In this round of our Inspirational Series, we have the owner of Kleo Studio and hair colourist extraordinaire, Kym Lee. As a business owner of more than 12 years, Kym is a veteran in the hair colouring industry, with Kleo Studio being the place to go for affordable but beautiful hair colouring services.
In the beginning
Starting from humble roots as a shampoo girl, Kym has learnt the ropes through the years, with various stints in different hair salons.
With years of experience under her belt, her true passion lies in being a hair colourist. She loves using a special mix of hair colours and blending techniques to create flattering shades for all who walk through her doors.
A day in the life of a hair colourist
She loves the flexibility of being a business owner, with her schedule varying greatly every day. Some days are packed designing new hair style and new hair colours, while some days, she can spare time for additional errands. No day is quite the same!
The quest for success
The cosy Kleo Studio
Starting her own salon was a no-brainer for Kym.
Freedom to express her own creativity was important to her, from deciding the style to the tones of each colour. Plus, she loves interacting with customers and seeing them grow up, styling their hair differently throughout their ages.
After amassing enough experience, she made the move to build her own business.
She quips that it was hard in the beginning, from designing and renovating the salon to getting sales and maintaining her business. The learning curve was very steep, with COVID-19 being an especially difficult time for her. Thankfully, with the rapport she built with customers throughout the years, she was able to get by. To this day, many of her customers have been with her from the very beginning!
Her customer base ranges from young to old; though it is mainly with younger customers that she gets to experiment more and try out new colour combinations.
Being a colourist is no easy feat, with each job taking anywhere from two to eight hours to complete. Nonetheless, she enjoys the challenge that comes with each job.
Her advice for all first-time entrepreneurs? Do not be afraid to dream.
You make my heart go Bedok, Bedok
While many business owners would choose a snazzy, modern location like Orchard Road or the Central Business District, Kim’s reason for choosing Bedok is simple — it’s home.
Having stayed in the vicinity for most of her life, she has seen the area go from a sleepy, suburban district to a crowded hub with multiple new developments. With higher footfall through the years, friendly neighbours, and a strong sense of community in the area, it seems like she won’t be moving any time soon, either.
Adding colours to people’s lives
Where the magic happens
Kim is one of the recipients of the Vaniday Heartland Beauty and Wellness Award 2023. Her Kleo Studio being one of the top five hair salons in the Bedok area for hair colouring.
Her love for her job is apparent. While Kym offers the full suite of hair services, her expertise lies in colours. If money was not an issue, she proclaims she would love to source different types of colour dyes across the world and be able to blend the best colours for my clients.
“Colours are the smiles of nature,” or so the saying goes.
A great dye job can change the way a person looks, adding dimension and texture to hair. As hair colouring continues to grow into a bigger industry, Kym strives to continue providing the same quality services to her customers at affordable prices.
