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C2201_R47381_as0614-AIcon-Cover_1.BK.indd 33 5/2/2014 2:41:16 PM Introducing HAIRUWEAR PROFESSIONAL Human Hair Clip-in Extensions. PROFESSIONAL. ACCESSIBLE. REAL. We believe that the extension of a person’s beauty should be an extension of themselves. It should be real. It should last. It should fit them perfectly - both aesthetically and emotionally. And it should come from you. www.huwpro.com 877.447.2525 C2201_R47404_AS_0614_34.BK.indd 34 4/29/2014 10:18:15 AM L L. C2201_R47404_AS_0614_34.BK.indd 35 4/29/2014 10:18:24 AM GOING PRO New technology in a game-changing product expands stylists’ horizons. Each 3-inch-wide HUW Pro clip-in has three side-by-side clips to prevent sagging. Proprietary Fineline technology results in an interface that’s virtually undetectable. BEFORE High-quality Remy hair HUW Pro clip-ins can be styled like clients’ own hair. Multiple extensions can be used to create length or volume, or single clip-ins can fill in thin spots or create special effects. FROM LEFT: HUW Pro clip-ins come packaged individually with view windows; colors were carefully chosen and blended to match natural shades. E arlier this year, extension manufacturer HairUWear Inc. announced the creation of HairUWear Professional, a new division that would be home to a new HUW Pro brand as well as the well-known Great Lengths line. In some ways, it was a change in name only. Great Lengths USA has been firmly established as a professional-only hair extension brand for 15 years, a reputation the company has been firmly committed to preserving through the type and quality of products it offers. “We have a fundamental commitment to C2201_R47566_as0614-AIcon-Intro_1.BK.indd 36 empowering professional stylists to do their best work,” says company president Michael Napolitano. “We partner with trained professionals to offer products they’d be proud to offer their clients.” The first branded product from the newly christened division is the new HUW Pro Clip-In Extension, out last month. Brett Butcher, national program director for Great Lengths USA, says the product perfectly reflects the company’s mission. “Great Lengths has been our driving force, being as it’s strictly designed for and sold only to professionals,” he explains, referring to the high-quality, Remy hair strandby-strand extensions and proprietary attachment methods the company has pioneered. But he says the recognition has long existed among the product development team that there was a gap in the market: a clip-in extension designed for professional use only. “We have the privilege of working with the best of the best stylists in the world,” says Butcher. “The inspiration came from them. There’s not one aspect of this product that wasn’t directed by a hairdresser.” 5/2/2014 4:18:04 PM s gging. ts in an e. The result of two years of research salon, HUW Pro is offering a starter and development was a 3-inch-wide Toolkit, which includes a total of 27 clip-in extension with three side-by3-inch Fineline extensions in nine side clips. The clips are pressed— colors, in minimalistic packaging not stitched—into the hair using a with color-exposing windows. The proprietary method the extensions and a swatch company refers to as book are contained within Fineline technology, a portable carrying case. which uses a very thin, Replenishments can flexible and virtually be reordered in single invisible interface. The packets of one 3-inch extensions come in 12wide Fineline extension inch and 18-inch lengths, as needed. and three color families— —Brett Butcher, national This minimalist program director, Great blonde, brunette and approach sidesteps Lengths USA red—with three shades inventory issues per family. normally associated Butcher says that, in addition with nonpermanent extensions. “We to the unique design, what makes wanted to take it off the shelf and put these clip-ins different is the quality it at the stylist’s chair,” says Butcher. of the hair. The company has already In addition to using them for expected built an infrastructure that yields applications, such as special-occasion the highest-quality hair, ethically hair, Butcher says the new clipsourced, and he explains they saw no ins are ideal for solving problems reason to compromise those values not traditionally addressed by hair in manufacturing the new product. extensions: adding a single piece at “HairUWear Pro clip-ins are higheach temple for clients with thinning quality Remy hair procured from hair, adding a temporary pop of color, the same sources as our strand-bychanging the shape of a cut, or adding strand,” he says. dimension to color. “Sometimes a client The 3-inch width was chosen for just wants a novelty, something a little its versatility. Putting three clips on the different. With HairUWear Pro clip-ins, weft eliminates sagging, something that’s common with other clip-ins that have attachments only at the ends. The colors were meticulously chosen and expertly blended to mimic natural variations in tone. “Because the clip-ins blend so well with the client’s natural hair, exact color matches are irrelevant,” says Butcher, explaining The HUW Pro Clip-In why the selection is limited to just nine. Extension Toolkit comes “As long as you’re in the same tone, with a full range of colors, contained in a portable the extensions are going to look like a carrying case. Single natural part of the client’s hair.” extensions may be ordered To introduce the concept into the separately. “There’s not one aspect of this product that wasn’t directed by a hairdresser.” C2201_R47566_as0614-AIcon-Intro_1.BK.indd 37 there’s another tool, another way to get there,” says Butcher. Of course, multiple extensions can also be used for overall volumizing or lengthening, but at a lower cost and without the lengthy pre-consultation and delivery times required for fullhead strand-by-strand applications, Butcher explains. In this way, the company hopes to revolutionize the way stylists think about extension services, and in turn create a whole new revenue stream for salons. “Now hairdressers have a reason to talk about extensions with their clients. The whole idea is to satisfy a need in professional beauty from a service perspective, not necessarily a retail perspective,” says Butcher. The new HUW Pro isn’t resting on its laurels. Butcher says there are at least two more major product introductions in the works, one as early as 2015, but declines to offer a hint as to what those might be. “The truth is, we’ve taken 15 years to get here,” says Butcher. “Great Lengths created the market and the demand. Now we have another way to satisfy it. It’s not rocket science: We just listened.” 5/2/2014 4:18:50 PM CLIP NOTES Two test salons report on the new HairUWear Professional Clip-In Extensions. anielle Keasling, owner of Salon Karma in Bluffton, SC, has been a Great Lengths Certified Stylist for nine years. She has been a semifinalist and a finalist in consecutive years at the Great Lengths Challenge, so it’s safe to say she’s a fan. Still, she’s no pushover. Keasling says her experience with Great Lengths was validated when she tested a different brand in her salon. “I was not impressed,” she says. “It confirmed for me that I could never switch a Great Lengths client to another extension. They’re the Rolls-Royce of extensions.” It’s the quality of the hair that Keasling most appreciates, as well as the integrity of the Great Lengths bonds, so she says she was excited when her salon was invited to test out the new HairUWear Professional Clip-In Extensions. “The hair is beautiful—just gorgeous,” she says. “The quality is comparable to the strand-by-strand, and the attachment is so lightweight it’s just seamless. You don’t have to thin out the extension to blend with the hair. It just moves naturally and looks beautiful.” Bluffton is on the approach to Hilton Head Island, one of the premiere wedding destinations on the East Coast, so Salon Karma has come to specialize in bridal hair and styling for special events. Keasling says Great Lengths has contributed greatly to that part of the business. “Brides-to-be are in the mindset that their hair has to look its absolute best on that day,” she explains. “They’ll bring in a picture for their consultation, and sometimes we just have to be honest and tell them: ‘You have half that amount of hair.’” Still, she says, many brides balk at the expense and commitment that a full head of extensions would entail. HairUWear Professional clip-ins provide the perfect solution, according to Keasling, because they can be used to create a variety of effects from lengthening to balancing out hair density or adding pieces that are needed for elaborate bridal styles. “We use them a lot for updos because they’re so seamless,” Keasling says. “You can even place them diagonally or vertically and you’re not going to see a weft.” She says that she has used them in a circular placement around the base of a ponytail to create a style that would be difficult to manage with most clients’ natural hair. “Clients say they can’t feel them. And the clip is secure, so they’re not worried about the extensions slipping out,” Keasling says. That can be a plus for brides and bridesmaids once they hit the reception dance floor, but Keasling says this attribute is one that makes the new clip-ins so attractive to such a wide variety of clients. “For someone who has fine or thinning hair and they just need a single clip on each side, it gives them an inexpensive alternative,” she CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: Examples of Great Lengths extension applications by stylists at Salon Karma in Bluffton, SC; salon owner Danielle Keasling styles a client after applying new HUW Pro clipins; Salon Karma. C2201_R47413_as0614-Icon_StylistStories_1.BK.indd 38 5/2/2014 3:53:39 PM PHOTOGRAPHY: CORBIS (KRISTIN CHENOWETH, VANESSA HUDGENS) D FROM LEFT: Gemini 14 Salon’s Kristina Barricelli; publicity from high-profile Great Lengths extensions users like clients Kristin Chenoweth and Vanessa Hudgens brings in new business; Gemini 14 Salon in New York City. says. “We’re also using them a lot as Gemini 14 in Manhattan, New York City, accents. We’re using them to add a and one of eight Great Lengths Certified pop of color, and for photo Stylists there, where shoots. Sometimes models extensions have become don’t want their natural the salon’s bread-andhair chalked, so we’ll chalk butter. an extension before we “We work with all place it.” different kinds of clients: Keasling says she sees stay-at-home moms, —Danielle Keasling, the potential for increased professional women—men owner, Salon Karma extension business as too,” Barricelli says. She a result of having a low-cost, clipalso works with many celebrities, such in extension with the quality of the as Vanessa Hudgens, Kristin Chenoweth HairUWear Professional product. And and Rooney Mara, who come to her though there’s only one other stylist for work that looks natural and won’t at Salon Karma who does extensions damage their own hair. Until now, the at present, Keasling says she believes majority of her extension clients have more of her staff will start offering the gotten Great Lengths strand-by-strand new clip-ins because of the ease of applications. “Traditionally, we’ve shied use. “When we’ve worked with other away from any kind of clip-in in the past extensions in the past, there was because it’s such a huge hassle: The more of a learning curve,” she says. ordering, attaching the clip or modifying “With these, it’s a no-brainer. It’s going it...” Barricelli explains. to change the way people look at She adds that the quality of other extensions.” clip-ins has not been what she was Kristina Barricelli’s relationship with used to with Great Lengths. She’s Great Lengths also goes back to the known for creating natural looks, and brand’s beginnings. She’s the owner of says the color, texture and movement PHOTOGRAPHY: CORBIS (KRISTIN CHENOWETH, VANESSA HUDGENS) “It’s going to change the way people look at extensions.” C2201_R47413_as0614-Icon_StylistStories_1.BK.indd 39 of an extension all affect its ability to look natural on the head. “The new HairUWear Professional clip-ins sort of mold to the head, so they lie flat and smooth,” she says. “And color blending is so important. Nobody understands that like HairUWear Pro. It looks professional, it feels professional and it behaves professionally.” Barricelli adds that the width of the new clip-ins makes them the most versatile she’s worked with. “Three inches—that’s brilliant. It’s the best size for everything. If you need a wider piece, you just use multiples. For clients who wear their hair forward, you can turn them on a diagonal to direct the hair more toward the face, or you can create a ponytail by putting them on the vertical with the hair cascading backward.” Though she’s only had the new tool for a few weeks, she says she’s excited about the possibilities it holds for her salon. “It creates an easy upsell, and it’s a way to satisfy the client on the spot,” she says. “It’s a way to enable and motivate your styling team. I think it’s really going to inspire people!” 5/5/2014 10:46:52 AM PIECE IN OUR TIME HairUWear’s backstory provides a road map to the history of hairpiece technology. 1971 1981 1997 The company introduces Capless Wigs, which do away with the “wiggy” look and the hot, sticky feel of cap wigs. PermaLift, the company’s newest innovation, takes volume a step further by creating a soft underbed of short fibers to support long ones, so wigs achieve natural-looking volume and height without added weight. Under the guidance of CEO Michael Napolitano, the company acquires exclusive U.S. distribution rights for Great Lengths, a revolutionary European human hair enhancement system, to form Great Lengths USA. 1973 The company opens a wholesale division, moving wig sales from department stores to specialty retailers. Eva Gabor International becomes the largest producer of wigs worldwide. 1976 The company patents the Permatese process, a way of permanently “ruffling” each strand of wig fiber at its root to force the fiber to rise off the wig base, giving the wig extra body and height. C2201_R47541_as0614-AIcon-Time_1.BK.indd 40 Hair2wear launches with the Christie Brinkley Collection, giving women an affordable introduction to wigs, extensions and hair accessories. 2014 1998 1988 1975 2013 The Comfort Cap with a wide, velvet band in the front eliminates netting at the top of the wig for comfort and increased airflow. 1992 Great Lengths, the first line of hair extensions designed and marketed specifically for hair professionals, launches with the introduction of the prebonded strand concept. The Raquel Welch Signature Collection is launched Designed for the fashionconscious woman, the new wigs feature multidimensional colors and a unique cap construction. Great Lengths USA unveils GL Apps, a revolutionary, high-speed extension system that requires no heat, bonds virtually invisibly and lasts a minimum of six weeks. 2014 HairUWear Professional is born. Its first product offering, HairUWear Professional ClipIn Extensions, revolutionizes the salon extension business. 2001 Great Lengths USA introduces an ultrasonic application method, giving stylists the freedom of more versatile, heat-free bonding. 5/2/2014 3:26:09 PM PHOTOGRAPHY: RYAN STRONG (COVER/BRIDAL PATH; PIECE IN OUR TIME, 2014); MAKEUP: GINA CIACCIO-HOLMBERG; FASHION STYLING: SETH ELLIOTT (COVER/BRIDAL PATH) After centuries of low-tech craftsmanship, the technology of hair enhancement took some giant leaps forward during the last half of the 20th century. Many of the features taken for granted in today’s best wigs and extensions can be traced back to a single pioneer: HairUWear Inc., originally known as Eva Gabor International. Here are just a few of the highlights. en ion d hair eils y, ystem onds sts a is fering, Clipnizes iness. Stylists get creative on camera to inspire other professionals. Bridal Path Follow these steps to recreate the cover look with help from HUW Pro Clip-In Extensions. D PHOTOGRAPHY: RYAN STRONG (COVER/BRIDAL PATH; PIECE IN OUR TIME, 2014); MAKEUP: GINA CIACCIO-HOLMBERG; FASHION STYLING: SETH ELLIOTT (COVER/BRIDAL PATH) th Hair U Share uring the ramp-up to the introduction of HairUWear Professional Clip-In Extensions, some of the company’s educators and most devoted users were given the opportunity to test-drive the new technology in their salons. “These were the same people we went to with all the questions when we were developing the product,” says Great Lengths USA National Program Director Brett Butcher. “Now we want to know how they would use it, and what it could accomplish for clients and for the salons.” The salons were given two full HUW Pro ClipIn Toolkits and an invitation: Make a video to demonstrate your creativity with the revolutionary new extensions. “We wanted this to be very candid and very real,” says Butcher, who explains that many stylists used their smartphones to record videos of their creations, lending a sort of cinéma vérité quality to the finished clips. But what surprised him was the variety of applications stylists in the field found for the new products, and the creative ways they were able to use them to satisfy an array of client needs. “It provides so many creative possibilities,” Butcher says. “Adding volume is an obvious benefit, but you can also use them to change the shape or color, and even add texture.” The videos can be viewed on the company website under the “Inspiration” tab. More are being added every day, so Butcher encourages stylists to check back often for ideas and to share their own videos. Access to the online upload portal comes with the purchase of the first set of the new clip-ins. hairuwearprofessional.com In this video, stylist and Great Lengths Educator Nanci Lee Randolph creates a pink-streaked reverse bob using new HairUWear Professional Clip-In Extensions. C2201_R47541_as0614-AIcon-Time_1.BK.indd 41 BEFORE J ust in time for summer wedding season, stylist and extension expert Nanci Lee Randolph from B2V Salon in West Hollywood, CA, created this elegantly undone bridal braid using new HairUWear Professional ClipIn Extensions. “It’s relatively easy,” says Randolph. “If you can do a simple French braid you can recreate this look.” Though few clients will have enough natural hair to pull off this look, it’s easy to create both length and volume with HUW Pro Clip-In Extensions. 1. Blow-dry and curl hair in a flattering style. Randolph used a 1¼inch curling iron for this model. 2. Curl the HUW Pro clip-ins with the same curling iron. 3. Starting at the nape, clip in as many HUW Pro clip-ins as needed. Randolph used 16 clip-ins to give this model extra length for the braid: six clips below the occipital, four right above those along the back, and three on each side. Be sure to leave some of the client’s own hair free at the crown to conceal the clips. 4. Curl any strands needed to blend the natural hair into the clip-ins. 5. Start at the crown and separate the middle of the crown into three small pieces. Loosely braid each piece right over left and left over right, stopping at each move to bobby pin each strand into the middle of the braid. As you braid, take strands from the outside perimeter of the hair, drape it to the middle, cross it in and pin. Randolph locked each bobby pin by hooking the hair going up with the pin, then down and inside the braid, crisscrossing each pin in an “X” pattern. 6. Follow this pattern to the tips of the hair and secure loose ends with a bobby pin or ponytail holder. 7. Use bobby pins or U-pins to secure any strays, and touch up the edges of the braid with a curling iron. 8. Finish off the bridal look with some small silk flowers. 5/2/2014 3:26:42 PM MOVING ON UP The new offices of HairUWear Inc. support the company spirit of collaboration while giving the growing company room to breathe. F or nearly two decades, the prairie metropolis of Kansas City, MO has been home on the range to HairUWear Inc. But in the last few years, employees of the extensions innovator have been singing “Don’t Fence Me In.” “Quite frankly, we were busting at the seams,” says Great Lengths USA National Program Director Brett Butcher. So in April, the company made the move to nearby Lenexa, KS, a suburb within the Kansas City metro area known for its community spirit and support of the arts. At 141,000 square feet, the new headquarters is three times the size of the old building, C2201_R47382_as0614-Icon_NewBuilding_1.BK.indd 42 with room for extensive office space as well as an extra-roomy warehouse. The logistics, operations and quality control departments, local divisions of sales as well as design and production, are now under one roof, something that HairUWear president Michael Napolitano says speaks to the company’s success in recent years. “At a time when many companies are facing tough economic challenges, I’m very proud to share the exciting news that HairUWear continues to make impressive achievements,” he says. The entire front of the two-story building is glass, lending light to every space within and giving it an open and airy feel. Because they are north-facing, the windows receive only indirect sunlight, so Butcher says there’s no need for blinds or shades. Having been welcomed by the impressive sight of the two-story wall of glass, visitors enter a reception area that’s open to the second floor, further enhancing the feeling of expansiveness. The interior is decorated in neutral tones of cream and brownish-gray. Butcher says the company is working with an art curator to bring in works by local artists to decorate the walls PHOTOGRAPHY: SHAWN MCKINDRA FROM TOP: The boardroom in the new offices of HairUWear Inc. is called The Big Wig; an airy reception space leads to the second-story education center. 5/2/2014 3:25:05 PM PHOTOGRAPHY: SHAWN MCKINDRA ption r. on a rotating basis. “We wanted to put things in the building that would be inspirational to our staff and visitors as well as support the local community,” he explains. Butcher says everyone is pleased with the configuration of the offices, which brings all brands under the corporate banner into one space and supports the sense of community that has been so important to HairUWear’s success. “With the formation of HairUWear Inc. and the move to the new space, everyone is working more closely,” he explains. Individual workspaces are arranged in an open floor plan with walls that are just high enough to provide some privacy without feeling confining. Each section of workstations has its own collaboration station, or meeting-conducive spaces with large worktables. “The floor plan was designed to lend itself to collaboration,” Butcher says. There are two small meeting rooms and one large boardroom, which Butcher says were named in a contest among employees. Coming out on top were The Wigwam and Hairbrained for the conference rooms and The Big Wig for the boardroom. On the second floor is the Education Center, with a large meeting room for Great Lengths certification courses and HairUWear On The Road classes. Adjoining it is a vast shampoo room with walk-around shampoo chairs with enough space for classes to congregate during demonstrations, or photographers to amass lighting for photo shoots. The company now has a dedicated photography and video studio as well as what Butcher calls the “HairUWear Closet” to house clothing from two decades of photo shoots. The top floor is currently about two-thirds empty, he says, giving the growing company room to grow even more. “With a vision toward the future, we’ve positioned HairUWear squarely on a path that allows for significant growth,” says Napolitano. C2201_R47382_as0614-Icon_NewBuilding_1.BK.indd 43 Man of Zeal Karen Ford talks with HairUWear Inc.’s new chief marketing officer, Mike Ferrara, about the exciting changes at the company and its revolutionary new product. Karen Ford: What excited you most about MF: Through our Great Lengths USA the prospect of working with HairUWear? Certified Salon network, we have access Mike Ferrara: There are pockets of growth to open dialogue with the country’s most for beauty such as skincare successful and influential stylists but generally speaking, the and salon owners. This provides us beauty business is very with a unique and truly remarkable mature. The potential for hair professional industry information extensions and replacements pipeline to the consumers’ needs. to become more mainstream The development of our HairUWear is enormous, which will Professional division gives us the unleash substantial growth. ability to funnel those needs to MIKE FERRARA product design and marketing The great brands we’ve built at HairUWear are poised teams that are focused on what’s to take advantage of the large growth important to hairdressers—product quality, opportunity. performance and exclusivity, all driven by education. KF: The company has made several dramatic product intros in the last year. KF: What role does education play at What drives product development? HairUWear, and how is it tied in to the MF: Listening to and understanding client changing needs of the market? needs is the fuel that drives our product MF: It’s so important, particularly in the development. The HUW Pro clip-ins are beauty business where “new” is such a perfect example. The product and a big driver of growth. So I was very concept was born from a conversation pleased to see the key role education with a hairdresser who was describing plays with every product we produce what he wanted for his clientele and the at HairUWear. On the professional side way he would like it packaged to be easily in our Great Lengths division, we truly accessible for him as a stylist. He had a believe education is the most important brilliant idea: clip-in hair as a service tool thing we do. Extensions are no different more than a retail item. It needed to work from professional chemical services; the on clients with all hair types and be userproduct is only as good as the skill level of friendly, high quality and affordable. the stylist delivering the service. KF: Why do you think no one has done it before? MF: Although “simple” in concept, it was more complicated in reality to create the HUW Pro clip-in product line. The product design team consulted a number of hairdressers, and worked closely with the same hairdresser that spawned the idea to develop a product that answered a big consumer need. I love this story because it’s the type of innovation that will drive the huge potential industry growth I spoke about earlier. KF: In what ways do you see the company focusing on the needs of professional hairdressers? KF: What is your top priority for the coming year? MF: To build on the great history and heritage of HairUWear and help build the foundation for even greater dynamic industry leadership over the next 25 years or more. I’ve only been here a very short time, but I believe the keys will be accelerating an already impressive innovation pipeline and taking our marketing to an even higher level of sophistication and style. I want us positioned in a rarified space, a space where HairUWear is clearly recognized as the company that brings fun and excitement to stylists and salon owners around the world. 5/2/2014 3:26:15 PM ©2014 HairUWear Inc. Attend the 3-day Training Experience and join our exclusive Certified Salon Network June 8, 9 & 10 June 22, 23 & 24 July 13, 14 & 15 July 20, 21 & 22 Los Angeles Chicago New York Orlando )RUFHUWLðFDWLRQRSSRUWXQLWLHVQHDUHVW\RX YLVLWJUHDWOHQJWKVXVDFRPRUFDOO C2201_R47405_AS_0614_44.BK.indd 44 4/29/2014 10:18:22 AM