A new one-stop beauty clinic in Newport
Elegant You is a new beauty clinic in Newport opened by Craig Ryder and his partner Joy, who started their first Newport business Mulan Massage offering traditional Chinese massage.
“Joy is a licensed masseuse in Australia and taught Chinese massage therapy in China for many years,” says Craig. “She used to be employed as a masseuse in a shop in Williamstown and she started getting more and more customers asking to deal directly with her. So we looked around for a location nearby and Newport was perfectly located between her existing clientele in Williamstown and our home.”
After three and a half years successfully running Mulan Massage, in 2021 an opportunity arose for the couple to expand their business along with Joy’s two sisters who had an interest in beauty.
“We were offered a franchise opportunity at Highpoint Shopping Centre for a beauty business, but after a lot of thought we decided that we would take the risk to do it ourselves,” explains Craig. “We have an entrepreneurial spirit!”
“Our goal is to make beauty treatments effective, safe and affordable in a modern and private setting … We are aiming to offer an experience that’s different from what you might find at a shopping centre beautician.”
CRAIG RYDER
So they fitted out the space next door to Mulan Massage in blush-pink hues to offer beauty treatments while transforming the upstairs floor into a hair salon where freelance or home-based hairdressers could rent a chair and serve their clients in a salon environment.
“Our goal is to make beauty treatments effective, safe and affordable in a modern and private setting,” explains Craig. “We are aiming to offer an experience that’s different from what you might find at a shopping centre beautician.”
Another aspect of Craig and Joy’s plan is to exclusively distribute a Queensland-made all-natural beauty range called Cania in Victoria.
“We are using Cania for all skincare treatments and Elegant You and then clients can purchase Cania products from our online store,” says Craig. “We’re really excited about their beautiful range of products - including lip balms, soaps and moisturisers - and we think our customers will enjoy the benefits.”
Given that Elegant You has not been able to trade much since its opening, what are Craig and Joy’s grand plans for the future?
“We want Elegant You to become an all-in-one beauty salon, where you can have your hair styled and get your nails done and feel pampered and beautiful when you leave.”
