[ HAWAII AT WORK ]
Hairstylist Kissa Srivongsang adds highlights to Rita King's hair.
Hairdresser on cutting
edge of style celebrates
10 years of salon ventureI was born in Laos. When I was 6 years old, we moved to France, where I studied art with concentration in drawing, art structure and balance. I have always known my true calling was to be a hairstylist. I obtained my license in Paris at a very early age.
Kissa Srivongsang
Title: Owner
Company: Kissa Hair Salon
Years in business: 10
Years in the industry: 20
Community service: Scholarship awards for free hairstyling and haircuts during prom season to qualified high school students. Donates services to fund-raise for nonprofits including the YWCA and Cancer Society.
In 1984, I moved to Honolulu, where my parents started Chiang Mai Restaurant on King Street. For the first 10 years in Hawaii, I worked for a large private hair salon, but in 1994, I made a courageous move to open up my own business. Most of my clients supported and followed me to this new venture. We started with three people, and now we have a staff of eight.
This industry is very competitive. I believe in being on the cutting edge, and therefore I go to Los Angeles and New York yearly for seminars and training. Hairstyles are always changing. In the '80s the style was blunt, short and clean. This year, it is soft, messy and layered. Usually we see the change to begin in January, and it comes from Europe. Paris offers new trends in chaffeur (style), and England offers new trends in haircuts. Then these changes hit New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. A few months later, they usually filter to Hawaii.
Just like any other businesses, I struggled after Sept. 11, 2001. In Hawaii there are hundreds of hairdressers, and the population is small. Prices here differ tremendously from the mainland. Kissa Salon is an upscale salon with expert hairstylists, yet our prices are set from $60 for what would start at $120 to $200 in Los Angeles or New York. Many of my mainland clients realize this value, so they keep coming back.
Overall, I feel fortunate to have made Hawaii my home. This is where my family and friends are. Kissa Salon will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in August, and so far, I see our business growing. Having more clients and friends is something I always look forward to.
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