Mrs Kudritzki with husband Rudolph and son Taj

Mrs Kudritzki in the cockpit – trying to follow in her husband’s footsteps

When she was a little girl, the residents of her seacoast home parish of St Thomas in Jamaica had a lifestyle that was very similar to the lifestyle lived by many in the Cayman Islands at that time as well. Traditions were sacred, lifestyle choices were to be conservative and, religion was an important part of everyday life.

“I was taught to look to, and respect, the older folks. My mother, Violet Mae, who was, and still is, a devoted Christian and preacher, taught all her five daughters to give a lot to others, and she would give a lot as well.

“One of her reasons for this was that she thought we may all have to travel away from home one day and, if we were all kind in our early years, somewhere in life, that kindness would come back to us all in some way,” Monalisa Morganberry-Kudritzki explained.

However, as she grew, it was hard for a lanky young girl – with a great interest in hairstyles and makeup – to get the approval of her Mom and her community family.

But respect for authority was deeply instilled in her and so instead of seeing the bad side of her life, she tried always to focus on the good, and let others see the good as well. In the early years her height was one of the things on which she had to put a positive spin as well.

In the early 1960’s when she was very young, and taller than most of her friends her age, it was very hard for her to see the good side of being blessed with a lean frame and long legs. In those days, the popular view was that height belonged to boys and girls above a certain height were considered to be “too tall.”

But, as her mid teen years came around she began to ask herself “too tall for what?” And alongside that inner confidence, and ability to see the good side of things, came change all around her with people saying “a girl can be tall and beautiful at the same time.”

It is the very same calm and respectful approach that Mrs Kudritzki used throughout the years that followed to change her mother’s views somewhat towards her choice of a profession in the field of cosmetology. According to Mrs Kudritzki one might think that someone with an interest in fashion and cosmetology would immediately opt to live in New York or similar world capitals.

She explained, to the contrary, “I came here first in 1979, when I was 18 years old, to visit a schoolmate who had come back here to live.

“There were so many similarities to my quiet home that appealed to me that I decided I wanted to return after going back home to Jamaica for six months.”

This internationally trained beautician has called Cayman home for almost 30 years. However, when she travels back to Jamaica, she not only remembers the old-time values of giving – carrying with her gifts for her 66-year-old parents, she also has tokens for her former School Teachers, and some members of her community.

Even though she is steeped in the world of high fashion and beauty, one of the first things she will proudly declare is that her mother is a preacher and her own respect for traditional values. One sees some of these same old-fashioned values as she carefully watches over her son – even though he is now 21 years old – and invests a lot of time in her family life with her husband Rudolph.

Speaking about her life Mrs Kudritzki said, “My father, Michael, was a heavy-equipment operator before he retired. “My parents also had a small, dry goods, merchandising operation for many years and therefore are still managing to take care of themselves. They still travel from time to time to my sisters overseas.

“After attending Primary School in St Thomas I had to board in Kingston because I got a scholarship to attend Dunrobin High School. “Even though I lived away from home, life while boarding was also filled with strict rules that had to be obeyed. “It was after leaving High School that I visited a friend in Cayman and decided that I would want to stay.”

Mrs Kudritzki who has owned and operated her own hairdressing establishment for the past sixteen years here, said that she started out in the working world here in Cayman in other fields. She explained, “I worked at the Motor Vehicle Licensing Department for almost seven years. I also worked at the Radisson Hotel as a Reservation Clerk and spent a short while selling advertising in the media industry.

"I also spent five years working at another hair salon, before opening my own called Hair Den. “As far as modelling goes I did some photographic modelling for the promotion of souvenir items here and I also did a few shows here and there for quite some time. But throughout all that time my passion for cosmetology was always calling me.

“I trained in the field at the Lisa Coleman Institute of Technology in Los Angeles in the United States for two years. As soon as I came back to Cayman I opened my first shop in Barnes Plaza before moving to Mary Street.” Always aiming for the good side is one of Mrs Kudritzki’s qualities to which her customers can attest.

“It is not only her cheery personality,” one customer said, “it is also the way she makes you see your beautiful side, both inside and out.” Looking around Hair Den one immediately sees Monalisa’s sense of style – even a bit conservative, and yet very sophisticated –in the tasteful décor.

But she explained, “My husband has lot to do with all this. He is seasoned in certain areas of construction and interior finishings. As glamorous as Monalisa looks, she says she is not someone who particularly likes the bright lights.

She said, “I am not a party person at all. I like spending time with my family and I love to travel. My favourite places are Italy and France, and of course, Switzerland, where we visit my husband’s family.”