A beauty salon for everyone in Leipzig | DW Documentary

Summary

The Grand Beauty Salon in Liip, Germany, is a unique space combating racism through the universal language of beauty services. Founded by Mara Hessa, a young Muslim woman, the salon employs a diverse team, predominantly with refugee or migrant backgrounds, offering a safe haven for clients from various cultures. The salon's mission is to foster understanding and break down barriers by providing a welcoming environment where clients can feel comfortable and appreciated for their individual beauty, irrespective of their skin color or hair texture. Hessa also aims to revolutionize the German beauty industry by advocating for more inclusive training and products that cater to a broader range of ethnicities.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Mara Hessa is combating racism through the establishment of an intercultural beauty salon, aiming to foster understanding and acceptance among diverse clientele.
• 🤝 The Grand Beauty Salon in Liip is a unique space where professionals with refugee or migrant backgrounds provide services, creating an inclusive environment for all.
• 👥 The salon's international team is nearly exclusively composed of individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds, offering a range of beauty services that cater to different preferences.
• 💆‍♀️ Many clients are migrants who feel uncomfortable or unwelcome in conventional salons, often due to language barriers or cultural misunderstandings.
• 🏠 The salon aims to be a safe space where clients can relax without fear of discrimination or negative comments about their hair or skin color.
• 🎨 The salon provides an opportunity for clients to rediscover their own beauty and gain self-confidence, inspired by the diverse beauty standards and practices represented by the staff.
• 🌈 The Grand Beauty Project, founded by Fra Fresh, was initially a mobile salon that organized workshops and has now found a permanent home in Liip.
• 📍 The salon's location in a low-income area of Liip, known for its lack of cultural diversity, is strategic in its mission to educate and bridge gaps between communities.
• 👩‍🏫 As an educator, Mara Hessa uses her platform to address and challenge the Eurocentric beauty standards prevalent in the German beauty industry.
• 💼 The salon operates on a donation basis and is funded by grants, providing a stepping stone for refugees and migrants to gain work experience and potentially obtain a residence permit.
• 🔄 The salon's model of operation and its focus on diversity could serve as an example for the broader beauty industry, which Mara believes could benefit from greater inclusivity.

Q & A

What is the primary mission of the Grand Beauty Salon according to the script?

The Grand Beauty Salon aims to be a safe space where people from different cultural backgrounds can feel comfortable, be treated without prejudice, and share their thoughts freely.

How does the Grand Beauty Salon address the issue of cultural diversity in beauty standards?

The salon employs a team with a refugee or migrant background and caters to various beauty preferences and standards, offering services that respect and embrace cultural differences.

Why do some clients feel uncomfortable visiting conventional beauty salons in Germany?

Some clients, particularly migrants, feel uncomfortable due to language barriers and the lack of understanding or accommodations for their cultural or religious practices, such as wearing a headscarf.

What challenges do people of color face when visiting beauty salons in Germany according to Mara?

People of color often face discriminatory experiences due to misguided beauty standards that are predominantly Western and white, which can make them feel inadequate if they don't fit the ideal of beauty.

How does the Grand Beauty Salon help clients rediscover their own beauty and gain self-confidence?

The salon provides a welcoming environment where clients can receive services that cater to their unique beauty, allowing them to feel good about themselves and draw inspiration from other cultures.

What is the significance of the Grand Beauty Project founded by Frafra?

The Grand Beauty Project was initially a mobile beauty salon that organized workshops to promote cultural exchange and understanding. It now has a permanent location and continues to facilitate first-time encounters between people from different backgrounds.

Why is the location of the Intercultural Salon in Grunau significant?

Grunau is a low-income area with a history of negative views towards foreigners. The salon's location inside a park aims to educate people and challenge Islamophobia and xenophobia through interaction in a safe and welcoming space.

What is the professional background of the team at the Grand Beauty Salon?

The team consists of individuals who are either professionally trained in their craft or self-taught, with nearly all members having a refugee or migrant background.

How does the Grand Beauty Salon support its staff who are refugees or migrants?

The salon operates on a donation basis and is funded by grants, allowing staff without work permits to volunteer and gain experience, which could potentially help them obtain a residence permit.

What is Mara's role in the German Pop Academy, and what is her goal regarding the curriculum?

Mara teaches at the German Pop Academy and is working to revise the curriculum to include training for diverse beauty needs, such as Afro hair, Arabic coal, or Asian eyeliner, to better serve a multicultural clientele.

How does the Grand Beauty Salon contribute to promoting tolerance and diversity in the German beauty industry?

The salon serves as an example of a multicultural space that brings people together, fostering understanding and challenging prejudices, with the hope of inspiring change in the broader beauty industry.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Cultural Integration Through Beauty Services

The Grand Beauty Salon in Liip, run by Mara Hessa, aims to combat racism by providing a welcoming space for people of diverse backgrounds. The salon, staffed mostly by individuals with refugee or migrant backgrounds, offers services that cater to various cultural beauty standards. Clients, many of whom are migrants themselves, find comfort in a place that respects their hair and skin textures without prejudice. Mara's vision is for the salon to be a safe haven where people can relax and share their thoughts freely, fostering understanding and breaking down barriers through everyday interactions.

05:01

🤝 Bridging Gaps: The Power of a Beauty Salon

The Grand Beauty Salon serves as a melting pot for different cultures, with staff and clients from diverse backgrounds. The salon's founder, Mara, has faced Islamophobia and understands the need for a space that is free from discrimination. The salon's team, which includes hairdresser IP Samir, a refugee from Libya, uses their skills to build bridges and foster a sense of community. Despite language barriers and cultural differences, the salon's atmosphere encourages open communication and mutual understanding. The salon operates on a donation basis and is funded by grants, providing an opportunity for refugees to gain work experience and potentially lead to a residence permit.

10:02

💪 Advocating for Inclusivity in the Beauty Industry

Mara Hessa is not only a driving force behind the Grand Beauty Salon but also an educator striving to make the beauty industry more inclusive. She teaches at the German Pop Academy and is working to revise the curriculum to include training for diverse hair types and beauty needs. Mara's personal experiences with discrimination have motivated her to create a more tolerant environment within the industry. The Grand Beauty Salon in Liip is a testament to her efforts, serving as an example of how everyday places can bring people together and change perspectives, regardless of their differences.

Keywords

💡Racism

Racism is a belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another. In the video, racism is a central theme as it discusses the barriers and discrimination faced by people of color in the beauty industry and society at large. The script mentions how Mara Hessa's Grand Beauty Salon aims to fight against racism by providing a safe and inclusive space for people of diverse backgrounds.

💡Intercultural

Intercultural refers to interactions, influences, or relationships involving two or more cultures. The video's theme revolves around the intercultural aspect of the Grand Beauty Salon, which serves as a melting pot for different cultures to come together, interact, and learn from each other's beauty standards and practices.

💡Beauty Standards

Beauty standards are the criteria or ideals that are considered physically attractive in a particular culture or society. The script discusses how conventional beauty standards in Germany can be exclusive and Western-centric, leading to feelings of inadequacy among people who do not fit these ideals. The Grand Beauty Salon challenges these standards by embracing diversity and inclusivity.

💡Migrant Background

A migrant background refers to individuals who have moved to a new country, often seeking better opportunities or escaping difficult circumstances. The script highlights the experiences of the salon's team members and clients who come from a migrant background, emphasizing the importance of creating a welcoming environment for them.

💡Discrimination

Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person or group based on their membership in a certain category, such as race, age, or religion. The video script illustrates discrimination in the context of beauty salons where people of color may feel uncomfortable or judged due to their skin color or cultural practices.

💡Safe Space

A safe space is an environment where individuals feel secure and free from judgment or discrimination. In the video, Mara Hessa wants the Grand Beauty Salon to be a safe space for people to be themselves without fear of prejudice or negative comments about their hair or skin color.

💡Self-taught

Self-taught refers to individuals who have acquired skills, knowledge, or expertise without formal education or training. The script mentions that some members of the Grand Beauty Salon's team are self-taught, showcasing the diversity of their professional backgrounds and the value of experiential learning.

💡Cultural Educator

A cultural educator is someone who imparts knowledge about different cultures, often with the aim of fostering understanding and appreciation. Fra Fresh, the founder of the Grand Beauty Project, is described as a cultural educator, using the platform of the beauty salon to educate people about different cultural beauty practices and norms.

💡Prejudice

Prejudice is a preconceived opinion or judgment that is not based on reason or actual experience. The video discusses how the Grand Beauty Salon can help to overcome prejudice by bringing people from different cultural backgrounds together in a non-judgmental environment, allowing them to interact and learn from one another.

💡Diversity

Diversity refers to the variety of different types of elements, concepts, or people. The script argues for the need for more diversity in the German beauty industry, particularly in terms of recognizing and accommodating different hair types, skin tones, and beauty practices from around the world.

💡Certification

Certification is a formal recognition of the acquisition of certain skills or knowledge, often required to practice a profession legally. The video mentions the challenges faced by individuals like Ifum, who aspire to open their own salons but must first obtain the necessary certifications and overcome financial barriers.

Highlights

Mara Hessa is combating racism through the Intercultural Grand Beauty Salon, promoting cultural exchange and understanding.

The salon serves as a safe space for people of different backgrounds to feel comfortable and free from discrimination.

The international team at the salon consists mostly of individuals with a refugee or migrant background, enhancing cultural diversity.

Clients at the salon appreciate the team's professional training and adaptability to various beauty standards.

The salon addresses the discomfort some migrants feel in conventional salons, especially when wearing a headscarf.

Mara aims to challenge Western-centric beauty standards that can leave people of color feeling inadequate.

The salon provides a space for clients to rediscover their own beauty and gain self-confidence, inspired by diverse cultures.

Fra Fresh, the founder of the Grand Beauty Project, initially operated a mobile salon to organize workshops across German cities.

The salon's location in a low-income area with a negative view of foreigners aims to educate and foster community.

Mara's personal experiences with Islamophobia highlight the need for such initiatives in German society.

The salon serves as a meeting place to bridge cultural gaps and erase prejudices in a relaxed atmosphere.

Hairdresser IPSamir's journey from fleeing the Libyan Civil War to finding community in the salon showcases its impact.

The salon operates on a donation basis and is funded by grants, supporting refugees without work permits.

Volunteering at the salon can increase the chances of obtaining a residence permit for team members.

Mara teaches at the German Pop Academy, advocating for a more inclusive curriculum that addresses diverse hair types.

The beauty industry in Germany is criticized for its lack of diversity and knowledge regarding non-Western hair types.

Mara is working to revise the curriculum at the German Pop Academy to include training for diverse hair and beauty needs.

The Grand Beauty Salon in Liik is seen as an example of how everyday places can promote tolerance and understanding.

Transcripts

Mara Hessa is fighting Against Racism

with the help of makeup and mascara in

the Intercultural grand beauty

salon I think our society desperately

needs people coming into contact with

each other and that's something that

happens very quickly in a beauty

salon but can facials and manicures

really tear down barriers and help to

overcome

[Music]

prejudice

[Music]

those who work in the grand beauty salon

in liip are familiar with different

preferences and beauty standards between

cultures the international team consists

nearly exclusively of people with a

refugee or migrant background most are

professionally trained in their craft

and some self-taught but every client

seems seems to appreciate their

knowhow it's different here than in

other beauty salons I've only been once

before to a beauty salon in Germany and

then I went because of a

friend many of the clients are migrants

who rarely or never go to a beauty salon

in Germany they feel uncomfortable and

sometimes wearing a headscarf makes a

visit to a conventional hairdresser

impossible you can just close your eyes

while I apply the makeup maybe try to

relax a

bit did you get here

okay Mara wants the grand beauty salon

to be a safe

space a place where they like to be

treated where they feel

comfortable where they don't get any

comments about the texture of their hair

or skin color but can just have a seat

and share their thoughts about anything

sometimes in a more critical

way Mara says that a visit to The

Beautician in Germany can often turn

into a discriminatory experience for

people of color and she has little doubt

about the reasons for

this misguided beauty standards which

are both extremely Western and white

they can leave a person feeling

inadequate if they don't correspond to

this ideal of beauty

especially since they might not fit in

with any

other many salons only carry cosmetic

products for lighter skin

tones I've often tried to use makeup for

white skin and it makes me feel like a

clown but here it's all very natural so

I'm very

grateful in the salon guests can

ReDiscover their own Beauty and gain

self-confidence while getting some

inspiration from other cultures for

example when it comes to the styling of

Nails in venea Nails usually have

various designs and they're much longer

here is

here they're more natural and the colors

are also

[Music]

lighter Des there may be some designs

but they're smaller and more discreet

the don't worry it doesn't have to be

perfect fra fresh is an artist and

cultural educator she founded the grand

beauty project for a long time grand

beauty was a mobile beauty salon moving

between German cities where frala and

her team organized workshops but the

permanent location here in liik has been

open for a year

now we often see firsttime encounters

between people who otherwise wouldn't

have crossed paths in their everyday

lives in places where communities simply

don't

meet because people are more likely to

stay in their own C

speaking the same

language grunau is one of the largest

prefabricated housing Estates built in

the former

gdr nowadays it's a low-income area

where many residents have a negative

view of foreigners the Intercultural

Salon is located right here inside a

park Mara wants to use her work there to

educate people as a young Muslim woman

her own experience have made it clear

that this is a much needed

task islamophobia is very noticeable

when dealing with the German authorities

and within the school system I have many

nieces and nephews with whom I love

spending time and it drives me crazy

when I'm told again and

again wow you speak such good German and

I would like to reply Yes dear I'd sure

hope so I was born here and German is my

native language even worse are the

people who make nasty comments try to

spit at me move away or leave a room as

soon as I enter or start asking

insensitive

[Music]

questions as the assistant manager Mara

wants the grand beauty salon to be a

meeting place bringing people from

different cultures together in a relaxed

atmosphere and thereby erasing

prejudices so you want it shorter down

here and a bit longer on the

top you have beautiful thin

hair this is Karan Urban's fourth time

in the salon she's lived in liyun now

for almost 30 years but she hardly knows

anyone with a migrant

background over

here I'm

there are a few ukrainians living in our

building they're nice people but it's

not easy to talk to them because of the

language

barrier their German isn't that good

yet this hits close to home for

hairdresser IP

Samir in 2015 itis crossed the

Mediterranean Sea to flee the Civil War

in Libya before arriving in Germany

cutting hair has allowed her to improve

her German and make new

[Music]

contacts I've had no problems with the

customers they're all nice and

friendly and so is my team team

Alice good

team yes it really is a great team right

yeah I've

noticed last time for example when so

many were sitting

outside ifum had her own hair salon in

Libya and achieving the same in Germany

is her biggest professional

goal I would like to open a salon of my

own but it's hard for

me I have my job but in Germany you need

to be certified as a master Craftsman

before you can open your own

salon and then you need a lot of

money even though most of the

conversation with clients is Small Talk

the connections create a greater Mutual

understanding there are many obstacles

for

[Music]

sure until she finds a permanent job in

Germany itis can keep practicing and

gain recognition for her craft a grand

beauty the beauticians work on a

donation basis and the project is funded

by

grants many on the grand beauty team

have only been granted temporary

protection as refugees and don't have

work permits the volunteer hours only

count as an internship but they increase

the chances of obtaining a residence

permit

since our program is part of an art

project it gives people the opportunity

to work on a voluntary

basis you don't necessarily need a

residence permit for that and if

everything works out well if everyone

gets along and is ready to turn this

into a part-time job we'll continue down

that

path ideally working in a salon could be

a stepping stone to getting into the

German Beauty

industry which could do with a lot more

diversity according to

Mara in Berlin Mara teaches at the

German pop Academy a training center for

aspiring makeup

artists and on the side she freelances

as one

herself the fact that she hasn't been

offered a permanent job anywhere she

traces back to her

headscarf

I would have loved to train as a

hairdresser but I didn't fit in so well

with the teams at the salons where I

applied not even after getting my

diploma as a makeup artist and hair

designer so to be able to dress the way

I like I had to start my own

business in today's class she doubles as

a model while teaching the German pop

Academy is an international school with

locations worldwide and a diverse

student body but Germany's beauty

industry still mostly revolves around

everything related to White

bodies the fact that so many of those

who train hairdressers in Germany simply

know nothing about how to treat afro

hair is a

disaster it's absolutely absurd and

definitely needs to be dealt

with how is it possible that this is

being Incorporated in the training in

England for example but here in Germany

the curriculum has nothing on this

[Music]

topic to change this Mara is now working

with the German pop Academy to revise

the

curriculum afro hair Arabic coal or

Asian eyeliner

she wants to train for all her customers

needs even if the models remain Western

European for the time

being if you have normal hair spray it

with something first so that it doesn't

get all

fuzzy Mara is convinced that beauty

salons can promote tolerance and that

the grand beauty salon in liik can serve

as an

example I think this is exactly what we

need everyday places like this to come

together even if we don't like each

other on the street or don't want to

look at each other the best thing is

when something changes inside our

customers and they get a new

[Music]

perspective