A new vision, the same legacy. Welcome Inspired By You!
Some businesses arrive at the V&A Waterfront as strangers, others feel like they've always been here.
Inspired By You, now open at Dock Road, is one of those. Their story started more than 30 years ago, under the mentorship of one of South Africa's most respected hairstylists, Frank Fowden, right here in our neighbourhood.
Born from Legacy
For over 30 years, Frank Fowden Hairstylists was a much-loved fixture of the V&A Waterfront. Frank built more than a salon; he built a community, one shaped by familiarity, trust and the kind of client relationships that grew over decades. Many who sat in his chair returned year after year, not only for his skill, but for the sense of belonging that came with it.
When Frank passed away in 2015, the salon through its beloved stylists continued to serve generations of loyal customers, standing as one of the neighbourhood’s longest-trading businesses. At the V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Tenant Awards two years ago, Frank Fowden Hairstylists was honoured with a 30-year service certificate, a recognition not only of longevity, but of the quiet, consistent excellence that defines what our neighbourhood stands for. In 2025, an era came to a close when Frank Fowden Hairstylists finally shut its doors at the Waterfront. For many clients, it felt like the end of a chapter that had been part of their lives for decades. Yet the story did not end there. Like many of the businesses that form part of our neighbourhood, Frank’s greatest legacy was not only what he built, but the people he shaped along the way.
The women behind Inspired By You, Margo Hilario, Bianca Marra and Yasmeen Najaar, are part of that legacy. Having spent more than two decades working alongside Frank, they learnt far more than technique. They absorbed his standards, his discipline and his belief that every client deserved to feel known, cared for and confident when they left the chair.
After more than 20 years of mastering their craft across international platforms, celebrity styling rooms and elite salon environments, these three women made a bold decision. They stepped into their own light and created something entirely and authentically theirs. Inspired By You is that creation.
Beyond the Chair
Inspired By You is a high-end hair and beauty destination created to honour the individual in body, mind and soul. This is not simply a place to get your hair done. It is an experience designed to leave you feeling worthy, restored and inspired.
Every client is a canvas. The team’s mission is to create exceptional work with every head of hair and to make each person feel not only seen, but transformed.
They understand that hair is deeply personal. Unruly, damaged or frizzy hair is not just a cosmetic concern. It can quietly diminish the confidence we carry into the world each day. Specialising in restorative treatments and customised solutions that go beyond the surface, addressing the emotional frustrations of hair challenges with the care and skill they deserve.
At the V&A Waterfront we have always believed that the most meaningful businesses are founder-led, craft-driven and rooted in genuine human relationships. Inspired By You is all of those things. It is women stepping into ownership on their own terms. Personal service in an age of mass everything. And proof that when you invest in people the way Frank Fowden did, something lasting gets built.
