The New York native—who now lives in Israel with her family—is a creative at heart. She started braiding her sister’s hair for fun, then, when they turned out well, took photos of the styles, and eventually, decided to start her own Instagram account to showcase her work and connect with others in the space.

Right now, it’s a hobby, but Hadassah hopes to make it a career. She has done hair for two kallahs (brides) already on their wedding days. We sat down with Hadassah to get some intel on the unbelievable looks she creates and how things work behind the scenes.

Where do you find inspiration for your braids?

When I want to do another style, I’ll look at my page and see what would fit in best to post next—maybe it’s a space bun style or a side pony. I follow different accounts and save posts from there that I’ll use as inspiration. I also have a sketchbook that I use for hair, so I will look at that and see if there’s anything I’ve been thinking about that’s interesting. Sometimes, I’ll even ask Naami if she has any ideas of what she wants. 

How long does it take to do each style?

It takes a minimum of an hour for each style. I’m very precise and like everything to look super perfect. Taking the different parts and sectioning it off takes the longest. The braiding itself is pretty quick. I also need to detangle her hair before, and I like to wet it so it’s easier. So, I’m really grateful she lets me do it! We have a show we’ll watch together, or she’ll do homework sometimes and I’ll help her with it. It’s actually been a really great bonding experience for us, especially with being home more due to COVID.

What’s your favorite braid to do?

My favorites are the zipper braid and the five-strand braid. The five-strand braid looks so cool and is easy for me to do.

What’s the most challenging braid you’ve ever done?

The infinity braid for sure. You never know what to expect. Sometimes you try it and it comes out amazing, and other times it doesn’t. You never know. I love the way it looks but it’s super hard for me to do.

How do you prepare to do a new braid? Do you have to study it a bit or you just dive right in?

If it’s a new braid that I’ve never done, like a six- or seven-strand, then I’ll have to watch a tutorial first. But if it’s a Dutch or three-strand braid, then I’ll just see where it starts and ends and what the partings are and do it based on the photo. Since I’ve been doing it for some time now, I can usually just figure it out.

What advice would you give others who want to try it out?

You just have to jump in and do it. I had no idea what I was doing when I started. You get better as you go, with trial and error, and that’s how you learn. I’m so glad I did.

—

For more on caring for your hair, click here!

Makeup Artist Louise Lerman can make any woman look like a queen. It’s not just the dewy cheeks, smoky eyes and shimmering smile that conveys that resplendence—it’s the expression on the girl’s face in the photo Louise posts on Instagram. You can tell that what lies on the surface of her skin just amplifies the beauty she already has inside.

Beauty in Judaism is not a negative thing. Our Matriarchs were praised for their appearance. In Egypt, when the men were working hard all day as slaves, the women used mirrors to show off their beauty to their husbands, seducing them and therefore continuing the Jewish nation—no small feat at that time.

Louise is truly an artist. With a toolbox of foundation, blush, lipstick and mascara, she uses the face as her canvas. She employs her talents to make brides and their families look like their prettiest selves, ushering them into this new phase of life feeling like royalty.

Underneath the product, though, is a woman with grit. Ironically, she’s usually bare-faced. “I don’t wear a stitch of makeup,” she says. “I’m a very low-maintenance girl. I’m so removed from it in my own life, but that’s because for me it’s truly about the art and creativity.”

Here, she shares her journey to becoming one of the observant world’s top makeup artists, amassing nearly 15,000 Instagram followers (@makeupbyloulerman) and recently starting her own headband company, Lily by Lou (@lilybylou), which you’re seeing atop heads everywhere.

Nurturing Her Soul

In some ways, becoming a makeup artist was natural for Louise. Growing up in England, her mother worked at the makeup counter at Estee Lauder and her father was a hairdresser who owned a chain of salons. “I kind of had a feeling I would do something artsy, but I had no idea that would be makeup,” she shares.

A creative from the start, she had trouble concentrating in a traditional school environment and couldn’t sit still in class. “I’m dyslexic, so all the odds were against me,” she explains. “No one knew what to do with me—they said I was lazy and a bad student.” 

Instead of getting brought down by the comments, when she finished high school, Louise chose to follow her creative side and landed a spot at a top university course in London to learn more about the art of makeup. In the course, she would get certified in special-effects makeup for movies and theater. “They pretty much produce movie makeup artists, which was incredible,” she explains. 

While she was learning, she lived in a student residence in Golders Green, home to one of London’s observant Jewish communities. There were Judaism classes through the Jewish Learning Exchange (JLE) in the student common area that offered free pizza. Eventually, after a few weeks of just pizza, she ended up staying to learn. “I honestly didn’t care for the classes at the time,” she says. “But what I loved was that I felt like I was part of a religion that accepts you for you. I never felt like I fit in before, but in that environment, I felt like they truly cared about who I was as a person.”

She went on a trip with the organization to Los Angeles. When she returned, she just wanted to get back to that feeling the trip provided. “I didn’t care to be religious at the time,” she explains. “I just wanted that feeling of acceptance. It didn’t matter what school you went to or how much money you had, it just mattered who you were.”

She followed that desire for more to Neve, a seminary in Jerusalem, leaving the makeup course behind. She spent a year there, surviving by working as a cleaning lady at the same time. “My parents said, ‘If you want to do this, you can do it on your own,’” she says. “So, I had no money. I cleaned, folded laundry — I lived very simply.”

After just a year, she decided to spend time in America, where many of her friends from seminary were and lived in Passaic for several months as a boarder with a family. She worked as a nanny while she was there, but before long, missed the feeling she had had in Israel and went back. She was just 19 then.

“This time, I went to EYAHT, Aish’s seminary for women,” she shares. “I stayed there for two-and-a-half years and then lived in Israel an additional five years after that. I worked as a babysitter, a cook, ran trips. I did all these random jobs and was the happiest I had ever been.”

Conquering Anxiety

At a Shabbat table one evening in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof, she met a man who would become her husband. He brought her back to America, and at 26, she got married. At this point of settling down, she decided to go back to makeup as a career. She couldn’t work legally at the time, as she was waiting for her visa, and the career path had always been in the back of her mind. Now, living a new life in New York City, she decided to try it out again.

“I went up to well-connected women on the Upper West Side who I had met through Shabbat meals and offered to do their makeup for free,” she shares. “I would do it for a simcha (special occasion) they had in the hopes that they would tell their friends. They saw that I was good at it and started hiring me for their own family weddings.”

For so many, walking up to a prominent woman in a new community would be daunting, to say the least. For Louise, all the more so. “I have a huge amount of anxiety,” she explains. “But when it comes to my work, my confidence in my ability overrides it. I know how amazing I am at what I do and so I can channel all that nervous energy.”

She does credit anti-anxiety medication with giving her a leg up in conquering it as well, but it’s also sheer grit and perseverance. In America, she had no family and no connections when she arrived. She explains that hustling was her only way. She continued to show off her skills on faces around the city and, eventually, was able to turn it into a real business, starting off charging $50 a face and slowly increasing. Now she gets $250 per person.

“I didn’t think so much about charging more money. It happened naturally,” she explains. “As I started to get more recognition and people saw that I was good, I charged more money by default. I realized all these prominent families were hiring me for their simchas and I just thought, ‘Okay, maybe I’m doing something right.’”

As someone working big jobs, you’d think her nerves would get to her at times. “There’s a fearlessness in me when it comes to my career and passion,” she explains. While other times, she says her anxiety can be overwhelming, at work, it dissipates. Putting her energy into this side of herself somehow makes it go away for a minute.

“I wish I had a magic or showstopping answer to explain how that happens, but I don’t,” she shares. “I just put the fear aside—I picture myself picking it up and putting it into the back of the fridge. It may seem weird, but whether it’s sending an email to someone, posting something on Instagram, reaching out to a new person, I get so afraid, but I don’t let that build up or dwell in it. I just do it.”

That success translates to the business side of being a makeup artist. It’s not just her talents with the brush and foundation that has gotten her far. It’s her focus. “If I do something, I do it all the way. That’s one of my secrets, which I share with people who are just starting out. Unless you know in your heart that you’re going to go ‘10x,’ as Grant Cardone says, then you’re not even going to make a dent,” Louise shares.

This grit also came from pain. Louise struggled to conceive early on in her marriage (although now she has a beautiful two-year-old daughter), so channeled the frustration into her work. “It’s not always possible for everyone to put every ounce of their being into their job,” she says. “Maybe they can’t, or have lots of children, but I didn’t have kids at that point. I used all my sadness and put it into this.”

Building Her Talent

If you follow Louise on Instagram, you may notice her face is rarely pictured. “I’m a shy person,” she explains. “I needed to figure out how to work with that, because I didn’t want to post my face and life on Instagram. I started doing product reviews and sharing more about my background in the text. People loved that.”

Louise found products by diving right in and experimenting. She’s constantly refining her craft. “As I grow, it’s not necessarily about my skill improving, it’s about my eye and style improving,” she explains. “I think a skill in this industry, any creative industry, is inborn. Then you develop it. I always try new things and, as it works, it pushes me to do more. I’m always exploring and discovering things.”

On her off-time she used to spend hours in stores just trying products. “I always want to try different products that no one else has tried,” she says. “I would go to Ulta and Sephora and just go through the aisles, take my time, touch products and smell them. It helped me understand the makeup in a real, deep sense. I think that’s what makes me different. Every ounce of my being is in this industry. I truly love it.”

She applies the same focus to her clients. “Each person who sits in your chair is a whole world of their own. She has a whole set of experiences, fears, insecurities and desires,” she explains. “It’s nonstop brain activity.”

Louise stresses that you don’t have to—and honestly shouldn’t—put your entire life on social media in order to get big. “That’s absolutely irrelevant to your job,” she says. “It’s an easy way out.” Even with her anxiety and fear, she isn’t afraid to be outspoken about her beliefs. “My biggest trait is authenticity.”

Behind the Scenes

Of course, with any job, there are good days and bad, stressors and disasters. As glamorous as things look in the photos, there is a lot of nitty-gritty behind-the-scenes work. She’s on her feet for 10-hour days, often waking up at the crack of dawn to get to the venue or traveling through snowstorms so the bride isn’t left without a makeup artist.

“You’re also often the peacemaker,” she says. When an argument erupts, she can be the one who helps bring people back together, as an objective third party. “You can put some sense into people.” 

Then, she could spend an hour working on someone’s face, and then they might not like it. Luckily, Louise’s strength comes out there, too. “I’m very strict,” she says. “I say, ‘This is what you asked for and if I have time at the end of the day when everyone else is completely taken care of, we can revisit it.’ It’s often the sisters or cousins of the bride in those cases, not someone who is the main focus of the day.” 

Sometimes she says she misquotes people, which costs her in the long run. “There is so much information in my head at once,” she explains. At any given point, she’s managing the current weddings as well as upcoming bookings coming in. With those, she has to keep on top of them, write down dates and make sure they send the deposit in so she can confirm.

Her husband helps her with the backend, but with all the moving parts, a ball is bound to drop occasionally. “There is no room for ‘bound to happen’ in this industry,” she says. “But it does.”

One time, she double-booked two brides—a horror. “I only realized it a few days before,” she says. “I was freaking out, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, what do I do?’” She decided to give her time to the bride who booked her first and very nervously called up the other to explain the situation. “They were upset,” she says. “But they understood that I made a mistake and I was committed to finding someone else to cover.”

In an industry working with so many people, she stresses how much of an impact being understanding can have. “I wish people knew my limitations as an intellectual,” she shares. “I’m a walking, talking miracle because I had everything against me. I’m a human being with feelings. I make mistakes but I try to make them better.”

At the end of the day, she says with all the madness, there is no greater feeling than making a bride feel special on the day of her wedding. “I’m euphoric,” she says. “I often just think, ‘Hashem, what did I do to deserve this?’ Helping a bride is a dream come true.”

Expanding Her Brand

With her makeup services in high demand, Louise actually yearned to do something more. “I love makeup, but it’s a bit limited,” she explains. “I can’t always create and express myself because I do what the client wants. My entire world revolves around creation. It’s like food for my soul.”

She channeled that pent-up energy into designing her headband company, Lily by Lou, which launched in November 2020. Lily was her grandmother’s name and is now her daughter’s English name. The spark came from a difficulty in wearing wigs. “I never felt pretty in them and found them itchy and uncomfortable,” she says. “I wanted to find a way to cover my hair that felt good.”

She created a collection of beautiful headbands that are now seen on heads everywhere—both in person and all over social media. On Instagram, they’re praised for their comfort and chic design. They instantly elevate any outfit — either putting the final touch on a look or standing as the centerpiece.

Louise likes to wear them over a wig or on top of a fall. Being able to wear the headbands over sheitels was a key part of the design (something that doesn’t always work with just any headband). The inspiration, she says, just comes to her. Sometimes it starts with a fabric, but other times it’s just a manifestation of her own creative energy.

Louise says that adding this to her workload was a no-brainer. She believes that with enough hard work, she can do anything. “If I want a new supplier, I’ll sit for hours and research to make it happen,” she says. “I think it comes from when I was in Israel and had no money. If there was something I wanted or needed, I had to figure out how to get it. It gave me this unbelievable grit to just keep pushing.”

She teamed up with her husband, Aaron, on the project, which actually took shape as a result of the coronavirus. He had quit his job and Louise was home for a while, not having any work due to the world being shut down. Not having a job to run to each day is what inspired her to actually start. “We needed goals in our life to wake up for,” she says. He runs the business side, and she focuses on the design. 

Now, with its success and growth, she’s grateful for every up and down. “I look back and feel such pride in myself,” she says. “I earned everything. It’s been such a sacred, special journey—so personal and intense. It makes me feel so close to Hashem, and for that, I am so grateful.”

1. Ideally, have someone wash and style it for you.

This one may feel like a little bit of a disappointment, but unless you’re a pro, you may just not be trained on the true details of sheitel haircare—and that’s okay. By pro, we don’t mean just doing your own hair either. Wigs have a whole rulebook of their own.

“A lot of people don’t know how to hold a blow dryer properly,” Marlene says. “They might not know how to brush a wig right either, so it doesn’t shed. A lace top for example, is more delicate so you need to treat it in a special way. When styling, a lot of people also often hold the curling iron in a way that burns the hair and creates split ends.”

Of course, if that’s just not an option for you financially right now or you’re living in a place without access to a professional, Marlene will teach others how to handle their wigs, but down the road, it can cost you more. “If I get a wig for a wash-and-set and I notice knotting or a lot of frizzing, I can get to the root of the problem sooner,” she says. “If a woman is doing her hair at home and then comes back to me a year later, it’s hard to know what transpired if I haven’t seen it in so long.”

2. Brush with your hands.

Like we said above, these beauties need a lot of TLC, so the best way to brush them is actually with your own hands. This way, the style stays in longer and you’re not pulling on the wefts, or the strips of cloth that hold the hair. The bristles of the comb can get stuck in the wefts and you might start tearing them, especially if you’re brushing your strands too hard or too often. Marlene says she’s constantly running her fingers through her wig throughout the day to prevent tangles.

Then, in the evening , she uses a deep conditioning spray (try this one!) to smooth the hair before brushing. It gives you a major assist when it comes to getting knots out that may have built up. Whether you’re using your hands or a gentle brush, she says to start at the bottom of the wig and work your way up, never brushing from the root.

3. Wash according to your wear.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule of how often to wash your wig—it really depends on use. “If you’re wearing your wig every single day and it begins to smell after six weeks, you wash it,” Marlene explains. “If you’re wearing your wig once or twice a week, you can get away with washing it every three months.”

She also notes that virgin hair can be worn longer than processed hair, since it can look stringy if you wash it often. “Virgin hair holds up dirt better and longer,” she explains. “So, you might only have to wash it every 8-12 weeks. As soon as it starts to smell though, you should bring it in. It’s important to take care of your own hair underneath as well because that will impact the smell of the sheitel and require you to wash it more often.”

4. Even if you’re not wearing your wig frequently, it still needs love.

If you’re in a period where you’re just not putting on sheitels as much (we see you, coronavirus), make sure to shake out those locks to keep them fresh.

“It might start to look limp if you just leave it for a while,” Marlene says. “I would just shake it upside down and brush it slightly from the bottom up with a hairbrush.” Using a flat-paddle brush (like this one) will ensure you pull out the least amount of hair.

5. Store your hair properly.

It may be tempting to just throw your wig on the bed when you get home from a long day out, but taking a few minutes to store it properly at the end of the day is key. A wig head is an ideal place to call home, but if you have a lace top, drape it over the head so you don’t stretch out the cap. As an alternative, take a two-liter soda bottle and position your wig over the top of that (this is also a great tip for traveling!).

For more tips from Marlene, click here!

So many women say their first sheitels were a total wash because you learn so much more after wearing one about what you like or don’t. But that doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean you can’t love what you get right off the bat. 

Plus, no matter what stage of life you’re in when deciding to get a new wig, it’s an investment. Feeling confident will only help you love the mitzvah (and your look!) more. Here, Marlene Kolangi of Kaituz shares her tips to help you make that happen.  

1. Set your budget.

Sheitels can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands upon thousands. When going to meet with an expert, it’s important to know what you’re comfortable spending so you don’t get your heart set on something that turns out to be way out of your price range. “There’s no end to how much things can cost,” Marlene explains. “I tell my customers, based on their budget what they can get for their money and if it will act the way they want it to. My job is to maximize their budget as much as possible to get them what they want.” 

If you have your heart set on something that does happen to be beyond your budget, you don’t have to just forget about it. “I’ll suggest to some customers to hold onto their money and keep saving over the next six months or year and then come back when they have a little more. This way they can get something they really love versus settling for something you’re still spending a lot on. They appreciate that.” 

2. Get locks for your lifestyle.

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that women talk. So, a lot of the time, someone who’s in the market for a new sheitel—kallah or not—will determine what she should get based on what others suggest. For example, a woman will think she needs two full sheitels right off the bat or has to start with one full wig and one band fall (a wig that is designed to be worn with a headband or scarf).

In reality, the true determinant is based on your lifestyle. “If you’re working in corporate America, you’re probably not wearing a band fall every day,” Marlene says. “But if you’re a nurse in a hospital, you probably are. I like to really get an idea of who the customer is, what she does and how she lives her life.”

This could also be dependent on personality, and not just career. “Some people like to get very glammed up during the day in six-inch heels even just to go to the coffee shop,” she says. “Others have no interest in wearing a glam wig every day.”

Think about your everyday lifestyle and what you truly want to wear, not just what you feel like you “should” have. This way, you’ll get the most use out of your locks and you’ll feel more like you in them.

3. Style according to your self.

Right now, it’s all about the lace, and maybe a few years ago, it was about the volume, and a few years before that, the sleekness. Trends change, but just because they do doesn’t mean you have to change with them. “When something is trending, it is for a reason,” Marlene says. “A lace wig, for example, is the most comfortable. But that doesn’t mean it’s for you.”

She stresses that if you love body and texture and aren’t finding that in a lace wig, then don’t pressure yourself to get one just because that’s the in-thing right now. Staying true to your vibe and style is the only way to guarantee you’re going to be happy, even if it means going against the crowd.

Bring photos of what you love and be as specific as you can about what you’re looking for. “My eye is trained to see the end result of everything,” Marlene says. “I listen to my customers very closely and always ask to see the end goal. I’m a very visual person and I have to bring that vision to life.”

To learn more about Marlene, click here!

“I wanted to create an experience where every bride would feel pampered and cared for,” she says. Her company is a one-stop shop where a kallah (bride) can get her gown, sheitel, makeup and even wedding planning services, avoiding the need to drive to multiple places for various appointments. Her mother and sisters can also get dresses and makeup at the same time.

In business for over 20 years, Marlene got the idea from her own family experience. When her younger sister, Orit, was getting married at 19, she struggled to find a dress that matched her personality and age. There were only a few frum bridal places and everything just felt too mature. “She looked like a young girl playing dress-up,” Marlene explains.

The family ended up getting a dress at Kleinfeld’s, a well-known bridal boutique in New York, but the store had to do a lot of customization to meet the bride’s tzniut (modesty) requirements. “It got me thinking that this was really a void I might be able to fill,” Marlene says. She was a young, business-minded college student at the time.

What happened next was a twist of fate that only could be credited to a chilling story of hashgacha pratis (Divine intervention). Graduating from Touro college with a degree in marketing management, Marlene decided to apply to Kleinfeld’s as a sales associate to get her feet wet. On the day of her interview, the company liked what they saw. Marlene was given an offer on the spot. “They saw my passion,” she says. “I was very real with them.” 

Her sister picked her up that day from the office, excited to hear the news, but on the way home, the two got into what Marlene describes as “a monstrous car accident.” She continues, “I was declared dead at the scene. It was a miracle I survived… I was immobile for the next six months while I recovered.”

The budding bridal associate lost her opportunity to work at Kleinfeld’s because of the accident, but she ended up turning very sour lemons into lemonade that would stay sweet for years to come. She used her time in bed to plow through bridal magazines, planning a company of her own. She noted different businesses she could work with, ripping out pages that caught her eye and researching the industry as much as possible.

After she recovered, she began reaching out to the companies on her list, securing places she could get beautiful, designer dresses from, and at the same time, sourcing materials she would need to build them up and make them tzanuah (modest). She needed to ensure that the companies could adhere to the shorter timelines her clientele needed as well. 

“You don’t have five months to wait for a dress to come in,” she explains. “That was a very big component and took a lot of legwork. I had to create relationships with the companies to make sure they could service my customers.”

Once that part was figured out, she teamed up with the closest women in her life. Marlene’s mother is a hair professional—she used to style bridal tresses full-time in Israel, where she’s from. Although she’s been in America for almost 50 years now, that experience set her up for her entire career. “She used to do between five and 15 brides a day in the largest salon in Israel,” Marlene says. “She’s been doing this since she was 14, it’s her passion.”

Marlene’s sister is a makeup artist, so she complemented the team perfectly. While Marlene herself was taking care of the gowns and making sure everyone was dressed and good to go on the day of the wedding, her sister could do the makeup and her mother the hair. “I helped people make their wedding day flawless and hassle-free so they could just enjoy it and live in the moment,” she explains.

A Family Affair

The name of her business, Kaituz, comes from “K-twos, or K-squared” she says. She and her sister have always been very close, so the two Kolangis together became the brand. “It’s a weird name but it just stuck,” she shares. “We wanted something catchy, and to this day, clients from way back remember Kaituz.”

It’s clear from Marlene’s story that family has always been a big part of her journey. After her accident, when she decided to go into business for herself, her father was her number one supporter. When she started, she needed inventory; there was no way to get dresses on consignment.

“He arranged for me to get a $13,000 loan, which at the time was crazy money,” she says. “He taught me how to build credit, read a credit report; he really guided me. He said, ‘I believe in you and your capabilities, I’m your cheerleader. Go for it.’”

He and her mother gave Marlene the basement of their Queens home to do what she wanted, so that became her showroom, a facility to meet clients and a place to store the gowns—it remains that place to this day. “My family really supported me, which was essential when doing something so risky and scary,” she says. “I was only 21 at the time.”

Hashem was also on her side, because the business took off immediately. “We did so well so fast, I didn’t even know how to keep up,” she shares. Marlene was the vision behind the dress designs, and she hired a pattern maker, plus two workers to sew and create the finished, modest product. “We were making an insane number of dresses. My workers would go until 4 a.m. sometimes. Thankfully, we were able to give every single bride a personalized wedding experience.”

The Hair Story

Selling sheitels (wigs) came a few years later but now makes up the bulk of her business. Once brides and their families were working with Marlene for so much of the wedding planning process, they convinced her to sell sheitels, too, to streamline things even further. She was someone they knew and trusted already, something that’s key when investing so much in a piece you’re planning to wear daily.

Marlene was intrigued, but it took time before she committed. “I did research for a year and a half before bringing wigs in,” she says. “This was already 17 years ago now, and it was a major game changer for me.” 

The research involved hands-on experience with the hair. She reached out to wig companies first-hand, then went to them and actually touched the strands, played with them, experimented with different types and watched how they dried naturally. 

“I learned very quickly, but I wanted to make sure I knew what I was talking about before diving in,” Marlene explains. She now spends quality time with each bride and client she meets with, ensuring they find the best option for their budget and goals. She sells 17 different brands of sheitels, with three more on the way, and prides herself on the attention she gives to each bride. “Because I have so many different brands I can cater to a diverse array of clients, all over the globe,” she shares.

Purchasing a sheitel is something that can be a really daunting step when taking on the mitzvah of hair covering for the first time—first, there’s the heavy cost, plus making sure it’s comfortable and in a style that suits you. Marlene’s goal is to make sure each woman feels excited about the result. “My specialty is complicated hairlines and sizing,” she explains. “People come to me from all over for that. It’s a challenge, but that’s the thrill for me.” 

Marlene’s mother also remained involved. She had tons of experience washing and setting wigs, so the duo continues to work together.

This business venture proved to be even more worthwhile when the wedding industry took a hit about 12 years ago, after the financial crash in 2008. People weren’t spending $2000–$3000 on a wedding gown anymore, and takana weddings became the norm. _{[NOTE: A takana wedding is one that follows Rabbinically enacted ordinances to prevent excessive expense that could become a social pressure and financial burden on the individuals of a community.]}

Like all successful entrepreneurs know, innovation is key to creating a business with longevity. So, Marlene took her sheitel knowledge on the road, flying to cities around the United States and the world to sell her stock. It’s a venture that proved fruitful and something she continued doing right up until the coronavirus pandemic shut down travel.

In recent months, she’s had to reroute her efforts again as a result of not being able to quickly get shipments in from China, or travel to cities as often to sell. She’s lowered the quantity of products she has in stock so she can decrease her overhead and she’s re-focused her services, showing clients how to recreate their gowns or bridal dreams for a backyard wedding instead. She’s offering discounts, with an understanding that almost everyone has been hit hard this time. Marlene’s driving desire is to still help them create their dream day. 

Kaituz has been selling cosmetics for 20 years as well. The company focuses on long-wear products so customers can wear them over Shabbat and Yom Tov as well. Since the company grew, Marlene’s mother and sister no longer do hair and makeup at the venue anymore. They’ll style the bride if she and her bridal party come to their home, but if they want to be made up at the venue, (which many often do) Marlene will connect them with other hair stylists and makeup artists.

With everything she does, the client’s experience remains top priority.

A Mother First

In business, one of the most essential tips is to remember your “why.” While Marlene had enough passion for her work to make the business successful, her true drive was and still is, her 15-year-old daughter.

“As a single mother, I had to provide financially,” she explains. “Twenty-four hours after I had a baby, I was back downstairs in my office. I made six weddings the week following.” Taking care of her daughter became her focus and a great need; she knew she would do whatever it took to make that happen.

“I had to make choices a lot and it was very hard,” she explains. “I sacrificed dating, self-care, time with my friends and even bigger dreams for my business but I don’t regret it. I had to work or I chose to be at home… Holding my daughter’s fingers or teaching her how to walk outweighed everything else by far.”

Now, Marlene wants to show others that you don’t have to put your dreams aside to have a family. “You just have to work smarter, not necessarily harder,” she explains. “You have to work very efficiently and know how to delegate both in the office and at home.”

This is coming from someone who had to really work to get to this mindset. “I’ve learned I don’t have to be a martyr,” she says. “It’s okay to have cleaning help, it’s okay to get takeout sometimes. It’s important to get to know yourself and your capabilities and then hire others to help you. There’s nothing wrong with sharing the burden and having assistance to achieve your goals.”

As busy as she may be, she credits the entrepreneurial lifestyle with giving her the flexibility to be there for her daughter. In school, she had dreams of being a gastrointestinal surgeon and even started college pre-med, but in thinking about her future family, she shifted gears.

“I put my entire heart and soul into everything I do,” she shares. “I was so nervous I would be the mom who was never home because I was working 80 hours a week in surgeries. My goal was to be an excellent surgeon, so I knew I couldn’t work part-time either. Starting a business allows me to work from home and never miss one of my child’s milestones.”

Ironically, Marlene says she probably still works as many hours as a surgeon might, but the flexibility on when she works makes all the difference. “Being a mom is always the first thing on my list,” she says. “It’s what everything else revolves around.” 

Beauty Inside and Out

Through all the ups and downs and many changes and readjustments, she credits her emunah (faith) as the one thing that has remained constant. “At the end of the day, no matter how hard you try, if it’s not G-d’s will, it’s not going to happen,” she says. “My business really helped strengthen my relationship with Hashem.”

Marlene finds real meaning in her work, bringing Torah into an industry that can be criticized for its gashmiyut (materialism). “The employees in the factories I work with are blown away by how beautiful a modest gown can be,” she says. “It really motivates me to keep going.” 

She also created a gemach (free loan association) where her clients can donate their gowns after they’ve been worn. She initially set it up in Queens, but later relocated it to an Israeli orphanage called Bayit Lepletot in Meah She’arim, a central Jerusalem neighborhood, to help girls there feel beautiful on their big day.

“No matter how hard you try, if it’s not G-d’s will, it’s not going to happen.”

Marlene Kolangi

When she’s not working or at home, Marlene somehow finds the time to spearhead the New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital’s bikur cholim (visiting the sick) room as well, constantly making trips to ensure the place is fully stocked for patients’ families who need kosher food to eat. She also volunteers for Camp Simcha, a summer camp for children with cancer and other blood disorders, and Yad Batya L’Kallah, an organization that helps brides with any and all expenses as they’re getting married.

She also started her own nonprofit called She Turns 12, which sponsors Bat Mitzvah parties for girls who wouldn’t have one otherwise. “The organization is about empowering youth,” she explains. “Kids who are 12 and older are the ones planning the party, but the recipient doesn’t know. It inspires the kids planning, helping them realize how much they have, and the recipient feels really special. It’s a crucial age and it can help bring a bit of light to a child’s life when they might otherwise feel neglected, an issue that can lead them down darker paths as they grow up.” She works with a partner organization that focuses on doing the same thing for boys and their bar mitzvahs.

No matter what she’s working on, Marlene makes sure her day is enveloped in purpose. “I wake up every morning and think, ‘How can I bring meaning to someone’s day today?’” she says. “People always ask what’s so meaningful about selling a wig, but helping a woman feel beautiful inside and out is so empowering. If I can help someone find the beauty in the mitzvah, I go to sleep with a smile.”

For more on Kaituz, get in touch with Marlene on Instagram at @kaituz.