As a child growing up in Tanzania, Sheila Hassan dreamed of being a hairstylist. She used to accompany her aunt to the local hair salon where she was captivated by how hair transformed into different colours and styles. Years later, Sheila entered hairdressing school in neighbouring Kenya. It quickly became obvious that her early passion was matched by a raw talent. She won top prize in a student competition, dazzling Paris judges with her creation: a fancy up-do incorporating a bird’s nest and parrots!
After moving to Canada, Sheila worked in several local salons before opening Sheila’s Shear Art in 1995. Her love of hairstyling was contagious, and her equally passionate daughter Farzana now works with her side-by-side. “I started to go to hair shows as a teenager,” recalls Farzana. Everything I saw on stage was mesmerizing.” She decided to follow in her mom’s footsteps and headed to New York after high school to study advanced hairstyling. While Farzana was offered great opportunities there, she was keen to return home and work with her mom. “We complement each other. I love coming to work every day.”
