Have you ever wondered what is involved in making a wig? Has anyone ever pointed out a wig to you and you were shocked at how natural and seamless it looked? It’s the ones that you don’t notice that are truly works of art.
My name is Paula Bisk, and I am the owner and founder of Paula’s Wig Boutique, which has been designing and manufacturing human hair wigs in Toronto since 1999. I would love to take you through a day in the life at our weekly workshop.
Before I begin, let me introduce you to the different specialists who are required to produce the highest-quality wigs in Toronto. On any given day, our team consists of:
- Ventilators
- Seamstresses
- Wefters
- Hairdressers
- Colourists
- Wig consultants
It’s a pretty big team, but every job is essential to creating the highest-quality human hair wigs in Toronto. Let’s understand what each team member does in their respective jobs.
Ventilators
These are wig artisans that specialise in hand-tying each strand of hair into various types of lace and fabric. This is by far the most time-consuming and tedious job. It requires a large amount of experience, patience, and the ability to sit in one spot comfortably for a long time.
Seamstresses
Our seamstresses specialise in base construction, fitting, and attaching microwefts to caps.
Wefters
A person who wefts is a specialised wigmaker that exclusively creates micro wefts out of raw hair. This can be done by hand or by sewing machine.
Wefted hair allows us to attach a greater amount of hair to a base in significantly less time. Wefted hair is also easier to repair.
Hairdressers
Human hair wigs require very experienced hairdressers to complete the job of making the perfect wig, ensuring that the cut and style are suitable for our clients. Our motto is “The hair on a wig does not grow back.“ There isn’t room for error, and as such, our hairdressers are hyper-aware of the value of each human hair wig and take the job of cutting a hairpiece with a great deal of seriousness.
Colourists
On any given day we employ two wig colourists who are specially trained in highlighting and dying human hair wigs. In general, the demand for exceptional colour and highlight services in the salon industry has increased exponentially. This is also true for wigs, for which a colour service not only takes approximately triple the amount of time but also requires a very delicate touch. As we always say, “The hair on a wig does not grow back.”
Mistakes are costly, so the demands on our colourists and hairdressers are quite high.
Wig Consultants
Ever since we started making wigs in Toronto, Paula‘s Wig Boutique has always employed an actual wig wearer to conduct consultations. The consultant is well-versed in the art of wearing wigs and is extremely empathetic to the challenges of wearing a wig or hairpiece, having experienced the difficulties herself. Our consultant also acts as our clients’ personal trainer and educator on how to wear, wash, store, and maintain wigs or hairpieces.
Every member of our team is essential to creating the ultimate in bespoke human hair wigs. Our day starts well before our clients start to arrive and finishes well after we have seen our last client. Each wig requires anywhere from 40 to 100 hours of labour, and each piece is unique. Producing exceptional human hair wigs in Toronto has been a labour of love for well over two decades. We consider each wig or hairpiece that we design and create as we view each one of our clients—one of a kind.
