Sri Lankan Planters (SLP) Official FB page-Salon Moira
Source:Sri Lankan Planters (SLP) Official FB page
Moira’s was run by a Burgher lady by the name of Moira Van Cuylenberg, who was married to Dinkar Muthukrishna. The salon was started by Moira in the late 1950s after studying at the Morris School of Hairdressing & Beauty in London, and formed part of their family home at No.05 Charlemont Road.
Moira’s was at the ‘cutting edge’ of women’s hairdressing at the time, since it was the first to introduce creative innovative styles at a time when women had their hair cut at ordinary barber salons. It employed the latest hairdressing technology, including Kerka dryers from London. It is no surprise then that it was patronized by the elite of the area. The lady had about three to four girls assisting her. She also ran the Moira School of Hairdressing & Beauty Culture in Turret Road, Colpetty, in the late 1960s. It eventually shifted to Galle Road, Colpetty, next to Hotel Renuka, before moving to Colonel T. G. Jayawardana Mawatha, Colpetty, under its present owner Ravi Kalansooriya. (Picture and information credit to roar.media).
Prakash Muthu-Krishna
Moira, my mother was a fashionista in her time. On graduating from the Motris Hairdressing School, she was also presented to Queen Elizabeth as a young debutante and leader in her field of work. She gave women an opportunity to develop into master class beauticians and developed their self confidence to earn for themselves in what otherwise was a very male orientated country. She had her main salon in Wellawatte, with another in Colombo Fort and the third at the Queens Hotle in Kandy.
One of her former students, Gerald Solomons runs a very successful establishment at the Cinnamon Gardens Hotel.
Mum later sold the business to Irangani de Silva, yet another student of hers, and moved to Perth West Australia where after having to re-qualify for Australian standard, for the storage and use of chemicals etc. (I’m sure they could have assessed her hair cutting and styling competency after her first cut!), she opened the Waikiki Coifure in Saftey Bay, Rockingham.
Dad, Dinker,went on to work I the family business, The Polytechnic, which also provided young women who didn’t proceed to uni, an opportunity to develop themselves as valuable persons in the workfoce. They would qualify as general typists with secretarial skills,shorthand and bookkeeping as well as other skills to further their self esteem as they sort work at the big multinational companies that were starting to establish themselves in the then Ceylon.
Together, my parents help hundreds of young women of Sri-Lanka to otherwise do something for themselves and their country. Many Miss Ceylon reps, cmCompany Secretsries and business leaders too can vouch for the support and self-esteem my parents provided to young women during their lifetime.
