Jean-Claude Biguine’s first memory of a parlour is when his mother took him for a haircut, when he was around 14 and his hair had reached shoulder length. The young boy was spellbound. He fell in love with the ‘ceremony’ as he calls it. From wearing the kimono to the spray to the smell, everything — he decided then and there, he wanted to be a part of that world. Today, at 50, Biguine runs a business worth close to $150 million (about Rs 1,250 crore) with about 350 salons in 17 countries, and he considers India to be more important a market than even the US. He plans to have 40-50 Jean-Claude Biguine, or JCB, salons in the country over the next 4-5 years. Now that the boost of such high-end brand in the sector will bring in a fresh business for the signage players dealing in in-shop displays, designs and other related activities.
