Doan FayetDoan is building many bridges and opportunities. The fact that a hair salon can also become a collaborative space is a very refreshing idea - especially in Hong Kong. Doan is our very first male-identifying guest of Creative Womxn in Hong Kong because it is especially hairstyling where you can (and must be) creative as well. We both connected over inclusivity and diversity. I went to see his wonderful collaborative hair salon called Le Rendez-Vous in Central that was pulsing in vibrancy, fashionable vibe and art pieces as well. Thank you so much for reaching out - I love your studio. It’s very trendy, artsy and fashionable. So glad to be invited. Are you part of Women of Hong Kong? Because I believe that your profile popped up on my feed and I started following you since then. Thank you for your kind support. What brought you to have this idea of opening up a collaborative hair and beauty space? First of all it was because I think that I am a kind of a person who enjoys bringing people together. I like the diversity and variations of people from different communities, races, cultures. Actually, I am also an event organiser in Hong Kong for the LGBTQ+ community as well. I like gathering people together, no matter gender. Everyone comes together. And what I’ve noticed is how everyone is connected through music. I’ve been here for about 10 years and had quite a few contacts and friends . So that’s when I thought why don't I become a freelancer? The idea came from splitting the commission with the owners. And I wanted to do that - to open a salon for freelancers only without commitments. And then eventually when I took a walk and walked by the WeWork coworking space, this is where the idea hit. If this is a co-working space, why don’t I open up a salon space? This concept is actually already popular in Canada and some areas in the USA. And so far what they are doing in Europe is to have about 2 or 3 spaces in their own salon for freelancers. What’s good for them is that they don't have to, as freelancers, worry about the salon's monthly rental. How different is your salon from the other collaborative salons you can see in Canada or in Europe? I really wanted to focus on offering more art and fashion inspiration to the customers who come here and also the fact of this being an open space. So the first time when I came here I thought that it was fantastic that we had so much space. Why don't we combine art, hair, makeup culture and blend it collaboratively together? The moment when a woman walks into Le Rendez Vous space, she will know that she can get absolutely everything on spot - makeup, manicure, pedicure, eyelash extensions, waxing...everything under one roof. I am constantly looking for paint artists, nail artists , beauticians and hair artists to keep the space fresh all the time. Do you provide all of the products for all of the freelancers who come in? Yes, for the hair I do provide some of the product but in general I kindly suggest they bring their own. I provide the classic standards that are necessary - shampoo, conditioner, drinks such as water and coffee… Do you also choose what kind of people you want to work with here? Sure. We have a norm that needs to be carefully calculated to the rent - since we are in Central, it is higher as expected. I like taking on board mature and experienced professionals. It also comes from the rising expat clientele so to speak English is also very important. But I am so lucky to have the best of both so far - freelancers who speak Cantonese as well and are very flexible. The vibe in here is very important.Together we are on the same page and understand the customer’s needs. So this is what this salon needs - starts with an experience. In the future, I’d love this salon to become the centre of beauty and hair. Coming back to you and your creativity and the love that you have for the hair - where did it come from? Ohh it’s actually really funny, because I was actually in France studying clothing and fashion at first. I wanted to be a fashion designer but didn't like it very much. Then I went back to Vietnam for a holiday and to catch up with my family and friends, as Vietnam is where I’m originally from. When I was there I went to get a haircut in a salon that was owned by my mum’s friend. Then my mum’s friend after applying the hair gel on me told me to try to apply it by myself. And then he said that there is something about my work with hands and he said to go back to France and do the hairdresser training instead. That’s how I started. So I went back to France, quit my studies after 6 months and started my training and then working in Paris. How long did you live in Paris? 14 years. It seems like you have been through quite a lot of culture shocks... Yeah definitely. I actually also spent 1 year in Beijing and that was my halfway point of ending up here. What a journey. Where was the most significant change in hairstyle that you noticed or had to re-adapt yourself around? I think that there were two occasions actually. When I moved to Paris for the first time I was only 14 years old. It was a completely different culture. At that time I also did not speak French really well and it was very hard to understand people. But after 4 years I made some really good friends and then it all went very smoothly. But the biggest change was definitely moving from Paris to Beijing. Proper culture shock. In what ways? Because once again, I did not speak the language, I did not know any Mandarin. Very difficult to understand and people don't even speak English there. It was very difficult. Since I started doing hairdressing in Europe, in China it was completely different. 11 years ago they were all there into a very Korean style, Japanese style. Curly, wavy, very coloured or dyed...French style is very neat but always natural. So every work or commission that I’ve done there was still too natural for them. I didn’t make much money and people did not feel comfortable to pay me for what I have done - and that was even when I was working in a French salon. So that’s why I went and moved to Hong Kong - it’s much easier here. People speak English, French and it’s easier for me to communicate here. It's definitely very diverse here. Coming to Hong Kong, how did you start finding your first contacts? When I first arrived here I started working for this French salon and that’s how I started to know the community. First, it was all French - thanks to Facebook I’ve joined this group - French HK moms. Mums were my target audience I think. So I made my own Facebook page with all of my styles, haircuts that I have done and once when people saw it, they connected with me and started messaging me every single day and started to recognize my work as well. Thanks to the French community in Hong Kong, more and more people were reaching out and kept coming back to the salon. So this is how I started to build up my clientele. It is very easy to meet people here and everyone seems much more open minded as well. I also wanted to ask you about your initial idea - implementing a lot of art into your studio as well. What is the intention behind it? To be honest, before opening this salon I wasn't into art that much. Just after I started studying fashion design, I started to become more curious. 3 years ago I met a group of people who are DJs. They are very much into music and art combinations. That's how I got into art inspiration as well. So I go to art exhibitions by myself a bit more often, or my friends simply started to invite me to more art exhibition oriented events in Hong Kong. I got to know more people who taught me how to understand art a little bit more. For example when you go to a typical French restaurant in France, they always have some kind of artwork in their interior and since I got this space and looked at the wall, they were just very empty. Since I spoke to my friend who was already into art, everything came together. So instead of just putting a piece of art on the walls for the whole year, I like to keep it fresh and change the artworks every 2 to 3 months, so it is a nice change for our clients to see and also to get to know new Hong Kong artists. How do you find the artists? The previous owner Philip Georges is actually also very much into art. I think for the past ten years he became a serious collector and now he is actually organising his own virtual art exhibition online : Brouhahaart . That’s how I get to know and find the artists and also hear tips from my clients, friends and other recommendations. Every few months after the change the space looks very different. The very first artist we had here were very focused on pop art, fashion and vibrant colours since she used to be a professional model called Gaelle. The second artist exhibiting here was a Hong Kong drawer with classical landscapes such as Star Ferry landscapes etc - Richard Marc Crosbie. Our current exhibiting artist, Mildmia, is more different and I love her work because she loves music as well and gets inspired through techno music.It does not speak too much at first sight but when you look at it closely and understand the story behind her intention it is very fascinating. Coming back to the hair - what is the most popular hairstyle currently in Hong Kong that people want to wear? Right now, people really like balayage. Balayage is a French technique and since I love blonde hair I love how much you can learn from this technique of highlights. In general, people come here mostly for balayage. But in general nowadays hairdressing is very diverse and always pushing the whole industry. People now have more confidence in telling you what they want and what they like. They have their vision and then it really depends on the person as well. But also nowadays especially in Hong Kong what people really like is having light, blonde, pastel coloured hair. Colouring in general is very popular - trimming and cutting not as much. I was wondering how do you keep yourself up with the trends since they change so often? Mostly social media and Instagram. Just purely following all worldwide hairstylists across the globe. How quickly does the trend take to make it to Hong Kong? Not long at all, it is pretty much immediate. Instagram goes super fast. Like for example having rosy hair. But you need to know how to use your social media carefully and with balance. For the hairdressing profession it is a great tool that is very helpful. If you would have any tips and tricks on how to take proper care of your hair - what would they be? Do not wash your hair everyday. That is the first thing that I tell my clients. The hair can become greasy very easily, and it's very aggressive to your scalp. Removing the natural oil that is produced on our scalp is a natural protection to your skin. The more you wash it the more your scalp needs to work harder to produce the natural skin oil called sebum- and it does not provide the nutritions that your hair truly needs. Second thing would be that treatment is also very important - like a proper hair mask and doing it properly. Care about the hair condition properly, before you cut it or dye it. Hair, skins, nails go all together - and they all need the same nutritions and care. Visit Le Rendez-Vous Website: lerendezvous.hk/about-us
Follow Le Rendez Vous on Instagram: @lerendezvoushk Follow Doan's personal account on Instagram: @doanfayet
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AuthorAlex Edwards is a founder of Creative Womxn in Hong Kong who has media and journalism background but also experience in art community development and social media management. Archives
November 2022
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