CrownCouture is the creation of siblings Nikki and Lorraine Alonzi. Here is how it all began…
After graduating with two university degrees in Design and Human Anatomy and coming to the realisation that jobs in these fields were rare in Scotland, Nikki set her sights on the USA.
After months spent in the States trying to find work and an opportunity to emigrate, Nikki was, by chance, introduced to the world of hair extensions. Having had a keen interest in hair extensions since the age of 16, Nikki did not refuse the opportunity to put her creative flair to the test, when she was offered the chance to shadow a successful Hair Extension Technician.
Instead of emigrating, Nikki decided to bring her new found career home. After returning from the States, Nikki enrolled herself in numerous specialist courses up and down the UK. From this, her modest hair extension business was born.
Over the years Nikki successfully gathered a lengthy clientele and is now renowned in the hair industry in Scotland. Her success is attributed to her dedication to sourcing the best quality hair for her clients. Her persistent refusal to use lower quality hair in a bid to lower her prices secured her a loyal and returning clientele.
During her career, sourcing top quality hair became Nikki’s biggest challenge. Once a commodity only accessible to the rich and famous; hair extensions were rapidly becoming an essential part of the hairdressing industry. Along with the rapid growth in the hair extension industry came an influx of substandard hair to the UK market. Before long, Nikki was subjected to low stock levels and hair became second-rate making it difficult to grow a reputable business. In light of this situation, Nikki saw an opportunity to expand the business by offering up a new brand of top quality hair to the industry.
While Nikki could provide a vast knowledge about good quality hair and had connections within the industry both in the UK and abroad, she realised she needed a business partner to materialise this new venture.
In 2012, Nikki enlisted the help of her sister Lorraine (who was an established PR consultant) and together they began their search for a quality hair supply. In 2014, Nikki and Lorraine co-founded CrownCouture which now offers up a new reliable source of human hair to the UK market. From the outset, their business model was based on sourcing hair direct from its origins. They believed this to be the only way they could control the quality and consistency of the hair they supply.
Success is achieved through ambition, hard work and determination – qualities which both Nikki and Lorraine maintain. April 2014 saw Nikki and Lorraine’s vision of becoming one of the UK’s top luxury hair extension suppliers become a reality.
CrownCouture is now Scotland’s leading hair extension specialists and supplier of human hair extensions, and hair pieces. With a flagship salon and training academy in Edinburgh; an online shop; a list of celebrity clients; and hundreds of professional trade accounts, CrownCouture has undoubtedly become a main player in the hair extension industry.