Nayana honoured for her contribution at OMC World Hairdressing Championship

Thursday, 6 October 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Nayana Karunaratne renowned beautician, hairdresser and founder president of Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers and Beauticians (SLAHAB) was honoured with the Hall of Fame award of recognition by the Organisation Mondial Coiffure (OMC) also known as the World Federation of Hairdressers. Nayana was awarded during the world hairdressing championship held in Milan, Italy for her significant contribution to develop the Institute of Hairdressers and Beauticians (IHB) in Sri Lanka and her successful effort as the Asia Zone President for OMC to increase the OMC membership in the Asian region.

Nayana commenting on the award said, “I have been awarded for my contribution as a hairdresser and beautician before; but this is the first time I was recognised for the academic contribution for the industry, especially at international level.” She also added, “The success of IHB has been a team effort; therefore the award is not to an individual but the whole team who assisted in their own way.”

The OMC World Championship was held on 25 and 26 September 2011 with a large number of participants from around the world. Nayana was the only member from Asia and the first representative from Sri Lanka to be recognised with the Hall of Fame award from the OMC. She received the award from Pier Sessari the past president of OMC during the exclusive event which saw the participation of renowned hairdressers from the international arena.

The Institute of Hairdressers and Beauticians (IHB) was launched with the aim of providing enhanced opportunities for local hairdressers, beauticians and barbers to obtain an internationally recognised qualification in their preferred language of English, Sinhala or Tamil while ensuring they maintain skills standards required by the industry. IHB is supported by City and Guilds, the UK based education institute. All trainers at IHB are qualified and recognised in their specialised fields. As the founder and president of SLAHAB, Nayana initiated the programme and is currently working on taking it to the next level by liaising with foreign employment agencies to offer overseas job opportunities for those who are assessed by the IHB standards.

In her role as the Asia Zone President of the OMC, Nayana was able to increase the OMC membership in Asia by approaching members in Indonesia and associate members from India. Nayana Karunaratne has over 30 years industry experience. With a chain of salons in Sri Lanka and India she works with a dedicated staff of over 150 members. Apart from Salon Nayana, she also manages Image Academy of Personality Development and Image Academy of Hair and Beauty.