Kidist (Pinky) Emery knew she wanted to be a hair stylist since the age of five.Then, as a student at Warwick Secondary, she had the opportunity to visit Paris three times on school trips and became captivated by the chic city and the beauty industry.After working for several hair dressers in Bermuda and the UK, where she trained, her dream of owning her own salon finally came true this week with the opening of the fittingly named Salon Pink.Located at Magnolia Towers on Parliament Street, Ms Emery describes the new salon as “funky, trendsetting, upscale” with “chic, artistic innovative stylists”.“Here at Salon Pink we cater to a diverse clientele offering all aspects of hairdressing from cutting and colouring to restyling and extensions where both men and women are welcomed,” she said.Ms Emery teaches the hairdressing programme (City & Guilds Certificate) at Bermuda College, and wants to bring her expertise now to her own salon.“Education being our core value puts us at the fore front for being a teaching salon,” she said. “We aim to hire people who have a passion for the industry, and train them to become hairstylists as well as offer education for existing stylists at Salon Pink.”Ms Emery played a role in the salon’s design, and eye-popping pink colour scheme. She was assisted by Darcy Robertson of Commercial Interiors Group.Her first job in hairdressing was as an assistant at the Hair Studio. She has also worked at Bang Bang salon.In 1999, Ms Emery went off to studied hairdressing in the UK at Dudley College of Technology for three years.“I had been to Paris three times in my teens and was totally in love with the culture and city so I then decided that was where I was going to go to school,” she said.“But my mom thought that was too far so we came to a healthy medium and off to the UK I went. I studied at Dudley and I loved it.”– She added: “While doing my level 3 we learned about the prospects of business as well as teaching and that’s when I realised my dream was definitely going to be a reality in the future!”While at college Ms Emery said one of her lecturers helped her land a job in Surrey at a leading salon run by his friend.“I worked with them for a year before returning home,” she said. “I participated in and attended hair shows, had involvement in the Schwarzkopf Young Artistic team and attended countless training sessions to do with all aspects of hairdressing. It was amazing.“After working in the UK and gaining priceless knowledge that drove it home for me that I was meant to be a salon owner, I came home and landed a good job and worked on my clientele. Once I gained a successful, consistent, loyal clientele and my work had run its course at the job I was at - I was hungry for growth - that’s when I knew it was time. “Ms Emery said she visits the UK twice a year to keep up to date with her skills and style trends.“I have just come back from Salon International (in the UK) and it was great experience going to the show this time as a salon owner,” she said. “It was very inspiring.”The salon’s hours are Monday and Tuesday 9am to 5pm and to assist customers who work during the day, the salon is open until 6pm on Wednesdays, 8pm on Thursday and Fridays, and Saturday’s until 4pm.The telephone number is 295-PINK and website, www.salonpinkhair.com