The Mane Attraction

BY AIDEN JEWELLE GONZALES

When I walked into the flagship location of Trendi Hair Bangkok, on the Ground floor of Insaf Tower 2, it was easy to spot Varsha Kogar, the salon’s proprietor, who gave me a brilliant smile as competent staff efficiently added the finishing touches to her impeccably-styled hair. “My team is absolutely amazing,” she shares with enthusiasm, and this glowing praise for her team, who clearly share her admiration, is a common theme throughout our discussion.

Effortlessly elegant, Varsha immediately sets me at ease with her warmth and approachability, and it’s easy to see why she’s thrived in an industry that requires a personal touch, and why she’s had such loyal clientele for over two decades. “I always remind my team that we’re in the service industry,” she tells me. “It’s not just about the styles – for me, giving great service to all our customers is very important.”

Having established the business 25 years ago and grown it from the first Indian-owned salon in town to an industry stalwart, Varsha explains how her international background allowed her to relate to their diverse clientele from around the world, including some celebrity names and royalty. “I was born in the South of Thailand, but educated in India before I went to an international school in Bangkok. I then got married and lived in Dubai and Singapore before I moved back here,” she explains. “Because I’ve been everywhere, it’s been easy to talk to clients from all nationalities and walks of life, and my multicultural background has definitely helped me in my approach to running a business with such a variety of clients.”

Varsha walks me through the humble beginnings of her business, which came to life when a relative through marriage approached her and asked her to join in running her salon. “She set up the whole salon for me, because I knew nothing about it at the time, and I took on the business from there,” Varsha recalls. “I learned everything on the job, but fortunately, I had excellent staff who run the salon for me. While I keep on top of everything, they do the day-to-day running, and I oversee both salons and handle the financial side of the business.” After a few years, the initial salon’s success encouraged her to open a branch in Sukhumvit Soi 24, and since then, they’ve become one of the names in bridal haircare and beauty in Bangkok, known for doing local and destination weddings alike. She spoke to Masala further about being an established entrepreneur, staying on top of an ever-evolving industry, and the importance of having a team that you trust.

Your salons are renowned in the Indian community, particularly for bridal and wedding looks. What do you think sets your services apart when it comes to creating these signature styles?

My staff are very skillful and talented, and they’re trained not only in bridal looks, but in any other hair service – from colouring, to highlights and haircuts, we make sure that everything is of the highest quality. We use the best products and ensure that our customer’s hair not only looks good, but that it’s healthy, with great texture. If at any point the customer is not satisfied with the state of their hair after coming to the salon, we’ll make sure to follow up with hair treatments to repair and restore their hair. Because of this, we’ve built a reputation among our customers; they know exactly what services we provide, and our quality. It makes a difference that everyone has confidence in us.

We make sure that the customers don’t leave the shop unhappy. Even after just simple colouring and highlights, we always follow up with them and give them personalised aftercare service. We’ve got clients from everywhere – Thailand, India, the US, and more. And I think that’s a testament to the service that my staff gives to every single one of our customers.

Weddings play a huge role in the beauty industry. Can you share how you’ve successfully made your mark in the bridal haircare space in Thailand, and how you stay on top of the ever- changing trends?

While we are the first Indian-owned salon in Bangkok, it still took a bit of time to gain the trust of customers. While some of my staff already had loyal Indian customers who followed them to the salon, we had to build our reputation and gain our customers’ trust, and convince them that we had the ability to handle all types of hair with efficiency and speed. However, we overcame any challenges that arose by keeping our team tight-knit, and treating our customers with courtesy and respect.

There are a lot of occasions in Indian weddings, and we have to craft a different look for each occasion according to the bride’s preferences. Each bride is different, but my staff are so skillful; they can do anything, and they can seamlessly and quickly transition from one look to another. They update themselves all the time on the latest fashion – for example, nowadays, brides prefer natural looks. They don’t want too much stiffness; they prefer leaving their hair loose.

As our reputation grew, so did the number of weddings we were booked for, both locally and overseas. We’re not only well known here, but also in Singapore, and our staff are flown there often to do our clients’ hair. We also have a lot of local clients who will fly our staff down for destination weddings they’re going to, as well as a lot of clients from overseas.

For example, we first came to the attention of Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema, the Queen of Bhutan, because of a friend’s son’s reception. Someone from the queen’s family had come down for the wedding, and loved the hair of the host, and they approached us to do Her Majesty’s hair. She loved our services so much that since then, there was no looking back. When she requires our services, Her Majesty flies our staff down for whatever event she’s attending – and these have included huge celebrations, such as the wedding of the Prince of Brunei, and the Ambani wedding! 

When we do destination weddings, we make sure to coordinate with the wedding planners from here and overseas, to ensure seamless service for our clients and the hosts. I also host Style Stories twice a year, an exhibition that brings together local vendors and exhibitors from India, who sell everything from food, to clothes, and decorative house supplies, and this helps us further establish ourselves in the community.

As a female business owner, what advice would you give to other women looking to start their own businesses, particularly in the beauty industry?

In the beauty industry specifically, I would suggest being more hands on, and being a stylist yourself as an owner. Over the years, I’ve often wished that I myself was a stylist; I think it would be very helpful in the business! Another key piece of advice is to regularly review your accounts to ensure everything is in order. While there are challenges, such as occasionally dealing with unsatisfied customers, we always make sure they leave happy. We address any issues directly, and may offer promotions to ensure they’re pleased with our service.

As one of the names in the Thai-Indian beauty industry and the bridal beauty industry in Thailand, what would you attribute your success to, and who have been your support systems along the way?

My support system is my staff. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to run this salon, and most of them have been with me all throughout this journey, since the day I first opened the salon. While it can be hard work to manage 15 staff between the two salons, each and every person in the team has been amazing, and because of them, I’m able to be on top of the day to day running of the business, while still being hands on. A core part of my values has always been to treat my staff well. It’s not just about their salary – if you treat them well, they’ll treat you back well, and I’m so grateful for everything they’ve done the last 25 years.

In celebration of our annual women’s issue, we’d love to know what does being a woman in business mean to you, and how do you balance your personal and professional life?

I’m very honoured and privileged to be the owner of two beauty salons, and I’m so thankful to have a great team, because through them, I can take care of both my personal and professional life. Being a woman in business has given me a lot of confidence, and a purpose in life, and it’s taught me a lot, not just in the business, but in how to be humble and how to treat people. My motto is, “we make sure that everyone who visits us leaves the salon feeling beautiful or handsome; the best that they can be.”

Being a female entrepreneur in this industry has honestly been amazing – our customers have been incredibly supportive, and I’m fortunate to have loyal, amazing clients, and an incredible team.