Toni Li's big IDEA has put him on the map all over China

Time spent several years working in New York, observing the way the fashion and beauty business operated was a career-defining moment for Beijing-born hairdresser Tony Li.

Li, who returned to China a decade ago, soon began to put his newly gained knowledge into practice by opening a salon in the capital city that aimed to replicate the high standards he had seen in the United States.

Tony Studio was an instant success: customers particularly warmed to the service-oriented, pampering approach that was something of a novelty in China. The business has flourished since then and now embraces all aspects of the beauty business, including Tony Studio salons in all the major cities, a modeling agency, a photo studio, two gymnasiums and a restaurant.

Recently Li, 41, launched the DT brand, which takes its name from his Chinese given name, Dongtian, which will operate salons that offer haircuts and beauty treatments at lower prices.

But Li's business acumen in mining cash from the desire for good looks expands beyond beauty salons. He also runs a couple of gymnasiums, a training school for hairdressers and makeup artists and an agency that represents photographers.

At the flagship Tony Studio, which has locations in prime spots in the nation's major cities, professional women readily spend $200 or more a visit on styling, manicures and beauty treatments.

Li says of his New York sojourn. "I was always taking my portfolio from agency to agency and I thought there would be scope for a similar agency here in China. In the event, when I did return, I decided to open an agency and salon and a school at the same time.

"It was the right time, people had a sense of style in China, and we thought big. You have the energy when you are young and I had the knowledge of the industry. I like every detail of the business, good or bad, it is all-interesting and makes me happy. I like to trust people, you have to look hard to find the right people and then give them the trust."

From an early age, Li had been transfixed by the beauty business, spending his teenage pocket money on hard-to-find, and expensive, glossy fashion magazines from overseas. When he was later able to afford clothes, Li showed a discerning eye for fashion, becoming something of a trendsetter in China

"Tony knows his stuff and usually leads the way in trends," says Timothy Coughlan from Australia, who runs the fashion website maosuit.com. "I remember at the Versace Beijing Flagship Store opening asking him about his outfit and he replied that it was vintage Versace that he had bought decades ago, not just because vintage is hot right now. I know very few people in China like that.

"Tony is the kind of guy you see at all the top fashion parties and shows in China, but he's not just there as a pretty face. He's been in the fashion and style business for years and has real street credentials."

The young stylist's early role model was British-born crimper Vidal Sassoon, generally credited with inventing the bob cut in the 1960s.

"He was my hero and when he came to Beijing some years ago, a friend invited me to have dinner with him," says Li. "That was a real 'wow' moment for me, very exciting, and he asked a lot about salons in China."

Li speaks fluent English and is able to move easily between local and international circles. A tall individual with flamboyant sartorial style, he can easily be spotted at the social functions and parties he attends; he was one of a select few invited to dine with American Vogue editor Anna Wintour when she visited China.

Most of the salon's customers are professional women who work hard and want to treat themselves, he says.

"I would say that 80 percent of our clients are independent women. They come every 40 to 45 days. We actually don't push people to spend a lot of money the first time they come; if they like us, they will come back.

"Training is vital," he says. "I was a teacher and I know every single detail of the hair salons. Everybody knows me and my work: a lot of hairdressers want to work with me."

The hairdresser-cum-stylist is the go-to guy for top models and actresses, and Zhang Ziyi, Li Bing Bing, Fan Bing Bing and Faye Wong have become pals who he meets regularly to catch up on the latest industry news.

Li has more than 2,000 people on the payroll, a figure that will expand when he goes ahead with a plan to open a salon in Sydney, targeting the large Asian population there.

The rapid expansion is part of detailed business plan. Although there are different strands to the Li mini-empire they all play to his core beauty-business and lifestyle expertise.

For China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/01/2013 page28)