Nov 11 2016.
views 2771Ramani Fernando is a household legend and needs no introduction. Her salons have been privy to the secrets of scores of women, and she has been responsible for grooming many a beauty queen and model. Having entered into a partnership with multinational giant Unilever via Sunsilk, Ramani celebrates a 40 year relationship with Sunsilk this November, a feat indeed.
Today we feature Ramani as she celebrates her 40 year milestone with Sunsilk and the many people who have enriched her life along the way.
What were your childhood ambitions?
I never harboured high ambitions or dreamt big. I just indulged in anything which I enjoyed doing and kept me happy. I cannot say how I was drawn into fashion design, since at that time the country was not exposed to the world of fashion like today, without any TV or designer clothes, and further, I was living in Kuliyapitiya where my father was a lawyer and I spent most of my time at the boarding at St. Bridget's Convent. Despite this, from a very young age, I was fond of clothes and various ideas and designs kept coming to my mind. As a teenager I designed my own clothes with with whatever fabric I could lay my hands on, during a time of scarcity and restrictions. I believe that my entry into hair and beauty came first, due to circumstances where I did a course after my O/Levels for want of something to do, but otherwise I may have ended up as a fashion designer.
Who were your role models when you first started hairdressing?
At a time when there were very few female hairstylists in the country, and with hardly any exposure to any hair and beauty personality, I really cannot say who or what inspired me, except destiny. However, a visit to England just after marriage at quite a young age and given an opportunity to apprentice at one of London's most prestigious salons and seeing two masters Gerard London and Martin Gold weave their magic on hair, brought about tremendous admiration and learning and whetted my appetite.
40 years is a long time. Do you still enjoy the business of hair as much as you did when you first started or has the enthusiasm and initial excitement somewhat waned?
It definitely has not waned and I still look forward to visiting the salons everyday. Of course the challenges have somewhat changed, but I cannot say, going to work is a chore. I now see that my involvement in this business has also helped me to give hundreds of young people from various walks of life an opportunity to pursue a career in hairdressing and make a big change in their lives. Most of my staff have joined as trainees and been with me from the beginning of their working lives. I select a recruit as soon as I get the right vibes. It does not matter as to who they are or where they come from. However when I see most after a few years and hear some of their early stories, the transformation is totally unrecognizable and it motivates me more and more to work with them and give them more opportunity.
Describe the world of hair in your early days and how does it compare with that of today?
The techniques in hairdressing keep changing quite regularly and so do the styles and fashions and that's what keeps everyone interested and on their toes. The products constantly change with newer innovations and features, and also the esthetic machines come out with new developments. When I returned from England I introduced short haircutting and blowdrying which I had perfected, which caught on like wildfire. The industry keeps on evolving and one must be able to keep abreast with continuous learning. The good thing is that there is a choice of products too now, unlike the times of scarcity and quotas which I experienced in the beginning.
How do you juggle being a career woman, mother, grandmother and wife?
It was not easy to juggle a fledgling family of four and a fast growing business but my mother and Ranjit's parents together with my sisters were a big help with the children, whenever needed. Ranjit in the early days was involved in his growing tea bagging and commodities business and also playing cricket for the country, and to make time we did entirely sacrifice our social life. Later on, when Ranjit spent a good part of the year travelling with his cricket commentating assignments, my work kept me busy.
How hard is it to manage the people side of the business, such as difficult clients or staff?
Being a service industry, it's all about people, my staff, our clients, and so many others like the suppliers, maintenance, the media that I have to interact with. I must thank God that I have been blessed with patience to handle most of whatever that comes every day. I am a firm believer that the salons are only as good as the people who work in them and personally look after my staff and always treat them like my very own. I am very fortunate that I have close to 190 staff and there are many who have been with me for years. When I look at the numbers that look to join us, it makes me feel good, because word must be around that it is a good place to work in.
How do you manage to retain your staff in the wake of so many salons opening today, and job prospects overseas?
It's always sad to lose a staff member after many years of work. After all it is like family going away. I used to be upset in the early years, but now quite philosophical about it. There are a few who wish to go on their own and I have even opened their salons because they have contributed to my success and it's something I need to be happy about. Most of them run leading salons and that gives me immense pleasure. This also applies to the numbers that have moved overseas and made it good there. It is not unusual to see some of them coming back for a few months and working in the salons and passing on what they have learnt. It is also quite a regular occurrence to see those who have joined the competition coming back in a year or two. I guess it happens when you are used to a specific regime or culture.
What is the single most important feature you look for when recruiting new staff?
Staff are recruited from varied backgrounds, some very disadvantaged. There is no specific yardstick that I use for recruitment. Just the good vibe that the person would suit and if we are in need of staff I am prepared to give the person a chance. I don't pay too much attention to backgrounds, particular because from experience I have seen enormous success of some from very disadvantaged beginnings. I think the culture in our salons differs a lot from the others, and I find that someone who has been very successful elsewhere except in rare instances don't stay long with us. We prefer to take those who are new to hairdressing or beauty as a job in their late teens or early twenties.
What are your succession plans, perhaps your children or grandchildren stepping into your shoes?
At present, of the four children, except for one who handles the social media and digital for the company, they all work on their own. They are pursuing their own interests, which I suppose they enjoy doing, and like my parents who allowed me to follow my dream, I would not want to stand in their way. My only granddaughter who lives in England, loves spending time in a salon and making herself up and constantly looking at the mirror, like I did at her age, but I would doubt, if she would wish to live in Sri Lanka permanently.
With the wide range of products available today, some good, and some not so good, and the many instances where people have reacted badly to even top-of-the-range products, how do you ensure that such occurences are minimal?
As a matter of policy we insist on using recognized and approved brands. Reactions at times is a hazard of the business and skin tests and similar precautions have to be taken to keep such occurrences at a minimum. We do not encourage the use of unknown product brands brought by customers. At the first signs of reaction one must be ready to call for a doctor and emergency numbers must be ready at hand. Regular training of staff is a requirement to make sure the proper methods recommended for specific products are followed.
Do you think there is an overemphasis on one's appearance today?
Good grooming, which makes you feel good, consequently confident, I think is important. Just spending some time on your appearance is not vanity. Of course like anything overdoing is not recommended. My philosophy is "less is more".
Interviewed by Anusha David
Photographs courtesy Prishan Pandithage Studios
1 Comments
Sriya Ratnayake says:
Nov 13, 2016 at 06:27 amDearest Ramani, My congratulations, love and best wishes to you. I count on myself as one of your first clients in the early seventies if I remember right. You lived close to my house on Maliban Road. I remember the cute little pink painted salon and the beautiful flower that bloomed. Loved you then and still do in my eighties. I am with my daughter Nilmini in Australia. I am sure you will place me if you see me.