Oribe Hair Care celebrated its second
anniversary in January, so Senior Editor Lori Morris checked in with co-presidents Tevya Finger and Daniel Kaner to find out how the brand fared
in its first two years—and what they have planned for its future.
Q: How has Oribe Hair Care grown since its launch?
Tevya Finger (TF): Six months before our January 1, 2009 launch, the
economy changed. This forced us to become super-lean, to spend our
resources in smart ways and to be mindful not to waste. Through hard
work, we’ve managed to create a niche for the super-elite salons in our
industry. We never started this with the notion to be a massive company,
but rather to form a unique group of like-minded salons that are serious
about education and quality. We wanted salons that sought a point of
difference from Sephora, Walgreens or Target in product selection. Every
salon that took the chance with us made more money in retail.
Daniel Kaner (DK): We’ve come to believe that the sense of exclusivity,
customization and uniqueness of perspective appears to be what the
market is chasing. To align ourselves with the type of partners we’re
looking for, we are constantly developing our education team, we’ve
expanded our product mix and we’ve grown internationally. We have also
aligned with session artists who share Oribe’s vision of hairdressing.
TF: Going forward, it’s about doing what we said we were going to do
at an even higher standard. To us, every salon is like a customer staying
at our hotel, and we want the service experience to be that of The Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons. On top of that, we want the cool factor of a niche
hotel like SLS in Los Angeles or the Gansevoort in Manhattan.
Q: What makes Oribe Hair Care stand out in the market?
DK: Oribe is different in terms of packaging, fragrance, distribution and
educational perspective, along with its leadership and mission.
TF: Our formulas have all been developed within the past two and a half
years, so the line uses the most advanced ingredients and formulations.
Q: What are some of your biggest accomplishments so far?
DK: Both of our Oribe Backstage events have been groundbreaking
educational forums, introducing a new kind of intimate workshop on
grand proportions and designed with a take-home component. I’ve also
loved being out in the field spending time with salon owners and stylists
and getting their feedback. Watching, listening and speaking directly
with our partners has been a rewarding process. In addition, we’ve won
an international design award for our packaging, as well as numerous
industry awards, such as Allure’s 2010 Best of Beauty Award.
Q: What do you have in store for 2011?
TF: Our biggest request has been to offer options for people who aren’t
used to paying $29-plus for products. So, we’re launching shampoo,
conditioner and a few styling products to let clients sample us at lower
prices to see the difference. These are like gateway products.
DK: We touched 300 salons last year through in-salon educational events,
and we might double that this year. Oribe Hair Care is a very young
company, and it’s astonishing to think what we have accomplished in just
two years. We promise to hit it hard, continually innovate and do the best
we can for our salon partners and the consumers who purchase Oribe
products and love them.
Talking Poin Ts
Tevya Finger and
Daniel Kaner, Oribe Hair Care Tevya Finger and daniel Kaner
