Welcome to Hiusfashion!
On February 1st Hiusfashion hair and nail salon opened its doors near FORUM’s Kukontori in Yrjönkäytävä! This is the third Hiusfashion salon owned by Satu Stefanovic and Nenad Stefanovic. The first store opened in Ruoholahti and the second one in Espoo. Having established a loyal clientele, entrepreneur and hair stylish Satu decided to open a third store with her husband in FORUM that bustles with passersby every day!
I got the chance to talk with Satu and get to know her story. Satu wanted to be a hairdresser since childhood. Then, she changed her mind and decided to study textile design but soon hairstyling won her over. She is obviously a creative person that likes to use her hands and a smart and hard-working entrepreneur who uses her brains!
Chryssa: Hiusfashion has its own loyal customers over all those years you are operating, why would new customers choose you?
Satu: My goal is to be there where there are lots of people, when people passing by and they can drop in. In Hiusfashion, we have non-stop available times without booking an appointment. We never overbook our book so that customers that easily drop in! People nowadays are working alot and they might have a 30-minute slot available that could use for having a haircut. We have received lots of positive feedback about this and we plan to keep it this way!
Satu and Nenad have been working hard to make the grand opening of Hiusfashion in FORUM in time and in style. FORUM’s new salon is “modern, stylish and cozy, not too much, not intimidating”, says Satu. Indeed the store looks classy and elegant and it feels welcoming.
Nenad Stefanovic is Satu’s business and life partner. Originally from Serbia, he came to Finland to work as a basketball coach. Serbia is a country with strong tradition in basketball.
Chryssa: There are many hair salons in the centre of Helsinki. How do you differentiate from the competition?
Nenad: The strategy we have been developing is that every customer is special! That’s why we are not afraid of competition. People are asking value for money and we are offering that. We are not trying to overcharge the customers and offer cheap service. We are insisting on service not selling, not putting shampoos under their nose. At the moment, Hiusfashion Forum has 10 stations, 5 hair stylists and colorists and 1 manicurist.
Antonio Flores belongs in the workforce of Hiusfashion Forum.
Chryssa: Antonio, tell me about your background? What made you become a hairdresser?
Antonio: I grew up in Ecuador, I remember when I was 6 years old cutting my sisters’ hair. My mother wanted me to work at the bank. I actually graduated as a public accountant but I hated. I was hairdressing without my mother knowing. Ecuador is a mucho culture and male hairdressers are not seen in a good light.
Chryssa: What actually brought to Finland, Antonio?
Antonio: Marriage! I met my husband 15 years ago in Colombia. I am 34 years old now..
(Note: Antonio is the partner of this year’s Presidential Election candidate Pekka Haavisto.)
Chryssa: I see, how long you have been working with Satu in Hiusfashion?
Antonio: I have been working with Satu for 1,5 years now. It is really fun working with her. She is a great boss! And our new Hiusfashion salon in FORUM looks fantastic!
Chryssa: What are the cultural differences you have identified being from Ecuador but living in Finland for a long time?
Male hairdressers have been around the world for a long time now, still in Finland it is not so common. Also, in Latin America, service is more personal. In Finland, I have customers that we have developed a close friendship and we talk about personal issues. But, I tell my customer if you want to talk to me, it is fine; if you don’t want to talk, no problem, just relax! And, lastly, the hairtypes are of course different in various countries. I have learnt to deal with those differences. Plus, most of my own customers are foreigners!
Text: Chryssa Skodra
Photos: Kim Ekman (Vision51)
