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The style factor
Hairstylists and designers these days are as much in the news as the models and stars they give a make-over to. Not so with Angie Marshall though, a beautician who has been around for decades but who has preferred to keep a low profile throughout.
When asked why she has maintained her distance from the media, she responds candidly, “I haven’t deliberately tried to keep a low profile. It’s just that I’ve been in the profession for so long that I haven’t given publicity much thought. My aunt and my mom had launched a parlour by the name of Anne’s in 1972, and then mom and I branched out in 1982 with a new parlour, Angie’s. I was just a 12-year-old when I started to help them, so I grew into the profession. By the time I was 16, I was totally immersed into it.
“When we launched Angie’s, it never struck me that I was starting something new which should be publicised. We had an established clientele which grew through word of mouth and I just concentrated on honing my skills further and doing my job.”
The year after the launch of their salon, Angie won the Most Outstanding Perfo-rmance trophy at the Asia Pacific Hair and Beauty Show in Singapore. She laughs: “I don’t usually like to compete in shows but was pushed into this one by Rohana Iqbal, the president of Phaba (Pakistan Hair and Beauticians Association). Till last year, it was the only show I had participated in. Last year, I again got roped into participating in an international competition with fifty to sixty countries participating, and bagged the fourth position in nail art.”
Angie went to England in 1986 to do a course from Vidal Sassoon and Complexions in hair and make-up. Since then, she has been traveling frequently and doing courses from around the world, especially after she got married in 1988 and her husband works in the airline industry. However, one rarely finds Angie’s name in the credit list of fashion shows, whether here or abroad, to which she says, “Well, it’s not that I don’t like doing shows, but I don’t go out of my way to bag them either. I have a young son so I just take on what comes my way instead of consciously seeking assignments. I have done fashion shows and model make-up for advertisements and I have a lot of business contacts as well, but I don’t pursue them.”
‘I am an all-rounder and I do my work to perfection. My clients respect me because I am brutally honest, and if I don’t think something is going to suit them, I tell them so. By the same token, if I have done something I am not satisfied with, I have no qualms rectifying it,’ says Angie Marshall
Angie claims her forte is conducting workshops for different hair and cosmetic companies, a task which takes her across Pakistan. Her training sessions could vary from a one-day workshop to a two-week training programme to a course spanning six months or even a year. Often she takes on students at the salon as well and does personal grooming courses with them. Regarding her area of expertise, she says “It is primarily make-up — be it bridal or for models — and (hair) cuts. But I am an all-rounder and I do my work to perfection. Clients also respect me because I am brutally honest, and if I don’t think something is going to suit them, I tell them so. By the same token, if I have done something I am not satisfied with or feel my client is not happy with, I have no qualms rectifying it.”
Among the unique facilities Angie offers at her salon that is undergoing extensive renovation these days is eyelash perming. “We were among the first to introduce it, although now some others have followed suit. But people still find it very fascinating. We also do permanent make-up (tattoo) to cover natural deficiencies such as light eyebrows.”So what about the fact that there seems to a beauty salon in every nook and cranny these days? “Some salons are certainly very good, but a lot have been opened up by women who just want to pass time. They grab girls from other salons by offering them double and triple salaries, which is a very unprofessional thing to do. They are either untrained themselves or have simply done some crash courses. There should be a law to allow only licensed parlours to operate and Phaba is already working towards that end. After all, it is not fair to those who have put their lives into the business.”
Presently, Angie has her hands full, renovating her salon located in Karachi’s Defence Phase 5 and getting a new one completed in Phase 7. “As my mom says, what makes us feel good would definitely make our clients feel good; so I am changing the image of my salon and giving it a make-over. My aunt, Anne, will run the new salon, which will also be known as Angie’s. The workers there will all be trained by me, but I plan to just supervise and go there occasionally.”
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