Mr. Jawed Habib Beauty and Fashion Expert

The exclusive tête-à-tête:

I am a Post Graduate of French literature from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Then I pursued special course in Advanced Cosmetology and Trichology from the London's Morris School of Hair Dressing and later a course in the art and science of Hair Styling and Grooming from the London School of Fashion.

I am in the third generation of this profession. Once hooked to this profession, I decided to not only achieve excellence in it but also to delve further and diversify into related streams of beauty industry.

» Did you always aspire to build your career in beauty care? How did you venture into this field?

Frankly speaking, not really exactly, after finishing my masters from JNU; I was confused about my career. Sending me to UK was basically my dad‘s decision and not mine. Having studied French I could have gone to France, but my dad was very comfortable sending me to UK to the same college, where he studied and here I am now.

Now I am hopeful my children would carry forward my efforts.

» Today, Jawed Habib is not just about hair styling but about a complete body care brand. How have you achieved it?

Yes, ‘Habibs’ is known as a complete personality makeover brand. Unlike my other family members, who restricted themselves to beauty parlours, I ventured out to reach out to the common man to generate awareness about the necessity of beauty education. For that, I started off with lots of seminars and workshops across the length and breath of the country. I educated and interacted with masses, knew their tastes and provided them a perfect mix of Indian and western hairstyling based on the science and Geometrical Systems. I also fee that PR skills also have helped me a lot to reach this position.

I have gained immensely from education in UK. A lot has changed in me while I studied and worked in UK. It not only taught me professionalism in my approach towards work but also respect for labour and values such as your work is just as same as worship.

Initially I was a very shy person but three years in UK has completely changed my whole personality and mindset. Working with different nationalities changed my thinking towards life and towards this profession.

I am also thankful to UK for teaching me to live for today and making sure that my today is the best possible one.

» When you came back to India, the situation was not very encouraging. You have seen the industry right from the scratch? How do you see the big change?

Yes, its true, when I returned to India in the year 1988, the beauty industry was just picking up.  

When I came to India, the hair cutting was not regarded as an art form. Talking about people opinion, many people believed in the saying ‘baal hi to katwane hein’( why bother so much for just a hair-cut) . The whole activity was limited to only hair cutting and not grown as a specialized field for beauty care.

Many people also did not have respect for this profession, they used to say....’achchaa.. aap baal  kat te ho'( so you cut hair).

But gone are those days, big change has taken place during the last fifteen years, I think, it all took off with the liberalization in the nineties, since when new trends and concepts did start being accepted.

I feel, what I did was, I added the glam factor to the field. Since then I have client from all strata, ranging from fashion world to bollywood to man on the street. But I owe my success to my expertise with scissors only. I always wanted to perform my work to my maximum best.

» How to popularize Beauty education in India? What has been your involvement in this regard?

Well…. I feel, so far, the biggest players which are active in imparting training in this field have come from private sector.

I think government should be more proactive in realizing the need for proper training for this field. I also believe that we have to make sure that our training is at par with global standards, then only we can address the emerging needs of the ever-changing global beauty-education scenerio.

‘Habibs’ has always been instrumental in educating masses about the utility of ‘looking good’ and its direct relation to ‘feeling good ‘. We have been working in the direction for quite a long time now.  We launched our first training academy long back in 1985 at a time when I myself did not know the art.
Now we have academies in every small town of India including baroda, Jaipur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Guwahati, Jamshedpur, Ludhiana, Jallandhar, Amritsar, Kathmandu and  several other places worldwide too.

For smaller towns, we are launching a series of budget saloons all across the country. our aim is to popularize Beauty- consciousness in the remotest Indian towns.
I have also come up with many books and multimedia solutions to educate our beauty-conscious community both in India and worldwide.

I know people living in far-flung areas find it difficult to come to Delhi and Mumbai to learn the nitty-gritties of Beauty-care; hence I have been conducting lots of seminars and workshops to educate masses, espacially for those living in smaller places. I have conducted about 400 seminars so far.
These seminars and workshops have surely made masses to realize that  there is so much more to this field than just mere haircutting. People now accept that it’s such a scientific, glamorous and skill- based profession.

» There are thousands of professionals in this field, but few achieve your status, what do you feel about this? what are the ins and outs one should master for this field?

Hmm... (Smiles)…I Don’t know whether I am successful or not, but the only thing I know is that I still have a long journey ahead. . One thing is also true for me; I am very passionate about my work. I believe in living in ‘today’ and dreaming sky-high.
  
From 10 in the morning to 7 in the evening, I am a hardcore professional armed with scissors. When back home. I don’t know how to cut hair... I am a complete family man.

Talking about other players in the professionals, don’t wish to criticize anybody but..I feel..they are not very ambitious, they are happy making some money. They should inculcate entrepreneurship skills and think out-of-the box. Every one has talent but the magic lies in translating that talent to bring expertise and making people know of your expertise. Today, even a nai wala (small-time barber) sitting under the tree got the talent but using it to one's maximum advantage makes the whole difference.

Out of my journey so far, I feel what really matters is the quality of your work and your overall personality and yes, building bonds with clients does help.

For this field… one should be open to changes…just as colors are changing and so are trends. Hence it’s very necessary to keep a close watch on the latest tools and techniques.

One should always be a ‘student’ in this field. He/she should be eager to learn. The moment you thought you have learnt everything, you are finished!
» What are different avenues open for professionals in this field?

The avenues are numerous; one can start a saloon, or a teaching academy. One can also try his hands as make up artist or writer on beauty affairs. One can become part of Multinational Color Company.

Besides, one can always become instructor; can freelance for films or for TV channels and stage shows.

» How creative and tough is Beauty care as a profession vis-à-vis other arts?

I believe, Beauty care is a very very challenging profession.  Though it is similar to painting yet tougher than a painter’s job.  A painter can always throw away his canvas and try another one but we can not ‘redo’ our actions. Once clients’ locks are cut, they are cut.

And above all, we have our biggest enemy the ‘mirror’ which shows to client what we have been doing to their hair. Our scissors can either make or mar one’s personality.

Tomorrow, Computers can be able be able to do everything but won’t be able to cut hair. The aesthetic sense can come only from humans.

My advice is every second year; practicing professionals should do a course in latest trends to keep themselves abreast with the latest tools and techniques.

» What is your advice to budding aspirants for this field?

For aspirants, I would say, they should first get their basics right. Think of any profession, be it journalism or other wise, every profession requires a paathshaala, school or academy of science to learn the basics of the desired profession. Hence, I believe, basic training matters a lot. There is no substitute for education.

This century belongs to fashion. Today no work is ‘chotta kaam’., nothing is 'small'..and definetely the so called 'small' is making big waves worldover. The only thing that  matters is how big you wish to make it.

Also always be prepared to learn and un-learn rules of the game.

Be a specialist and the best man in the field and the world will respect you!  


» If not Beauty care, what would Jawed Habib have been into?

(Smiles).. honestly speaking, once I get hold of a pair of scissors, I can not think of any other profession. Actually I never thought of any other profession other than this one.