MILAN, Italy – A lot of business-minded Filipinos here are inspired by the story of the only legally-existing beauty parlor in the city that is owned and operated by a Filipino couple.
Despite the large expenditures in opening such business, the same did not prevent Spouses Emmanuel and Aileen Guaza from establishing Emmanuel and Aileen Parrucchiere and Estetica, which is conveniently situated at the very heart of this fashion city.
There are other equally skilled and competent Filipino hairdressers but they only operate home-based.
While Emmanuel finds less expensive operating home-based as they would be spared from paying taxes, he says that it is still pays to do the business without any fear of being apprehended for illegal operation.
He encourages other hairdressers to follow their footsteps “Huwag silang tumigil, alam ko namang nandun na sila eh, nadun na sila so kailangan na lang nila ay mag-aggionemanto saka kung ano yun hinihingi ng italian government, sundan nila yun dahil hindi naman mahirap eh, hindi mahirap, tayo lang yung nagsasabing mahirap pero sa totoo lang hindi sya mahirap.”
Emmanuel’s skills and talent in hairdressing is highly admired not only by his Filipino clients but also his foreign clients. His Pinoy clients claim that it does not bother them to wait because it is worth it, coming out of E&A beauty parlor satisfied of their service.
Aurora Lopez, a regular customer says “lagi namang maganda kaya pabalik balik dito, yes satisfied, pabalik-balik, laging may anak, lagi akong may dalang client nya.”
Emmanuel’s close friends profess that hairdressing is an in-born talent of him. He started doing this way back in high school rendering his services to his friends for free. He was given the break to hone further his skills when he went to Manila and joined the different trainings offered by companies manufacturing high quality hair treatment products. The bigger opportunity to be trained and be better equipped presented itself to him when Emmanuel came to London.
Emmanuel shares: “samantala kapag ikaw ay isang international hair dresser kailangan gamit mo lang ay brush at saka yung blower so kapag sinabi curl? I-cu-curl mo ng curly iron…natutunan ko .lahat yan sa London, pati yun preparation ng pagkukulay,.. yun buhok mo, pati kaloob-looban ng iyong buhok.”
In the following months, Filipinos in Milan could expect to see branches of E&A Parrucchiere operating in the busy streets of Milan as the couple plans to have their business franchised. (ZITA BARON)
