"With Passion You Can Do A Lot Of Things" - Catherine De France
Located near Sanlitun, 2 steps down and slightly hidden by greenery, you could unknowingly pass it by if you are not paying attention. But have you stepped foot at Catherine De France ones, you are sure to not forget it. The modern and stylish interior combined with friendly staff will make your every visit pure joy.
Catherine Colin from France, the owner of Catherine De France, took time out of her busy schedule to sit down with me and tell me about what inspires her, struggles she has faced running a business in China and how she always knew she would be a hairdresser.
- I think I was born a hairdresser. I have no idea what else to do, since I could talk I wanted to be a hairdresser, I wasn’t interested in anything else.
In Paris she worked for Jacques Dessange, a job that gave her an opportunity to travel, taking her to Budapest and Moscow to open new salons and train the teams.
In 2003, after 10 years working for Jacques Dessange, she moved to Beijing and opened up a handful of salons with a French stylist, but eventually, Catherine decided to open up her own salon. And two and a half years ago Catherine de France opened up its doors.
- We want the hairdresser to take the client from A-Z, being with the client through all the steps, like coloring and haircut. The clients spend a lot of time here, so the goal was that we can dowe everything in one place, both hair and beauty.
While training the team Catherine make sure to educate them in all kinds of style, having them look at different magazine’s like American, English and French, to get a better understanding for when they meet a new client about where she comes from and what kind of look or cut she should have.
- They will look in the magazine and learn, so they understand what it means to, for example, be working with a lighter base color. Or know the difference between and Scandinavian and a Russian; that a Russian usually keep her hair longer while a Scandinavians are more modern.The idea is to have a international salon with open-minded hairdressers, because we work with an international clientele.
Catherine De France also offer an opportunity for mainly young girls to work for them as something called an “ambassador”. The ambassador's job is to draw more clients to the salon, and when those clients combined spend10.000 RMB the ambassador gets 10%of that sum.
- We have a group of girls that go out a lot and we do their hair and makeup, and then they can go out and talk and promote the brand. We do a 3 months contract with them, and after 3 months we decide if we want to keep them or not.
- I don't ask anymore what to do for haircut, I just do. (haha) Sometimes I ask if they want a big or small change, and I will look at what is modern, but if they are ready to go short we go for that, but I create after the face. When I start to create you don't know what will happen, it change along the way.
What inspires you?
- I'm inspired by magazines. And every two month I leave to travel, looking for inspiration. I stay in a city, like London or Paris, for 2-3 days, to look at people, this gets me inspired.
Hardest thing about running your own business?
- The hardest thing is that you don't know everything, it’s impossible to know everything, and you can't control your business because of the language, you don't speak Chinese.
Best thing about it?
- It is cheaper here in China, than for example in France, to do PR and create your own brand.
How do you find a balance between work and life?
- It’s hard, because every time you go out in Beijing you are always your brand. If people ask you what you do, you have to talk about it. I don't mind to be at the salon and work every day, but then I take some times off, travel every two month, that is the way I have a life.
Where do you find your ambition?
- I don't find it difficult to do this, because I love doing the marketing and the hair. And I give the managing to other people to do, so this balance is ok.
What will happen in the future, what is the next step?
- Next step is opening a smaller salon I London and to create our own product. The product is created in France, a small line of hair products; shampoo, conditioner and mask, that will be available to buy in the salon and online.
Any tips for women that wants to work in this field or open their own salon?
- If they want to have their own salon hey should think about if they just want to work with people "off the street", or if they create a brand, if they want to do more. You need to have a passion, otherwise you will stop. With passion you can do a lot of things.
Coffee or tea?
Tea, green tea.
Heels or handbags?
Heels, I don't mind high, high heels.
Chinese food or Western food?
Western, French cuisine.
Night out or night in?
I would prefer to stay home, but I always end up going out.
Never again do your hair or never again do your makeup?
Never do my hair again. I never do my hair anyway. I have many times just wanted to shave my hair off, but I cannot.. I'm just thinking about it sometimes...