By Gaurav Ghosh and Shubha Gopalawal.
Blanca’s is one of Mumbai’s most fashionable beauty salons.
Its owners, who live in the trendy, posh Kutchi neighborhood of Old Mumbai, have been on a mission to reinvent the salon as an upscale, contemporary salon.
“We wanted to open a salon in the fashionable Kutcha neighborhood of Mumbai where we feel comfortable, in the fashion and the fashion-conscious people,” says the owner of the beauty salon.
It has been a long journey to achieve this goal.
In 2015, the owner decided to open the salon on a quiet residential street in Old Mumbai.
“This is the first salon that opened on this street and we have been working for more than three years on this project,” says owner Anurag Chaudhuri.
It is one thing to open an upscale beauty salon; it is another to make a splash in Mumbai’s crowded fashion scene.
“Our vision is to be a part of the fashion community and a fashion house.
We want to give our clients something to look forward to and to show them the new trends in Mumbai,” says Chaudduri.
His business model is to offer high-end beauty products at affordable prices.
“There is a high demand in the Mumbai fashion scene, so we have tried to cater to this need,” he adds.
“The salon will offer top-quality products at the lowest prices in the city.”
The owners are aiming to attract the younger clientele, and offer the salon the same quality as the rest of the Indian luxury beauty industry.
“I think this is a first in Mumbai.
There are several upscale beauty saloons in Mumbai, but we are trying to cater towards the more mature and affluent customers.
I think we are succeeding,” says an admirer of the salon, who asked to be identified only as Mr. N. He is a 25-year-old professional who has been working in the business for about a year.
“My family is from Mumbai and I have always loved luxury beauty products.
I love this place,” he says.
In the first year of operation, Mr. Chaudsur has opened two beauty saloon in Old Bombay, and the salon is now expanding to the city’s trendy Kutchan area.
The salon’s customers range from wealthy and fashion-minded men to middle-aged women.
Mr. C. is a 23-year old fashion photographer.
“Blanca is an exciting place.
We will definitely be expanding the salon,” says Mr. B. He works for a fashion magazine and he has a close relationship with the owners.
“Everyone who has visited us has come for a good experience.
We have a lot of clients and it’s a great atmosphere,” he concludes.
A stylish, modern, upscale beauty bar The owners say that their business model reflects their commitment to the Mumbai lifestyle.
“If you look at our website, we have a list of the products we offer.
We also offer our customers a lot.
We are a modern, stylish, upscale bar,” Mr. Shishiraj says.
Mr. N adds that the salon will cater to both the younger and the older customers.
“Most of our clients come from a middle class family, and they can afford luxury products.
For them, we are catering to the older, wealthy and wealthy.
We cater to people who can afford it, who are ready to spend more,” he points out.
Mr Chaudisur says the salon offers both male and female models.
“Male models can choose from our range of high-quality makeup and cosmetics and also some of our other products like body creams, eyeliners, nail polish, face creams and hair products,” he explains.
“And we have also started offering our female models in a variety of products, from blush to lipsticks.”
Mr N says that the hair and makeup stylists at the salon have been trained in the art of creating a flawless look.
“All our stylists are very knowledgeable in their craft.
They can also do custom styling, make your own makeup, make custom nail polish and make your hair extensions,” he notes.
The salon is open from 10 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
It charges a fee of Rs.1,000 for a salon visit and Rs.600 for a weekend salon visit.
As part of its new beauty salon venture, Mr Chaundiur has partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology in India (FITI) to develop a salon-like experience in Mumbai for both men and women.
“It’s our mission to provide our customers with a unique, stylish and premium experience.
For the customers who come to us for the first time, we want to show a very different side to the traditional beauty salon model,” he observes. “The
