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Business & Tech

Lifelong Love of Fashion Becomes Dream Job

The owner of Alandre Salon & Day Spa shares how her ethnic background factors into her work and how she switched gears from psychology to the beauty business.

As a business psychology major at Madonna University, Suzie Duqum, owner of , said she "did hair to get through college.

"I got the degree, but loved doing hair and didn't want to leave the field."

Duqum opened Alandre in 2002, naming it after her daughter Alana and son Andre. Duqum acknowledged she's always been into fashion. Acting as a beauty consultant comes naturally to her.

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"There are pictures of me when I was five, wearing makeup," Duqum laughed. "I loved to read books about beauty and fashion. When I was ten or eleven, friends and family started asking me to do their hair and makeup. I was careful about my appearance, and because I was tall for my age, I looked older."

Duqum was born in Palestine, near Jerusalem. Her mother is Lebanese. Duqum came to the United States in 1985.

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"Fashion is huge in Lebanon and the Middle East" she explained. "Paris trends and fashions hit there first. The United States is behind by two years."

"In the Middle East, people are more conscientious about their appearance. When they go out, everything is in place – hair, nails, clothing. Here, people go to the mall wearing what's comfortable," she said "I think it's because people know each other in the Middle East, the communities are closer. When you go out, you see people you know. Here, when we go shopping we don't see anyone we know."

After college Duqum worked at salons. Because she was dependable and talented, her employers gave her more responsibility.

"I knew I wanted to have my own salon someday, and treated their salons as if they were my own," she said. "Wherever I worked, I was the most asked for, the most booked."

One salon was on the verge of closing when its owner asked Duqum to take over. Duqum bought the salon, and under her management it revived and thrived. She has since sold it, but said it was a stepping stone along the way. When the space where Alandre is now located became available, Duqum wanted it.

"For years I had looked for a good location," she said.

There were other companies that wanted the space on Haggerty Road, south of Eight Mile Road, but Duqum succeeded in obtaining it.

The salon does hair, nails, facials, waxing, massages, hair extensions and permanent makeup. Alandre offers spa packages such as 'Bride-to-be' and 'Gentleman's Day at the Spa.'

Duqum emphasized that her multicultural employees, some of whom are Greek, Italian, and Yugoslavian, enhance what Alandre can offer.

"Their international training brings a nice blend of backgrounds and talents," she said.

Valerie Tomasik, one of Alandre's massage therapists, discussed the importance of getting to know her clients.

"A one-on-one interview and assessing their needs is so important," she said. "I do trigger work, myofascial release, and cranial sacral therapy as needed. Each session starts with a structural evaluation."

Tomasik explained that trigger points are "medical points on the body that are prone to be in dysfunction." And it's said to alleviate migraines and sciatica pains among other things. After therapeutic work and relaxing massage techniques, Tomasik ends with a warm stone treatment.

Alice Rotondo has been going to Alandre since it opened. Her four children, two sons and two daughters, go there as well.

"They do a fantastic job," Rotondo said. "I wouldn't go anywhere else."

Rotondo is president of the Catholic Central Mother's Club Board. The biggest fundraiser for Catholic Central is the annual fashion show, where mothers of seniors can walk the runway. The staff at Alandre volunteered to do the mom's hair and makeup for the 2009 fashion show, and will do the same in February 2011.

Earlier this year Duqum opened a second location, called Alandre Vous, in Livonia.

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