Meet Our Residents : Sylvia Slow Hair
"Meet our Residents" is a series of articles designed to showcase the super projects of the super residents of the Grand Hospice temporary occupation. All the projects are divided into four themes: Sustainable Development, Community, Art & Culture, and Education & Health.
Sylvia, a self-employed hairdresser, opened her salon in the Grand Hospice a few months ago. Her values are strongly focused on sustainability and affordability. In addition to advocating important values, she is also involved in the circular economy, notably via the Zinne, Brussels' local currency.
She also wants to raise awareness of the socio-economic realities and devaluation of beauty-related professions. It's easy to see that there are all kinds of events around this profession, trade shows and awards, but we never talk about the professional problems that employees face on a daily basis. And yet, all these small salons contribute to a city's economy!
There are lots of hair salons in the Brussels metropolis. Sylvia stands out for her personality and the current "slow" concept she wants to develop in her salon. Find out more in this article!
Describe your business and your career change.
An experienced hairdresser for over 25 years, I got involved in this project because I had reached the age where I needed to question myself. After working in all the salons in Brussels, I was going in circles. I was just a number crunching numbers, and no one was ever grateful for my work, even though I put my heart and soul into it.
After 20 years as a boss, which never went well, it was THE perfect opportunity for a career change! I chose to create a concept revolving around the term "slow", a term that is frequently used these days. Slow hair is a principle that emphasizes sustainable practices that respect the environment. This is not an easy thing to do in hairdressing, since we use a lot of water, a lot of products and aluminum foil, for example.
In line with this trend, we're going to use 98% plant-based products, extracted exclusively from plants and flowers. We'll be using reusable papers that can be rinsed out, rather than Climazon (thermo-activators with ventilation), which use a lot of electricity: it's a way of saving energy. We also work with gentle coloring techniques, favoring natural lightening rather than very white blonds.
In practical terms, what does slow motion mean?
For me, slow is from the moment the customer enters until she leaves. My customers are taken care of from the moment they walk in the door. In fact, all hairdressers make a diagnosis, but the difference and my strong point is my commitment. I want to understand the customer's needs so that I can convey those desires in the best possible way.
For example, you go to the hairdresser and ask for your tips to be cut. In the end, sometimes 10 centimeters are cut off! I'm not the hairdresser who's going to force customers to undergo a transformation; I simply want to meet their needs. Every customer is respected, and that's the house's point of honor. It's akin to the slow-care principle, in that we analyze needs, get to know each other and take the time to diagnose and understand the hair's past. This concept also fits in well with the new economy, as we're moving away from the confines of the covid and many things have changed. Here, we don't take the customer hostage by forcing sales, we advise on demand.
The idea behind the project is also to raise awareness of the fact that this profession is too often devalued. To make a beautiful cut in a short time, we need years of experience. What's more, we need to raise awareness about money, because in today's society, we want everything for little money, and that's not possible when we use good products and work on a cut and color for 2 to 3 hours.
The slow concept is also synonymous with sustainability. It's essential to raise awareness of social and economic issues. That's what I'm trying to do by using plant-based products and recycling cut hair. We also join the circular economy via the Zinne, Brussels' local currency, which is accepted at the salon. All these values are important, and that's what drives the project and not just the project itself. It's what I try to do on a daily basis by buying second-hand, by recycling and by educating my children in this way.
Today I've created something that reflects me, from the decoration of my space, to the products I use and my philosophy. I hope you like it!
What are your financial resources?
It's clearly self-financing. I put all my savings into it so I wouldn't have to pay any monthly instalments. When I saw the call for projects, I came to visit the place and it was love at first sight! What's more, by putting my project into temporary occupation, it was the best way to get started without too much risk.
I'm supported by JobYourself, a company that supports young entrepreneurs. They gave me all the keys I needed, so a big thank you to them! It took me 3 years to build, develop and put this project on track. Now I can manage my time as I wish between my family life, my profession and my hobbies. I'm really happy to be part of the new economy.
What do you enjoy most about living at Grand Hospice?
Let's start by saying that entrepreneurship isn't easy. It's a lot of downsizing and questioning. After that, you really have to give it your all, so that makes things beautiful. The best moments I've had here are above all those spent with customers who really support my project and myself. The ones who understand where I want to go, who give me real support even though they're strangers. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!
Otherwise, one of the moments that really stood out for me was when I discovered the place and especially when I saw the garden! I'm a very natural person, and I find there's nothing nicer between two customers than to go outside for a coffee, and what's more, there's no colleague who's going to tell on me to the boss (laughs)! These are exceptional working conditions, you can't put a price on that. We're in an exceptional setting, we're lucky. You have to make the most of it and, above all, let others benefit from it!
Do you have a passion for hairdressing, or are you simply looking for new experiences? Come and take part in Sylvia's workshops. You'll find the dates in her diary on her official website.
You can also find the weekly activity "Les Jeudis Sympas" which aims to be inclusive, at a conscious price!
Want to follow the project? Click here !
And to find out more about the Grand Hospice's resident projects, go to here !