Boutique/Salon de Marcus

Marcus Hanish’s hair salon, Salon de Marcus, in the Gaslamp neighborhood, has taken a hard economic hit in the last three years. So, what did he do? He broke down a wall and decided to follow his dreams.

Hanish turned a faltering hair salon into a clothing boutique he calls Boutique de Marcus. The store sells, among other things, Hanish’s designer dresses.Hanish is not only a designer but also a collector of vintage couture dresses.

The store also sells what Hanish calls everyday wear—cocktail dresses, denim, and casual tops for women and metro clothing for men. He carries pieces in all sizes—Hamish doesn’t want anyone to feel left out. The boutique’s style, like Hanish himself, is edgy while still looking sophisticated.

Born in Baghdad, Hanish grew up watching his mother and sisters make clothes. He learned to size up a woman’s body, measure the amount of fabric needed, and sew up a dress without a pattern. He does it all — from design to construction to fitting. A few years ago, he did decide to take the craft more seriously and went to Mesa College to for a design degree.

At the moment Hanish is working on his 12 strongest looks for a fashion show/grand opening that will take place in March.

With a wife and twin daughters to support, Hanish pursued hair because he says that when he started, he was able to command $200 for a hair cut. He’s known for his work as a “Platform artist” (working hair shows), teaching at the Paul Mitchell School, working for the Prive product line in New York, and was the artistic director for hair mogul Robert Cromeans. “I cannot charge those prices today for hair. Now when women want to feel good about themselves, they go out and shop for clothes or shoes, they just don’t spend that kind of money on their hair anymore,” Hanish says.

Despite the fact that business is down, Hanish recently completed a renovation on his salon. Taking down walls, building shelving for product displays, designing chandeliers, painting, and adding spaces for eyebrow waxing, and even a VIP room for Hanish’s special clients, the salon is back and better than ever, and much of the success is due to the boutique.

Hanish is a consummate shopper and collector. He says he’ll buy anything with YSL on it, and has a keen eye for finding elaborately beaded dresses in a Vegas style and updating them for the modern woman.Gowns are his specialty, and he says his goal is to move into the bridal business soon. He’s employed a full-time seamstress in addition to his hair styling and boutique staff, and raves that she’s so wonderful that he’s trying to keep her a secret.

If you’re a collector of rare vintage and couture garments, then Boutique de Marcus is the place to find them.

http://www.sandiego.com/shopping-and-fashion/boutique-de-marcus-a-san-diego-economic-success