18 The Colorist
| MARCH/APRIL 2017 |
thecoloristmag.com
Salon Nine | SAN FRANCISCO Business is booming at Gina Kahn and Vijai
Manilal's salon, thanks to a rebrand, relocation and innovative thinking.
color trends om coa to coa !
San Francisco
urban renewal
GINA KAHN
VIJAI MANILAL
[ EST. 1999 ]
owners
PLUS:
GARDEN CITY, MI
MALIBU, CA
SOUTHBURY, CT
PHOTOGRAPHY:
COURTESY
OF
SALON
NINE;
LOTUS
ABRAMS
top
op
STELLAR
SALONS
Facing a declining younger clientele and increased competition, renowned colorist Gina Kahn
and husband and partner Vijai Manilal made the bold decision two years ago to relocate their San
Francisco-based Gina Kahn Salon and rebrand it as Salon Nine. The new bi-level location, just
one block away, features a walk-in friendly ground-fl oor entrance; a clean, modern design; walk-
in-only blow-dry and color bars designed to appeal to younger clients; and moveable stations that
allow Salon Nine to host TIGI education events and parties for the rotating art exhibits featured on
the salon's walls. They also ditched the front desk in favor of mobile, tablet-wielding receptionists,
facilitating effi cient check-ins and check-outs and increased appointment pre-bookings. The salon
now attracts a varied clientele, from young techies and artists to CEOs, with creative color looks,
low-maintenance gray coverage and soft ombrés in demand. "We've defi nitely seen an uptick in
business because of the rebranding," Kahn says. "You just have to keep trying new things."
retail lines
KÉRASTASE, PEACE, TIGI
color line
TIGI
e market today is being driven by
millennials," Manilal says. "In this
world now you have to innovate,
otherwise you're dead in the water.