Daily Times

Karachi has always been the hub of style, fashion, entertainment and beauty. From housing all the top notch food and fashion franchises, to holding some of the most exquisite events round the year, Karachi is truly the city that never sleeps. And so, of late, there has been an undeniable surge in the number of salons and beauty clinics opening up in the city, some local, some claiming to be franchises of international chains.

Every nook and corner of the metropolitan city houses one salon or the other, and one thing that is common in all these salons/spas is the number of certificates and diplomas lining the walls, that inform the visitor or the client how qualified the salon owner is in the field of beauty, makeup and styling.

However, it is exactly at these very salons that women get to experience some of the most unprofessional behaviour at the hands of staff and the management, but there are exceptions of course.

It’s important for salons to get into the minds of clients and question themselves, over what it is that women and men really look for when choosing a salon for themselves

I spoke to a flaming, young entrepreneur and a self-taught makeup artist who is currently at the helm of affairs at the newly-launched Peng’s Salon.

Owned and introduced by Peng Qureshi, the salon has a lot of branches in Karachi, but one of them is being operated by Naureen Nawaz.

Naureen Nawaz says passion and commitment are the only two essentials salon owners need to up their game, rake in clients and make their presence felt in a market saturated with beauty clinics and spas.

Having said that, it’s important for salons to get into the minds of clients and question themselves, over what it is that women and men really look for when choosing a salon for themselves.

Is it privacy they seek? Comfort? Is it affordability that is all that matters or is it being treated by professional hands that is the most important thing? Whatever the true answer may be, there is definitely a dearth of all these features being available in one salon.

However, Nawaz takes pride in her newly-acquired franchise of Peng’s, excitedly telling me how both men and women can pamper themselves at the dedicated premises. And even though the salon closes around Isha time, on appointments, exceptions are made. I like how Nawaz’s venture houses A-class international grooming products, well groomed and well trained staff and a highly professional management. It’s situated on Farooq Rashid Street, MACHS.

However, I would like to reinstate my previous comment about how there is a dearth of all factors available in one salon. Where I’m in complete awe over the services and professionalism delivered by Peng’s, I feel like the premises are a bit congested, the seating arrangement is limited and they seem to be short of staff. If these three drawbacks are taken care of, Nawaz’s venture will certainly soar.

Published in Daily Times, May 19^th 2018.