Shammal Qureshi wins best salon director award at Toni&Guy International

Shammal Qureshi wins best salon director award at Toni&Guy International

Award shows Pakistan rising as fashion destination

London, 19^th October 2012:  Shammal Qureshi and his team at Toni&Guy Lahore have yet again increased Pakistan’s visibility on the global fashion map after winning the Best Salon Director award from Toni&Guy International in London this year. Shammal, who is in London for the awards, was nominated last year after having opened Toni&Guy Lahore only 2 years before. Since then the phenomenal growth of Toni&Guy’s clientele and their award worthy participation in successive Fashion Weeks and Bridal Weeks put the creative team and Shammal firmly in the running for the award. Toni&Guy Lahore opened their doors in 2009 and have grown in reputation and clientele since then.

Shammal is the first Pakistani to be given such a prestigious award by Toni&Guy, and was selected as the winner from a global network of hundreds of Toni&Guy franchises.

Speaking about the award, Shammal Qureshi said, “This is truly an outstanding recognition for all the work that my team has put in. We are truly elated and humbled at the same time with this recognition; It’s not about me or any one person, but how all of us have come together with passion and determination to make Toni&Guy Lahore one of the best salons in the global franchise. This makes all the hard work worth it.”

Toni&Guy Lahore was established in August 2009 at M.M. Alam Road, followed shortly after by an outlet in DHA in June 2011. Under the guidance of owner and creative director Shammal Qureshi, Toni&Guy has changed the rules of hairdressing and style in Lahore. In the space of just a few years, Shammal has cemented his reputation as a hairdresser and stylist, known for his innovative techniques and creative styles.

Great cuts, fabulous colour, and simple styling for maximum impact, as well as educating clients about the basics of a well-groomed lifestyle, is the Toni&Guy Lahore philosophy. All Toni&Guy Lahore hairdressers are fully qualified, having completed the minimum four-month training session. They progress to the Toni&Guy In-house Diploma, which includes six weeks of intensive training on all Toni&Guy techniques at one of Toni&Guy’s international academies. January 2013 will also see the opening of a new international academy where Toni&Guy will be providing external courses as well.

Toni&Guy Lahore also exclusively offers a wide range of Toni&Guy hair care products (including the Label M series of premiere hair care and styling products), electrical hair products, as well as the award-winning Leighton Denny Expert Nails and Footcare Range, Racoon Hair Extensions, and revolutionary Nanokeratin Hair Smoothing, Repairing and Straitening System.

Shammal Qureshi

Shammal Qureshi is the dynamic young entrepreneur and stylist responsible for bringing the world famous Toni&Guy brand to Lahore. Hailing from a background in beauty and haircare, Shammal’s entry into the world of high-end style and grooming seemed almost inevitable. Shammal’s mother is Karachi’s famous Peng Qureshi, the owner and proprietor of Peng's Hair and Beauty clinic, a veritable Karachi institution. However, his journey towards becoming a Pakistani style icon did not start immediately.

Shammal attended college in Canada, where he completed bachelors in business from the University of Western Ontario. He began his career working with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and then later City FM89. It was not until later life that Shammal decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps, joining Toni&Guy London.

Over the next three years, Shammal completed his professional cut and colour courses and also had the honor of working with Toni Moscolo, one of the founders of the famous salon brand, at the prestigious Toni&Guy salon at Sloan Square in London. During this time, he also completed a number of management diplomas in customer service, human resources and management specifically for the Sloane Square salon.

As part of the Toni&Guy family, Shammal goes to London twice a year for ongoing training and refresher courses, enabling him to keep up on international hair trends and sciences. Shammal’s certifications include as Certified Stylist and Colour Technician from the Toni&Guy Academy, London, and as Certified Skincare Trainer from the Guinot Institut, Paris. He additionally keeps a constant eye out for other courses and certifications that will help him grow and develop as a stylist and haircare expert.

In 2011, Shammal was nominated as Best Salon Director at Toni&Guy’s prestigious International Annual Awards. Shammal is not only the only Pakistani to have been nominated for the International Annual Awards, he is also the youngest salon director ever. Shammal was also nominated as Best Stylist at Pakistan’s glamorous 2011 Lux Style Awards and again for the 2012 awards. He is also one of the few Pakistani stylists to have worked in international fashion forums, such as the London Fashion Week.

Currently, Shammal is the owner of two Toni&Guy Franchise Salons in Lahore, located at M.M. Alam Road in Gulberg and in DHA. He is also the Creative Director and Brand Ambassador for Toni&Guy Lahore and Label.M hair care products, and the Creative Consultant and Trainer for L’Oreal in Pakistan, as well as the exclusive distributor for Guinot Institut products. His clientele hail from amongst the country’s leading celebrities, models and fashion icons.