Meet an inspiring all-woman team who’s not afraid of hard work.
Story Katrine Anker-Nilsson pictures Wild Soul Photography.
Cerése Bouwer was born in Johannesburg and grew up on the KZN South Coast. “I was raised by a single mom who worked three jobs, so I know what hard work is all about and have learnt so much from my mom,” says Cerése. “During my high school years, mom met my late stepdad, Willem, who took one look at me and said: you’re a typical hairdresser – whatever that means,” laughs Cerése. “He offered to pay my studies at Terenzo International Hairdressing in Johannesburg, and I instantly fell in love with the hairdressing industry.”
After studying at Terenzo, Cerése completed her apprenticeship at Jeauval. “Following a couple of years at some of the top salons in Johannesburg I decided to take my journey further and join my mom here in KZN,” she says. “I worked for a salon in Hillcrest for four years. I worked extreme hours, by choice, building awesome relationships with my customers and always going the extra mile.”
The time came for Cerése to venture on her own. “Life threw some curveballs, and the journey was not easy. It was one of the biggest challenges of my life. My salon was barely open six months when they announced lockdown. But through hard work, dedication, passion and continuous support from customers, my business survived and bounced back better than ever,” smiles Cerése proudly. “I started my salon with my own savings and no financial backing from any sponsors. My team now consists of two highly qualified stylist and two incredible assistants. We’re a dynamic team of women who love to inspire each other and see each other grow.”
Once lockdown was lifted, Cerése Hair Design outgrew their small rental space. “I decided to move to my own premises, where both myself and my mom’s salons could be combined and grow together.” Cerése’s mom, Mariette Bouwer, owns and runs Body Sense Laser Lipo. She has been in the industry for more than 25 years and specialises in body and skin health care – with treatments including laser lipo, faradic slimming, lipolytic slimming, radiofrequency facials and derma pen skin needling. “My mom is my superhero, and today we are finally living our dream – running our own independent businesses where we like to empower other businesswomen to do the same. To us it’s all about networking and supporting small businesses,” says Cerése.
“While moving and building towards the end of last year, I received the devastating news of the passing of my dad. But despite the heartache and challenges, I pulled through and we officially opened our new salon in November,” says Cerése. “December was the busiest month in my career – with new customers travelling from as far as Ballito, Pietermaritzburg and the South Coast.”
Cerése’s goes by the name Blonde Doctor – offering 42 different shades of blonde to suit all skin tones, each shade with its own vibrancy and warmth.
“At CHD we specialise in cutting and colouring, keeping up to date with the latest trends and techniques from Europe,” says Cerese – who has been chosen to represent the Goldwell 2021 Collection this month as a guest artist. “We continue to grow in the industry, and always give our best to our customers.”
FOR MORE INFO:
- 5A Wishart Rd, Hillcrest
- Cerése Hair Design: 071 370 9942, FB @ceresehairdesign
- Body Sense Laser Lipo: 083 728 2928, FB @bodysenselaserlipo
Photo: The CHD dream team, from left: Thembs Zuma, Busi Mngadi, Carmel Veron, Marisa Bronkhorst and Susan Tolma.