Introducing Marie Nahas Salon; a luxe new hairdressing destination in the heart of Melbourne’s high street.
Brainchild of EVY Pro Star ambassador and Matrix Design team member Marie Ricupito, Marie Nahas Salon combines a deluxe, European-inspired sophistication with a warm salon ambience, offering clients a relaxing beauty haven amidst the hustle and bustle of Melbourne’s CBD.
And gorgeous hair, no less.
A culmination of Marie’s decades of hairdressing experience, business acumen and a growing passion for the industry, Marie Nahas Salon offers a spectrum of colour, cut and styling services – with an emphasis on client satisfaction, premium results and retail education for at-home maintenence.
To celebrate the salon’s anticipated opening, we caught up with Marie herself for a peek inside the stunning new space.
TJ: Tell us about Marie Nahas Salon.
MR: Marie Nahas Salon is a luxury hairdressing destination located on Melbourne’s iconic high-street, Malvern Road.
Surrounded by luxury boutiques and eateries, the salon is an open and light-filled 98 meter square space, with every aspect of the fit-out designed with the salon guests’ comfort and relaxation as our top priority.
The high ceiling with industrial, exposed fittings acts as a dynamic contrast to the soft wood furnishings and scattered greenery incorporated throughout the salon.
Our 14 workstations, beautifully frame the central retail island that showcases our professional retail offerings. The front of the salon is a dedicated relaxation zone for clients wanting to quietly sit and take time out of their busy lives.
TJ: What motivated you to set up shop on Malvern Street in Melbourne?
MR: I have always had a dream to open a premium hair destination in one of the high-end fashion precincts of Melbourne. After parting ways with my previous salon, I was really starting with a blank canvas to build my dream salon.
I was very fortunate to have the support of Joseph Lattouf, who in a matter of days helped me find the incredible space I am in now.
TJ: What inspired the salon’s design and aesthetic?
MR: The custom designed high-end aesthetic was inspired by luxury European fashion brands, and paired with a warm, welcoming ambiance that ensures our salon guests feel relaxed and pampered.
I took inspiration from the simplicity of brands such as Celine and Dior, who have a beautiful understated elegance and aesthetic. This is what I wanted for the space; a simply, classy and refined design that was complimented by warm tones of wooden textures and furnishings.
TJ: Any notable features or details that you love?
MR: The salon is right next door to an incredible café, and we are blessed to be collaborating with them to provide service for our salon guests.
The incredible staff hand-deliver food and beverages to our salon clients as requested. For those wanting a lighter refreshment, we have an in-salon café space where guests can have a coffee or wine in the communal relaxation zone. It really has been incredible to see our salon guests mingling and relaxing together over drinks while their colour processes.
Our central professional retail island is also a huge feature of the salon. As hairdressing professionals, it is vital that we educate and equip our salon guests with correct home care regimes. Our beautiful retail island is a key design focus for the salon and opens up conversation around product and home care with our clients.
TJ: What brands/products are stocked on site and why?
MR: We are proudly a Matrix colour salon and also offer their retail range. As part of the Matrix Design team I have been part of the Matrix family for over 16 years and love the results their colour range produces for my clients.
We also stock EVY PROFESSIONAL tools (of course!) and ELEVEN Australia and Kérastase care and styling products. I wanted to be able to offer my clients diversity of product choice, with well-established luxury brands that I know produce consistent and premium results.
TJ: What services are offered?
MR: We offer a full spectrum of professional colour, cut and styling for both men and women.
TJ: Tell us about the team at Marie Nahas salon. Any staff incentives?
MR: I am so grateful to have an incredible team working with me at the salon. Throughout my career, I have always viewed my salon staff as an extension of my family and I couldn’t be more proud of the Marie Nahas Salon Team.
Laura Kromnidellis, my salon coordinator has worked with me for an incredible 24 years and is an integral part of the salon family. As the face of Marie Nahas Salon she welcomes each and every guest with her happy, positive demeanour.
Anthea Elia, is a senior stylist that has been part of my team for two years, bringing with her over ten years hairdressing experience. Deeply passionate about all aspects of her craft, Anthea is a colour and styling specialist.
French native Florian Marconot has recently joined the Marie Nahas Salon team from his European homeland. With over 12 years experience in all facets of professional hairdressing, Florian is an expert in colour, particularly balayage and foils, and is well regarded for his premium high-fashion womens’ haircuts and styling.
And last but not least, Salon Assistant Liam Clarke joins the Marie Nahas Salon team as our youngest and most energetic team member. Liam started his hairdressing career undertaking work experience for me and I quickly identified his natural skill and passion – offering him a permanent job with the team.
Incentive wise, we offer our staff attractive commissions, further education, and opportunities to assist on photo shoots and alongside myself at Matrix shows and events. For me it is really important for my team to feel they have opportunity for continued growth and development.
TJ: Can you share any professional highlights from your career thus far?
MR: I have had so many highlights, where do I begin…
Being part of the Matrix Design Team, and an Ambassador for EVY PROFESSIONAL are both incredible honours. For these highly regarded brands to respect and value my experience and passion – enough to welcome me into their inner brand circles – is something I will never take for granted. I love educating and get so much joy from giving back and sharing my knowledge with fellow hairdressers.
Being involved with the Matrix Design team has given me the experience to work nationally and internationally with some of the most incredible artists and I am truly grateful for that experience. Likewise, sharing my Matrix business mentoring nationally for the past seven years has been such a career highlight; working with so many salons and salon owners to help grow and advance our industry is a privilege.
Having staff that have worked with me their whole careers (or close to) is really one of my biggest highlights. I am so proud to be able to create a work environment that people want to stay a part of. To have that positive impact on peoples’ work lives makes the trying times worth it.
TJ: What are some common misconceptions people have around salon ownership? Anything you wish you knew before starting your journey?
MR: I think often times people don’t realise that there are always challenges in salon ownership and that no matter what level of success and profitability you achieve, you never really get comfortable. Business inevitably has its ups and downs; there will always be staff challenges and economic considerations – so the road is never straight.
You have to be “always on”, willing to adapt and learn to keep your business evolving and growing.
As an industry, I think we could all learn a little more about premium service delivery. I was fortunate to be guided in the importance of excellent customer care from early on in my career and taught that you always have to roll out the red carpet for your clients – with each and every appointment. New, old, family or friends, each client must receive nothing less than your very best service with each salon interaction.
TJ: Any big challenges faced along the way?
MR: I think every business owner faces trials and challenges on a daily basis, but there certainly have been key times in my life that were more difficult than others.
Working through a recession when you have a young family (with triplet babies, may I add) to provide for was a difficult period. As salon owners, we have staff that we are responsibility for; who rely on us to provide and care for their own families. So, we need to be able to adapt and evolve to keep our businesses moving forward.
I was blessed in my life to have the strong foundation of my family to guide and support me. My family were refugees from Lebanon, who came to Australia with nothing. The freedom and opportunities we were afforded when coming here have never been lost on me. Sure, business is hard, but when you have lived in a bomb shelter in a war-torn country you have a deeply profound perspective on just how trivial many things we worry about on a daily basis are.
TJ: How can prospective clients get in touch?
MR: They can reach out to us online, via phone or email. Or even better, pop in to the salon in person: 1256 Malvern Road, 3144 Malvern, Victoria.
Visit: http://www.marienahassalon.com.au or contact (03) 9822 8338 info@marienahassalon.com.au for more information.