The Fort's mane attraction

MANILA, Philippines – On the one side, he is a cut above the rest. On the other, he does cuts that are above the rest. Either way you look at it, Paris-trained Laurent Hebert is currently enjoying his spot in the limelight — in the hair-styling and coloring industry, that is.

“I really don’t like competition,” Laurent says cheerfully when I meet him at the Franck Provost Studio at The Fort. “What’s important to me is I do my job, do it very well and my customers love me. And that they come back here.” Laurent says rivalry is the farthest thing from his mind. “I just do what I have to do,” he adds. And he definitely delivers. No wonder his long list of loyal customers includes people who are regulars in society columns or those whose opinions matter in the fashion and beauty industry.

Laurent furthers that he takes pride that people frequent the Franck Provost Studio for the first-class standards and personalized service that he and his staff of eight offer. “Some customers go here and they already know what they want done to their hair. But most of the time, they aren’t sure of what hair style best suits them,” shares Laurent, who is known for his unconventional way of cutting tresses — he does it standing up. (He explains that when the customer is standing up, he gets to have a better view of her hair than when she is seated because the customer has the tendency to slouch.) “So they would consult me and it feels good that they trust me.” And why not? Laurent has numbers to prove his expertise — and they are quite impressive: he started cutting hair at 16, attended hair-styling school for five years, worked and gained experience in the City of Lights for 10 years, was at the helm of Franck Provost Philippines (the first international franchise) for three years and is responsible for the success of the salon’s branch at The Fort for the last five months. “Even with the economic recession, the operation of the studio has been very smooth. I cannot say it went up, but it did not go down. It’s been smooth sailing for the past months,” admits Laurent.

It just goes to show that recession or no recession, the Filipinos’ desire to look good (and with a chic haircut from Franck Provost, feel good as well) isn’t affected by the crisis. Laurent even observes, “I think the Filipinos are very fashionable people. I see how they wear their clothes, put accessories, both men and women. Filipinos like dressing up and they are a step forward when it comes to fashion.” That is quite a mouthful from someone who came from one of the fashion and beauty capitals of the world.

Raising the (Color) bar

Laurent also observes that aside from a good hairstyle, color is also something that a person can use to make a statement. That is why the Franck Provost line in Manila introduced its latest addition — the Franck Provost Studio, which specializes in color through its Color Bar. The idea of an FP Studio stemmed from its Paris counterpart, which is housed in an actual studio. “I am very excited for the Studio, particularly the Color Bar concept that we have created. Here, the customer is able to be a part of the whole coloring process. She gets to see exactly what goes into her hair and has a say in every step of the way,” says Laurent, who adds, “I realize how scary it can be sometimes, especially when the customer is unsure which way to go. Which is why here in the Studio, I urge the stylists to always be transparent with the customer. That way, we earn the customer’s trust.”

Scissors-savvy Laurent also discloses that for him, there are no strict rules in choosing the right color. “Color is not merely to make a fashion statement. I would like for the cut and color to reflect the true personality of the customer. Here, we treat each customer different and unique.”

* * *

After 10 years, Franck Provost Manila continues to provide first-rate service to its esteemed set of supportive patrons and looks forward to yet another decade of excellence — especially now that it has French stylist Laurent Hebert, Franck Provost Manila’s “mane” attraction.