As exclusive as the bride

LAHORE:

For the local beauty industry, the most critical (and lucrative) aspect of their business are brides. Ask any make-up artist and she will tell you that this is where they make their money and even more crucially, this is what makes or breaks their salon’s image in the market. A new contender in the vast market of salons is Asmaa Mumtaz’s venture The Dresser. Whether it be fashion shoots or styling retail brands or catering to personal ‘pimpin’ packages of one-to-one sessions forcreating the perfect look for her clients, Mumtaz has left no gaps for competition to seep in from.

“We know how stressful marriage can be,” states her florescent pink press release. “At the dresser we guarantee that on this ‘oh-so-special’ day you’ll not only look great but feel great too. How? Because we keep ‘you’ in our mind, your body shape, your skin tone and type, your face shape, your sanity. And then we work our magic.” Given Mumtaz’s training from the London College of Fashion on personal styling and significant experience in fashion, one can expect her to understand the odious fear young women face during bridal season. For instance, not to look like a fruitcake or a frosty meringue. “This is not a mass production factory where one person puts the base, the other places the eyelashes etc. The entire make-up, from start to finish, is done 100 per cent by me,” says Mumtaz adding that, “This is an absolute personalised service so we don’t have more than two brides a day.”  The process takes four hours and begins with extensive pampering (massages, pedicures etc) to calm jittery nerves and concludes with the make-up at the salon which is the bride’s exclusive boudoir for that time.

Mumtaz is known for indulging in full consultation with the client, demanding snippets of the wedding ensemble, often advising them on whether that particular colour combination suits their skin tone or not. “We pay attention to things like whether the marriage is arranged or not, what the groom looks like, what his height is and even allow for the groom to dress here with his bride to make the whole process as comfortable and home-like as possible. “The result of this is confidence, which is the secret of being beautiful,” states Mumtaz.

Clients such as Divya Gulati, who live abroad but got married in Lahore speaks highly of the services provided, “I loved and thoroughly enjoyed my experience at The Dresser. Chic decor, refreshing welcome drinks, relaxing massage and having the entire place to ourselves — we felt like royalty!” Gulati was even more thrilled that her groom got pampered as well with a massage.

Apart from the indulgence, Mumtaz’s quality of being a ‘good listener’ has helped her score high with her clients like Amina Shah. “Asmaa took time to listen to my ideas, made suggestions and worked with me to create the right look.”

With wedding season coming up in full aplomb, the rat race for bridal appointments has begun. Potential brides are already queuing to sign up for salons and make-up artistes. In such a haywire situation, one can only hope brides get their desired look without too much hassle.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2011.