Profile: Brothers — Boutique Men’s Salon
WisePass recently sat down for a profile piece with two gentlemen from different backgrounds and connections to our partner venue Brothers — Boutique Men’s Salon. After an immensely entertaining talk with co-owner Martijn Vermaire and adored client Noel Saniel we were granted a first-hand experience of the services the men’s salon provides for a deep and insightful understanding of why Brothers is so beloved. It was fantastic to see the least!
Brothers was co-founded by serial entrepreneur, family man and all-around inspiration Martijn Vermaire, a dutchman who prefers to stay out of the spotlight but who deserves to be celebrated. With over 15 years experience in the hotel industry as F&B Director of Intercontinental Hotels Group, Martijn has seen it all.
Having traveled to a new place every 2 years during his time with the 5-star hotel brand, he began to dream of the day he could finally lay some roots down. He had developed a deep love of Vietnam and specifically the country’s modern and dynamic business hub Ho Chi Minh City and decided it was the perfect place to settle down. He has since opened and been involved in several successful businesses including the celebrated Tomatito.
His wife and Brothers co-founder Sandrine Nguyen had worked in the salon industry for quite some time and this provided the perfect foundation for the couple to combine their expertise to create something new and exciting in the city — a salon focused on treating men. By combining their expertise — Martijn’s F&B prowess matched with Ms. Sandrine’s Salon mastery, formed Brothers-Men’s Boutique Salon and the rest is history.
A valued and longtime customer of Brothers — Noel Saniel, a Philippines businessman who has called Vietnam home for the past 10 years found out about Brothers-Boutique Men’s Salon through a recommendation from a friend. He had until that point grown accustomed to getting his haircuts at a local salon run by middle-aged Vietnamese women with little to no experience with male grooming.
He was a bit skeptical to try something new however as most can relate that starting all over with a new barber can be a tricky and occasionally disastrous endeavor. One day he saw an advertisement on his Facebook newsfeed though and was intrigued by the look and design of the place. He then made his way to Brothers and took a risk that paid off tenfold.
With his complimentary whisky in hand he placed his full-confidence in the hands of London-trained Brothers hairstylist Dustin to work his magic. One visit was all it took to discover the difference he had been missing all along. He immediately signed up for the salon’s unique and convenient membership program which allows clients to pay in advance for a year’ worth of unlimited and exceptional quality beauty treatments. The charm of Brothers is not only a terrific haircut but rather a combination of things.
A haircut, a face massage, a shave, a cigar, a glass of whisky, a bottle of craft beer Te Te, and even Japanese manicure/pedicure — Brothers offers the full experience. Paying close attention to the details to male grooming. As it is mainly focused on Asian clientele, there is great focus placed on ears, eyebrows, skin vitality and face washes. All of which can be enjoyed with an adult beverage of your choice.
‘This is Heaven’ — It felt like home. A proper place to get a haircut.
The experience offered at Brothers is truly eye-opening and rewarding. It was a true pleasure getting to discover the importance of Brothers-Men’s Boutique Salon from the different perspectives of owner Martijn and client Noel. They may be different men, leading different lives yet regardless of what areas of life they contrast in, they have formed a bond through a shared and unshakable passion for high-quality grooming. This passion thrives and is alive and well within the confines of the beautifully decorated walls of Brothers.
Brothers is available for WisePass members with a variety of unique features including express cut, head massage, wet shave, and shape shave. All service are highly recommended and undeniably enjoyable. Check it out for yourself and you will understand what a difference a boost in confidence can have on your life.
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