35 years and counting: Daring to dream and deliver

With programme for transgender community in the pipeline, Masarrat and Redah Misbah share what’s next for Depilex

LAHORE:

For Masarrat Misbah and her daughter Redah Misbah of Depilex, beauty is only skin deep. In an industry often shrugged off for being superficial, it is this evolved and refreshing perception of beauty that has secured the Misbahs an unyielding spot in the industry for the past 35 years. Although Masarrat passed on the mantle to Redah in 2008, she still spearheads the Depilex Smile Again Foundation and overlooks the Depilex empire. In Redah’s hands, 42 branches operate across the country and she has held down the fort with persistence and foresight. The Express Tribune sits down with the mother-daughter duo to discuss where the brand is headed and the obstacles they’ve faced in the past.

Starting with a small setup in 1980, Masarrat recollects, “There were two or three other salons in Karachi at the time and we started the trend of doing make-up for models, TV anchors and newscasters. There was no concept of professional and affordable beauty at the time.” Now, they run the gamut with having introduced the halal make-up line to establishing salons for men and women and training centres, along with a foundation for acid and burn victims. “When people think salons, they think glamour. But there’s so much anatomy and physiology involved in running them that it’s like any other business,” notes Redah.



They have a network of franchises that systematically covers the market with a revised business model, which Redah conceived in 2008. Citing the Nike business model that covers a huge chunk of the market with their subsidiary brands Converse and Cole Haan, Redah shares this is what their business is based on. For women, they have Santè the Salon (low tier) and Depilex (middle tier), and for men, they have Depilex Men (low tier) and Lounge by Depilex (middle tier). In a couple of years, they plan on opening a high tier spa called The Haven.

“But if I had to pick, education is where our focus lies and that is 70% of what our three-year plan is based on,” remarks Redah. Their educational system has also been divided into three tiers. Depilex College of Cosmetology is high tier, Depilex Institute is middle tier, and the Depilex Vocational Training Centre is low tier. This way, it is accessible to everyone and all their staff is trained in these institutions.



“We made a manual with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as Pakistan’s National Vocational Qualifications, specifically to set the parameters for Pakistan as there were none prior to this,” she goes on to explain. “The ILO did a survey to corroborate that the third-most popular job among Pakistani women is in the beauty industry, so someone has to take the responsibility to train them.” Masarrat shares big plans are under way. “We are starting a programme for the transgender community in collaboration with two other NGOs, but we’ve been hiring them at salons since years,” says a visibly proud Masarrat.

But her unprecedented ways have garnered criticism as much as they’ve been lauded. Widely known for training, helping recuperate acid and burn victims, she faced backlash for hiring people with deformities in a “place where people come to relax.” Masarrat states, “Clients would tell me they were not comfortable with this but I would tell them they have the choice to go anywhere else.” Initially, it affected their business but then “those same ladies came around to respect her,” Redah shares with Masarrat adding, “Where else will they [acid and burn victims] go if not here? Who will hire them as beauticians?”



With a string of branches, their prime aim is to maintain standards and uniformity in services. “We do a quality audit tour two times a year and have SOPs that have to be followed. We give three chances, which span a year-and-a-half, if they [the branches] can’t fix their teething troubles, we shut them down. The loss of quality is graver than the loss of quantity,” says Redah.

To celebrate their 35th anniversary, the team has planned a whole year of events for Masarrat and Redah, their staff, their franchises and clients. They are also planning on organising a fashion show in March and award ceremony, where three people from each of the 42 branches would be nominated for awards.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2016.

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