Renowned French hair stylist Jean-Michel Faretra is an artistic ambassador for Wella International and Clairol Professional and has worked on haute couture shows in Paris and Milan.
In April 2015 he opened his first salon, Faretra Paris, close to the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, a chic, high end 100sqm salon on two levels. Jean-Michel Faretra spoke to Cosmetics Business Markets about the salon launch.
How have the first few months been since you opened the salon?
As I have worked for 20 years and have already had several salons in Paris, my clients followed me to this new address with its designer decor. Women and men like the style, the atmosphere and the finesse of the salon.
They feel as comfortable here as in each of my previous salons, so I have no loyalty problem. However, as I have chosen a young, dynamic and super motivated team, they need little time to find their own customers.
For that, we have set up special offers since we opened, including attractive rates for a defined period, VIP cards, product discounts, as well as a communication plan involving social media including Facebook. The difficult economic period remains, but things are falling into place slowly but surely.
Which products do you sell in the salon, and what types of products are consumers looking for?
As an ambassador to Wella Professional in France and around the world, I use the brand’s products and that of its sister brand Sebastien. In the current season we are being asked primarily for summer hair care products as well as shampoo and care products for coloured hair. They are used in the salon so that everyone can see their effectiveness and benefits. We then propose that they continue to use them at home to extend the beauty and health of their hair.
What is the biggest trend in your salons?
This is undoubtedly V colouration, a technique which is a speciality of Faretra Paris. Colour is applied in a V shape to hair from half way down the hair to the ends. The colour can be made more intense or subtle, depending on the thickness of the tip of the V, which can be upper case, V, or lower case, v.
