Monique McMahon is the face, brains and hands behind QUE Academy and QUE Colour salon, pioneering a renowned national business and consistently innovating education, most recently with QUE.DIGITAL.ACADEMY.
We spoke to the industry icon about the genesis of her salon and education empire, the future of the brands and what makes the QUE DNA so special.
What is the story of the birth of QUE Colour and QUE Academy?
QUE was firstly a place of healthy hair and healthy colour only – we didn’t style or cut, and we continue to keep colour at the forefront of our brand. I have a strong, natural leaning towards education and structure, so as we grew to offer all services I needed to keep the high standard of work that we’d become renowned for. To do that, I had to find a way of enabling all my team to deliver to that level and fulfil our clients’ exceptions each and every time – hence the academy.
We established the academy within the salon first, then expanded the platform out to the industry. It’s grown from there to encompass workshops, networking events, collaborations with incredible artists, look and learn, e-books and digital education. People learn in different ways, so we aim to provide multiple formats so there’s something for everyone. There’s so much opportunity right now for creative education formats, the sky’s the limit!
What gives QUE Colour its point of difference?
We deliver on colour like no other salon. We’re all about healthy hair, healthy colour. We are big on education not just for ourselves, but also for our clients. We invest time in delivering a personal yet professional experience for every single client. Our hair care products are natural with luxe finishes, and we only have the best brands.
What are your hero services?
We are definitely the home of a great blonde! Not to mention our killer glossy brunettes. Our most popular colour request is FREESTYLE colour for sure.
What are your hero products used?
Christophe Robin’s shade variation mask in Baby Blonde, his classic Regenerating Mask with Prickly Pear Seed Oil and all of his treatment shampoos to manage the scalp and regenerate the hair.
Describe your key clientele.
The QUE girl is driven and fashion aware. She is not commercial yet not grunge. Her hair condition and colour is important to her and she knows what’s trending and is open to knowing more. For the QUE girl, quality beats quantity and she doesn’t mind paying for subtlety.
What is your proudest achievement with the salon?
I love seeing my team reach their goals and smash their targets. My proudest achievement with my salon is my team and the standard of work produced on a daily basis. It’s the simple things that give me joy.
For more information visit www.quecolour.com and que.academy