Focus on business: Hair by Myriam & Co
Myriam Vanergas took over the hairdressing salon at 280 Portobello Road eight months ago. Myriam’s is a friendly neighbourhood hairdresser, offering stylish cuts for normal people at affordable prices.
Myriam has been in the hairdressing business for a dozen years and has lived in London for fifteen. She arrived here as a refugee from her native Colombia with two young children and a third on the way.
‘I worked as an auditor for a multinational company in Colombia, but I had to make a new start in London. I actually started cutting my own children’s hair with a clipper from Argos and found that I had an aptitude for it. So I started a hairdressing course at Kensington and Chelsea College on Wornington Road.
‘That went so well that I actually became a hairdressing tutor at the College, and I started working in other people’s salons. Then I set up my first business in 1998 in Elephant and Castle.’ She then moved to Queensway before taking the Portobello Road Salon.
‘This is a dream come true for me - it’s just round the corner from where I live here in Golborne and I’d been looking for a premises round here for years.
‘As well as cutting and styling we do extensions, manicures and pedicures, colouring, permanent straightening and waxing.’
Myriam still teaches hairdressing at Kensington and Chelsea College and she also offers hairdressing training privately at her salon.
Men are also catered for at the salon, with a full male grooming service that includes haircutting, shaving, massage, manicure and pedicure.
Your correspondent could not resist trying the face massage and traditional wet shave with cutthroat razor. I have to say that this was my first experience of being shaved by someone else – and it was quite wonderful. In the capable hands of Imad, I received a luxury service which is available at a very reasonable £15.
Myriam is also happy to cut children’s hair at very reasonable prices.
Myriam’s is at 280 Portobello Road. Call 020 8968 6663.