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The art of Beauty
Nayana Karunaratne is an exceptionally beautiful woman. Her beauty does not, however, lie in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair. Her beauty can be seen within her warm dark eyes and enchanting, friendly smile, for they are a mirror to the wonderful person she is.
The person behind the leading hairstylist, businesswoman, teacher and trendsetter is what makes Nayana so charming and alluring. Clad in a graceful pink sari, Nayana has an air of sophistication around her. She brings with her extensive experience and knowledge from well-known fashion schools across Europe and Asia. A remarkable hairstylist, Nayana started her career at the age of 16 in Sri Lanka.
“Education is a must. People in this part of the world lack basic education regarding this profession. Ever since I was eight-years-old I knew what I wanted to do. I was fortunate that my parents allowed to me pursue my dream, even though no one in my family had ever taken this route,” she shares.
It is a fact that in this part of the world, the general perception of people towards beauticians, hairdressers and make-up artists is not very encouraging, as Nayana says, “Boys and girls who want to enter this field are highly discouraged, because it is not taken very seriously. I tell you this, if they take all these people out of their daily lives, at the end of the month, they’ll all be looking like bears,” Nayana says amusingly. “Making someone look neat, poised and beautiful is an art. It should be taken seriously, for at the first glance, what matters most is the outside of a person,” she remarks on a more serious note.
Nayana is the founder of the Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers and Beauticians (SLAHAB), which conducts seminars, workshops, training courses and maintenance of salon equipment throughout Sri Lanka. SLAHAB was born 10 years ago with the aim of elevating the profession of hair and beauty in Sri Lanka to an international standard, providing much needed exposure as well as creating awareness on the latest trends in the industry. It is the only hair and beauty association registered by the government of Sri Lanka. Nayana has earned a position for SLAHAB as a member to represent Sri Lanka at the Organisation Mondiale de la Coiffure (OMC), also known as the World Hairdressers’ Organisation. She is currently the president of OMC-Asia Zone as well as SLAHAB.
At her famous Salon Nayana, she trains corporations and individuals in social etiquette, health, nutrition and dress sense. “This is an endeavour to qualify people academically in the field of personality development,” say says.
From a single salon in Sri Lanka, she’s come a long way in raising the standard of beauty through her salon. Established in 1980, Salon Nayana has expanded to incorporate branches located throughout the island, as well as in Chennai and Bangalore. With as many as 11 centres across the country, Nayana has carved a niche for herself in the beauty industry.
Elucidating on the function of image consultancy, Nayana says they have devised programmes that are tailored in accordance with the requirements of the clientele.
“We train corporate employees and even individuals who are interested in learning social etiquette, thereby making them gain confidence,” she adds. “The topics we teach range from positive attitude, nutrition, health, hair, dress sense and posture to personal hygiene, tips and tricks on professional dress sense.
‘I always say health is beauty. You only need make-up for parties, but good health is more long lasting. Inner beauty and personality is definitely more important. No doubt, appearance makes a lot of difference in today’s corporate world. But it requires effort to be simple and elegant. It is just a matter of discovering oneself,’ quips Nayana.
“On the other hand, we also disseminate information on cleanliness and hygiene in schools and colleges. This is an attempt to create social awareness among the younger generation,” says Nayana. She has also pioneered the trend of unisex salons in her country.
As for the confluence of various streams of styling, Nayana says, “Globally, we see that the fields of hair, beauty and fashion are becoming interlinked. Fashion is now playing a major part, with hair and make-up being one aspect of it.”
Talking on inner beauty and health, Nayana says, “I always say health is beauty. You only need make-up for parties, but good health is more long lasting. Inner beauty and personality is definitely more important. No doubt, appearance makes a lot of difference in today’s corporate world. But it requires effort to be simple and elegant. It is just a matter of discovering oneself and that is what image consultancy does,” quips Nayana.
With a passion for hair fashions and entrepreneurship, Nayana has also authored Sri Lanka’s first ever manual for beginners and professionals on hair and beauty called Matter of Hair. In 2004 she also released The Look, a corporate grooming booklet for men and women. Nayana has introduced to Sri Lanka two academies: Image Academy of Hair and Beauty and Image Academy of Personality Development.
She is also the founding chairperson for Hair Asia Pacific –– an international hairdressing and make-up competition. She keenly looks forward to the Hair Asia Pacific and Hair and Beauty Fair, which features events and competitions related to hair, beauty and fashion. “The event is also being recognised by Sri Lanka Tourist Board as a national event,” she says excitedly. Hair Asia Pacific is attended by 15 countries in the zone, which include Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, India, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
Nayana was in Pakistan for the Pantene International Hairstyling Conference 2007. The hairstylist created avant-garde hairstyles on stage during the conference and updated around 250 hairstylists and beauticians on the basics of the profession, talking to them about professional hairstyling and cutting.
When asked about her experience in Pakistan, she says, “This is my seventh trip to Pakistan and I thoroughly enjoy coming here. Pakistan has changed and developed a great deal over the years. People have become more enlightened, more aware, more fashion conscious, and more up-to-the-minute. With every trip, I am pleasantly taken aback by the fast evolving fashion, hairdressing and beauty industry,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes. “Pakistan and Sri Lanka are extremely similar as far as fashion, beauty, hairdressing and grooming is concerned. We have the same sort of market and as people are becoming more and more aware of things in both countries, one can see many a similarity between the markets in Pakistan and Sri Lanka,” she remarks.When asked why the quality of salons and beauticians is declining day by day, especially in this part of Asia, Nayana says, “In most countries men and women take grooming as a job. They don’t do it with passion. They need the money so they go ahead with it. They lack education and the basics of the trade. They have no idea what they’re getting into. Our motto is to bridge the educational gap as far as grooming is concerned.”
In conclusion, Nayana says that “attitude is the key. If you’re neat and clean and looking good, the world around you looks good, you feel good and confident about yourself. I’ll share a story of a friend with you, a mother of four daughters. One of her young daughters passed away because of leukaemia. I saw her a while later looking neat and content. I asked her the reason behind her contentment, and she said, ‘I have one up there to cry for but three back at home to smile for. They lose hope when I cry and frown. So I smile for them.” This is how one should live. Be happy in the moment, for the ones who are there for you. Look good, feel good and everything around you will fall into place,” she says emotionally.
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