This salon at the epicentre of Bangalore’s shopping district is constantly buzzing with energy as stylists snip and truss hair with a flourish, turning it from blasé to beautiful, and make-up artists accentuate natural beauty with top-of-the-line cosmetics from the world’s leading brands. While most parlours claim exclusive allegiance to a single cosmetic conglomerate, Spratt gives its clientele more brands to experiment with.
Spratt made news as the city’s first unisex salon when it was set up by the late Rita Spratt in 2002. Trained in London, Rita brought more than 20 years of experience to the circuit and initially conceptualised Spratt to tend only to hair designing, seeking ''to make people aware of the difference a hair-do can make to one's personality, and to introduce the concept of hair designing and its importance to the city.''
In 2004, Spratt extended its services to include beauty and spa services as well. Rita’s daughters Gauri and Shauna now run Spratt as a one-stop luxury salon for the body beautiful.
With award winning hairstylists and a reputation for taking hair seriously, the salon has chalked up a varied profile of clients - college-goers who save up to get their hair styled just so, professionals getting a last minute touch-up prior to a meeting, and glitterati breezing in to get primped for a night on the town.
Stylists, who are trained both at Spratt’s academy for hair dressing and by international experts, pay attention to the client’s face structure, skin colour and personality before recommending a cut, colouring or spa treatment, and a trichologist educates customers on hair care and maintenance.
“People are very conscious about the way they look, are aware about the products and treatments and do not stint in taking care of themselves,” Gauri says. Shauna adds, “Grooming has become more of a necessity than a luxury, and even men are paying more attention to their appearance