NEW YORK — John Paul Mitchell Systems is celebrating 25 years of style and continuing to expand its collection with its Express Style line hitting shelves in September at professional salons.
“[We] were looking at the Paul Mitchell brand and the philosophy that was started 25 years ago when Paul Mitchell, the hairdresser, created the product line,” said Nina Kovner, vice president of marketing for John Paul Mitchell Systems, when referring to the inspiration behind Express Style. “It is about efficiency and time management; our organization was based on that concept.”
Express Style is designed to save time on styling and reduce drying time.
Its two initial products are Quick Slip, a hybrid styling and conditioning product that can be used on wet or dry hair, and Round Trip, a liquid curl definer featuring a reduced drying time. The products will retail for $12.95 for a 5.1-oz. container and $11.95 for a 6.8-oz. container, respectively.
Although Paul Mitchell Systems declined to comment on sales projections for the new line, industry sources estimate Express Style should bring in $10 million during its first year.
“Both products in this category result in a more natural feel and look as compared to a more traditional, contrived, held-together type [of] feel,” Kovner said. “[They] represent a modern way of approaching styling and are hitting on a trend to a cleaner, more natural-looking style.”
Kovner explained that the Express Style products are different from previous Paul Mitchell products because of the quick-drying component, the clean and light texture they have compared with traditional styling products and the natural-looking results they produce.
John Paul DeJoria, co-founder and chief executive officer of John Paul Mitchell Systems, explained that the company develops its collections in tandem with hairstylists, who “tell us what changes they need to meet consumer trends and we go in and make those changes.”
DeJoria added his company only focuses on the professional hair care industry.
“Our competitors are spending a lot more money getting their customers to go to supermarkets for products, [whereas] we focus on having customers go back to the salon and not the supermarket,” he said. “We are, to my knowledge, the only large major manufacturer out there that is only in the professional hair care industry.”
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Paul Mitchell products are currently in more than 70,000 salons in the U.S. and 46 countries around the globe. The company is looking to expand its presence in Russia, India and the Middle East. It has recently launched in Brazil and is looking to expand further into Chile, Colombia and Bolivia.