COTANGENT

By Daphne Cardillo

                                           Dettie’s Choice

                   I thought I was watching Fashion TV, as I looked at the models strut down the hall, wearing fashionable attires to match their latest hairstyles.  Cameras clicked, the music was upbeat, as the crowd marveled at the walking mannequins, sporting the Dettie Panis 2009 Hair Collection.  The whole presentation was snappy and fast, like the spark in a firework, exciting and full of colors, in a moment that takes your breath away.

                   It was an evening of fascination and delight, from the cocktails at Gaisano Central, to the dinner at the Asia Convention Center in Tacloban.  Dettie Panis of Dettie Panis Salon and Spa hosted that two Thursday events into one continuous affair marking the latest trend in hairstyle fashion in this side of Leyte.  February 26, 2009 indeed was a day I felt that our city is getting a taste of being highly urbanized.

                   I arrived at Gaisano Central a few minutes past six in the evening to attend the blessing of the newest branch of Dettie Panis Salon and Spa located at the second level of this business complex.  When I stepped inside the new salon, I was transported into an ultra-modern world of glass and steel and sophisticated lighting.  The place is business and art applied to the max; with Dettie Panis’ business acumen, and the team of Interior Designer Heidrun Milan, Architect Dianne Angelynne Lim, and Engineer Jesus Quebec, Jr. transforming that small empty space into space age—well, just plain 21^st century living.

                   Dettie Panis’ latest niche in hairstyle creation and body wellness is for those people living on the fast lane or those always on the run.  For the space doesn’t allow you to lounge—unlike in the Burgos Branch perhaps—but gives you nonetheless a quick fix for a well done hair or a facial.  And you need only a second—yes, a second—to look at yourself at the surrounding full-length mirrors to get a last check of what’s been done.

                   Beauty consultant, hair dresser and hair color expert, Dettie Panis over the years has transformed the landscape of moving bodies in this side of Leyte, by bringing in current trends in hairstyle, grooming, and facial care to the people of Tacloban and those in the neighboring areas who found her services comparable to that in Metro Manila and at a lower cost.  With her creativity and penchant for something new, she always manage to bring in the latest advances in hair and skin care that we don’t only feel good about ourselves but walks with confidence and pride as our crowns are at par with those in a few cosmopolitan places in Asia.

                   With Dettie’s passion for her work, she has taken hairstyling from a mere craft to a science and art, and the whole business of beauty a consuming profession, from running several beauty salons to getting trained here and abroad.  For indeed in the more advanced countries with highly specialized fields of work, hairstyling is a serious profession, with only those who are very determined, intelligent, and has passion for that craft making it to the top.

                   What really amazes me is not what Dettie has made of herself by becoming an empowered woman, a successful entrepreneur and a highly skilled professional, but of what she has made of the people working for her.  Her staff is continuously trained in the different aspects of the trade that they have not only found a job to make a living but have become proficient workers themselves.

                   Now, after the cocktails at the new salon at Gaisano Central, we proceeded to the Asia Convention Center for the hair show entitled “The Dettie Panis Salon 2009 Hair Collection.”  Dinner was served, and before the models appeared with their different hairstyles, I enjoyed looking at the stage designed by Heidrun Milan; so sleek and fine, and an elegant work of art.  When the models started to appear on that elegant stage and strut down the hall, the creativity and talent of Dettie Panis and staff came into full view.  Onlookers began to marvel at the new creations amidst the glitzy atmosphere, and as I said earlier, I thought I was watching Fashion TV.

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