Celebrity hairstylist Laurent Dufourg has big expansion plans for Privé, the company he founded a decade ago and recently bought back from Procter & Gamble’s Wella division. Over the next two years, he hopes to make Privé a $20 million brand by doubling its U.S. distribution and entering the international market.
As the creator of the Privé salons in New York and Los Angeles, Dufourg felt that he had lost all creative control since signing the licensing deal between Privé and Graham Webb almost seven years ago. Soon after, Graham Webb was bought by Wella, which was then acquired by Procter & Gamble. According to Dufourg, the development process became stagnant as few products were introduced to the market.
“It took 18 months for one product to come out. Now we have products coming out every three months,” said Dufourg, who added that the brand was only worth roughly $4 million under Wella. “With the line back in my hands, I can do everything by myself, from developing and designing products to approving and delivering them.”
Now available in 450 U.S. salons, Privé’s hair care collection is set to double its U.S. distribution in salons by the end of the year. In addition, Dufourg plans to launch the Privé product line in Europe, Mexico and Latin America and salons in Shanghai and Beijing next year. By the end of this year, a second New York salon is set to open on Madison Avenue in Midtown.
According to Dufourg, Privé is geared toward professional salons with its emphasis on styling products, whereas most brands focus on hair care. He also claims that with an abundance of hairstylist lines on the market, few celebrity stylists still work in their salons.
“There aren’t many lines out there with someone still working behind the chair,” Dufourg said who added that he’s been doing hair since he was 14.
By the end of year, Dufourg plans to open a hair academy in Las Vegas, where Privé stylists can receive runway photo shoot training. The academy will keep a staff of less than 10 on-site as well as a full-time photographer. As part of the training, Dufourg will bring in guest stylists from Privé’s New York and Los Angeles locations to conduct seminars and stylists will get to work on weekly fashion shows.
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“I want it to be a place where stylists can go to learn how to work on a shoot,” said Dufourg, who envisions the facility with a built-in sushi bar and DJ.
Dufourg also has a new finishing product set to launch this May. Privé Formule Aux Herbes Flash Brilliance is designed to add shine to hair while protecting it from UV damage and controlling frizz. The ultrafine spray is made to be applied to dry hair. The cream includes ingredients such as Melissa officinalis, to calm and soothe dry, over-stressed hair; chamomile, to add moisture and make hair soft and smooth; lemongrass, to tone hair and add shine, and safflower seed extract, to soothe hair. Privé Formule Aux Herbes Flash Brilliance retails at $19 for 2 oz. as part of the Privé Formule Aux Herbes hair care collection, which includes 23 products for cleansing, conditioning, treating, styling and finishing hair.
By fall, Dufourg plans to launch additional styling products like a spray detangler and hair spray. Next year, he will introduce a color line for all hair types, which will include organic shampoo and conditioner.