LaSalle—Despite holding a law degree and an MBA, Karidjata (Kady) Cherif spends her days caring for, attaching and styling natural hair extensions from India. The young entrepreneur plans to demonstrate her expertise next month during a style party over brunch in her salon on November 2.
The whole team is going to be here to show our work,” said Cherif. “We’re going to have a model and we’re going to put hair extensions and makeup on her and we’re going to show what we can do. I know that people can see that on our website, but some people need to see it in person, so this will be their chance.”
Cherif’s small salon on Centrale Street in LaSalle only opened last spring, but she’s already attracting customers from as far away as Repentigny and Brossard.
“They look at my website, they see the texture of my hair extensions and they know this is a place for them,” said Cherif. “When you wear hair extensions, you recognize quality natural hair. It really makes a difference.”
Cherif says that her customers are also attracted by the many unusual techniques she offers for attaching hair extensions, including taping, row beading and other techniques that don’t use glue. Initially, Cherif started selling hair extensions on-line when she was living in Toronto, but as her business and expertise in attaching them grew, she decided to open a salon and expand her services.
“When you buy a quality hair extension, you need someone who really cares to attach it for you,” she says. “With good care, a hair extension can last for a year or even up to a year-and-a-half.”
Toronto already had several salons that offered such services, but Cherif says that Montreal is less developed. Despite a growing enthusiasm for the practice, many of the extensions available in this market are fake, so she knew that potential customers would appreciate her selection. She also hopes to introduce some of the modern techniques for attaching them in this market.
Cherif also really likes the entrepreneurial spirit of the city and the openness of the public.
It took Cherif almost a year to find the right location for her salon, but she finally opened just west of the Bronx in LaSalle last April. She now has three other people who work with her to offer hair styling, make-up, facials, manicures and pedicures, in addition to her hair extension specialty.
She set up her salon in LaSalle because the neighbourhood reminds her of the bayfront in Chicago, where she lived during her studies. Several customers wonder where they’re heading when she gives them directions to the revitalized neighbourhood near the St. Lawrence River, but when they get there, they’re reassured.
The airy clean salon sits in a newly-renovated building across from a new townhouse development. Full-size mirrors on the wall and good lighting allow clients to see how their new look fits their overall style.
If things continue to go well, Cherif plans to renovate the basement area of her salon for the facial, manicure and pedicure part of the business.
In the meantime, if you want to see what’s possible with hair extensions, visit the salon open house on Saturday, November 2, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and visit the salon while Cherif, two other stylists and a make-up artist demonstrate their expertise.
The salon is located at 8616 rue Centrale in LaSalle. Their website is at http://www.hairextensionspro.ca.
