- Jaal Salon on it’s new vision for the future
This year, Jaal Salon, one of Colombo’s more exclusive salons, celebrated its 10th year. The last decade has seen great change, especially within the last two years, and Jaal is keenly aware of this, which is why it recently opened its doors fully post pandemic with a bold new vision for the future: A transition into wellness and a revamp of the many services it has to offer.
Brunch sat down with Jaal Salon Co-Founder Jalani Premadasa for a chat on the last 10 years and her plans for the next decade of Jaal.
Following are excerpts of the interview.
What got you into wellness and beauty?
I was always passionate about beauty and wellness as far back as I can remember. When I reached that point in my life where I wanted to pursue a career, beauty was a natural choice. I had no formal training, but I was determined and optimistic. I focused on putting the right team together and so far, I have evolved with my own recipe for what works in the beauty business. It’s still a work in progress, but It keeps my entrepreneurial spirit alive, and that’s what keeps me interested.
It’s been 10 years of Jaal Salon. What’s that been like? What’s your most powerful Jaal memory from the last decade?
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I started. The business has been very engaging for me in terms of dealing with challenges and exploring new opportunities, and I did not feel the time go by. That’s what’s special about the beauty business; you are constantly keeping up with all the innovations and changes, you never quite get used to it, and it feels new all the time. Like right now, Jaal is moving into a new phase and after 10 years, I am redefining what Jaal stands for.
My most powerful memory of Jaal is the day I launched. I was breaking many stereotypes. I was told I should not start a beauty business because of who my husband was, and by the time I launched, I had heard every reason why it was not a good idea. But on that day, seeing it all unfold tangibly was an amazing experience. I felt such a huge sense of accomplishment, especially because I had to overcome a lot of mental barriers to do it, and I am so glad that I did.
The pandemic has reshaped the wellness and beauty space. What was it like for Jaal?
It was daunting at first. Social distancing and the beauty business don’t go together. We had to first focus on making it safe for our customers and employees, and we are constantly working on that. Apart from that, facemasks and working from home have changed people’s preferences for beauty treatments. The pandemic has also made wellness more mainstream.
It really pushed us to take stock of where we were and the direction we want to take for the future. So overall, the tough times helped us reflect and be more innovative in our approach.
The year 2022 is an exciting year for us. The Jaal brand will stand for so much more going forward.
Moving into a post-pandemic world, what’s happening with Jaal next?
We are going to expand into wellness. The new direction for Jaal is also a culmination of my own personal wellness journey. We want to consider new locations and bring in a big dose of innovation when it comes to the treatments we offer.
You will also see a lot of new and interesting collaborations happening at Jaal; we want to ensure we have the best resources available for our customers. Hence, a relevant collaboration with Fazeena came about to make our transformation journey to a more sustainable one. Her management and fashion expertise will be a great addition to the beauty business.
One thing I know for sure is that the Jaal brand will not stop growing. Newer, better, and a more wholesome approach for us always.
