Story & Photos: Kirstin Daly
Beauty Beneath ladies hair salon, on Hinde House Lane in Fir Vale, opened at the end of October and is run by Afshan Islam. The salon is soon to expand with beauticians using the upstairs room, thereby giving women one environment for all their beauty requirements.
Afshan pursued her creative ambition from the age of 16, cutting family and friend’s hair without yet having any formal training. Before opening Beauty Beneath, Afshan was a PE teacher at High Storrs School, but once she had young children to care for she decided on a change of direction. This direction was a one year fast track hairdressing course at Castle College, from which she qualified with a Level 2 NVQ in June of this year.
Afshan is now attending a Creative Director’s course at Castle College in order to achieve Level 3 NVQ and progress from Senior Stylist to Creative Stylist. This course includes photography, creative cutting, catwalk styles and colour correction.
Afshan found, and has adequately filled, a niche market with Beauty Beneath, providing a comfortable concealed environment for Muslim women, but the salon is not exclusive; all women are welcome. She told me:
“It is very difficult for Muslim women to arrange hairdressing appointments in other hair salons as they need to find a day and time when there will be no male customers or stylists present.”
Afshan views her responsibility to her customers as providing a safe and secure environment in which women can remove their veils and scarfs. Not only is her salon safe and comfortable, but it’s also a very stylish and pleasant place to be in. Her décor is vibrant and bold, including her own paintings as well as a small custom made sofa, and counter displaying the salon logo. There is also a custom made basin, which is much larger than usual as many of Afshan’s customers have very long and thick hair. Afshan’s customers have so far been very pleased, both with the salon’s unique environment and her professional service.
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