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subscribe to beauty blog via RSSEXCLUSIVE: Shu Uemura Art Of Hair, “Alive And Well”
March 31, 2010 12:56 pm
As we reported yesterday, Shu Uemura, the famed makeup and skincare brand, is exiting the U.S. market. Let it be known, however, that its coiffure counterpart, Art of Hair, is here to stay. “The haircare arm of the brand is alive and well,” Maeve Coburn, general manager/vice president of Prestige Professional Brands at L’Oréal USA, assured us in an exclusive interview this morning. Launched in 2007 specifically for the U.S. market, the high-end line of shampoos, conditioners, and professional-grade styling aids has experienced double-digit growth in the last year—despite impressively high price points and the worst economy we’ve seen in decades. This figure, as well as a unique distribution channel, is likely what saved it on Monday when the ax came down on the makeup collection, which will now only be available online. “We launched haircare to be separate from cosmetics. We didn’t launch in department stores,” Coburn explained, pointing out that Art of Hair is sold exclusively in fine salons.”There’s a very solid future here because you have the stylist. That’s the big difference—that relationship and that education between the brand, the stylist, and the consumer.” And that connection apparently runs deep. Sally Hershberger, Serge Normant, and John Frieda are just a few of the big names who have welcomed Art of Hair into their salons as the only brand to complement their own eponymous lines. What’s the big draw? Rare precious ingredients, quality formulas, and positive results, according to Coburn, who watched the brand’s Essence Absolue—a $65 camellia oil-based shine enhancer that doesn’t weigh hair down—sell out three times over after launching last fall. “We don’t really need makeup,” Coburn said defiantly when we asked her if she thought consumers’ brand recognition for the hair products relied on cosmetics best-sellers like Shu Uemura’s cleansing oils, its false eyelashes, and makeup standouts like its Nobara Cream Cover Stick. “Art of Hair comes to life in the hands of the hair dressers,” added Shane Wolf, vice president of marketing. “They love the romantic stories about Mr. Uemura, the Japanese master of beauty. It’s something that inspires them, which comes through to their clients.” Up next for the brand is a venture into the challenging world of mousse with two new volume and wave enhancers hitting its salon network this month. We’ll take any Shu Uemura we can still get.
tags: Art of Hair, Essence Absolue, Hair, Shu Uemura
