When Fareha Ahmad was in kindergarten, she loved painting so much she tried to do her classmates’ art homework.
“I was artistic from a young age, I just really loved colours and intricate artwork,” Fareha says.
“It’s a lot to do with that artistic-ness that I’ve had since I was younger, it’s just I have a different canvas now.”
Fareha's artistic skills are in high demand; After almost two decades as a hair, makeup and henna artist, she has gained a reputation for her artistry and strong rapport with her clients.
Understanding the importance of good customer service was something that she learned in her childhood when her parents migrated from Pakistan, selling clothing for the family business.
Fareha Bridal Studio has worked with thousands of brides Source: Rolling Canvas
“Waking up early morning at 2am, being hard working, handling customers, it was always there form a young age. We didn’t have the option of staying home on the weekend,” Fareha says.
Despite the challenges, she credits those early years for giving her the skillset needed to manage customers.
But it was the push from her now-husband Asher Sami which gave her the confidence to drop out of her medical science degree and start her own business at the age of 18.
“I was scared what my parents would say but marriage gave me a green card. He’s always been very supportive, he’s the one that pushes me to reach new levels,” she says.
“As long as I have him, I feel like I can do a lot more than if I was on my own.”
However, it would be a challenge to convince picky brides-to-be that she was a skilled bridal artist, particularly when she didn't have her own studio.
Henna is a plant-based dye. (Supplied) Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
“Starting off so young, it’s hard for people to trust you. They don’t think of young artists as responsible,” she says.
“They would rather trust a 40-year-old than a 20-year-old. It’s challenging but do-able.”
To create room for clients, Fareha's family of four slept in one bedroom, using the other room as a studio space.
“We had a bit of a struggle, my wife and two kids in one room, but because of those struggles, we are where we are today,” Asher explains.
The years of sacrifice have paid off, and four years ago, Fareha's and her family moved into a new home with a custom-designed studio space.
“We built this studio for the sole purpose that brides could come to us. [It's] a nice place where they could remember getting ready on the morning of their wedding,” Fareha says.
“This was always my dream.”
As her reputation rose, it would allow for another one of Fareha's dreams to come true – the opportunity to work with one of India’s biggest stars, Shah Rukh Khan.
The custom buillt studio is a 'dream' for the business owner Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
“I’m his biggest fan, and when I saw that he was coming to Sydney, I thought, imagine if I could do his makeup,” Ms Ahmad said.
“When we did the Shah Rukh Khan concert, that was the turning point for me. I didn’t know if I could do it, I was so nervous, but my husband told me, just do it.”
While she enjoyed working with the Hindi film superstar, her primary focus is on working with brides, and over the years, she has attracted thousands of loyal clients, many of whom were referral customers.
“A lot of the clients say I’ve done their family, friend or sibling’s makeup ten years ago. All that referral comes back,” says Fareha.
“I have clients coming back to me from ten years back, it’s amazing, now they have children and they tell me, you’d better do our kid’s makeup.”
Client Niyati Chaukra said a word-of-mouth referral was what made her choose Fareha Bridal Studio for her bridal appointment.
Fareha Ahmad with client Niyati Chaukra. (Supplied) Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
“I had heard firsthand from my friends about her work, her presence, her demeanour, the way she uplifts her brides and supports them,” she said.
Fareha thinks her business is still the only full-service studio for South Asian brides, offering hair styling, bridal makeup, and sari draping.
But her henna designs remain important to the business, particularly as people from different cultures begin to experiment with the plant-based dye.
Fareha Bridal Studio also offers sari draping. (Supplied) Source: Rolling Canvas
“It’s not really part of their culture, they just think it’s fun,” Ms Ahmad said.
“They want to make a function out of it; they get all their girlfriends together and decorate their hands.”
Delegating her administration work to a freelancer has allowed Ms Ahmad to focus on what she does best, and prepare for the next step in her business journey – the launch of her own beauty products.
Fareha Ahmad creating a henna design for a client. (Supplied) Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
“I’ve been wanting to do it for a while, and I’ve been really scared, but my husband has pushed me again,” she said.
“You need someone to push you and say, you can do it. There’s no harm in trying.”
