered lifestyle. He looks after his 89-year-old mum and seven doggies, and loves a good party.
Being happy is his priority – as Savithri Rodrigo discovered by going head-to-head with him.