Known for its $1,000 haircuts and A-list clientele, New York-based luxurious Julien Farel Salon has seen a post-pandemic inflow in demand for its providers. At one level, it had a 1,200-person waitlist. But it’s not simply people flooding in; the salon’s well-heeled shoppers are being joined by their pandemic puppies.
“We have many, many purchasers who’ve new canines,” mentioned the salon’s CEO and co-founder, Suelyn Farel, who has observed a surge of consumers coming in for haircuts or colour with their new fur infants in tow. “There appears to be a actual craze.” Common breeds embrace French bulldogs, which “appear to be taking the market by storm proper now,” in addition to golden retriever puppies “and the doodles,” she mentioned.
As the brand new proprietor of a Samoyed pet herself, Farel additionally observed that her shoppers had been pampering their new canines, bringing in puppies with “stunning leashes and collars” and Goyard carrying circumstances. So, she determined to add a new line of merchandise to the salon’s hair-care lineup in June: canine grooming model Pride + Groom.
At $54 for a shampoo and conditioner set and $85 for a reward set that features perfume, Pride + Groom was launched in April this 12 months by Vogue alums Regina Haymes and Jane Wagman, together with advert exec Heather Perlman and chemical engineer Patricia Machado. They based the model for pet mother and father wanting greater than the usual pet store shampoo providing.
The timing has been profitable, as pet adoptions elevated through the pandemic and customers have upgraded their spending on their pets. Categorizing itself as a “canine magnificence” model, Pride + Groom presents merchandise for various fur sorts, together with heavy shedders, non-shedders and pets with delicate pores and skin. Featured substances are people who you’d discover in a premium human shampoo, together with avocado oil and calendula extract.
“There’s this large development in humanizing your canines,” mentioned Wegman.
Haymes added, “You noticed all of the gross sales of canine provide issues rise, from the contemporary meals to these stunning crates that appear like attractive furnishings. [People] needed to improve every little thing of their canine’s lives, as a result of canines had been our calming therapists through the pandemic.” But when it got here to grooming merchandise, choices had been restricted.
“We realized that there isn’t actually a canine firm that is a magnificence firm,” mentioned Wegman.
Farel realized of the model when Haymes, a shopper of the salon, got here in for a haircut. “It’s good pampering, as a result of the merchandise work; they ship the outcomes for the canine they usually odor actually nice,” mentioned Farel.
The Farel salon partnership is not simply a one-off for the Oprah’s Favorite Things-approved model, which is stocked at luxurious retailers and salons identified extra for human magnificence merchandise. Along with typical retail channels similar to Amazon, Chewy.com and premium groomers, Pride + Groom additionally sells at Fekkai Salons, Bloomingdale’s, Selfridges and New York-based Onda Beauty. For Mother’s Day, the model launched a giveaway with superstar hairstylist Harry Josh. It is additionally offered at health guru Isaac Boots’ summer season pop-up retail retailer within the Hamptons.
“People appear to be open to procuring canine magnificence after they’re about to get their [own] providers achieved,” mentioned Haymes.
This follows a development of upscale human magnificence manufacturers launching pet merchandise in premium retailers. That consists of Ouai, which just lately launched its pet shampoo completely in Sephora. Aesop, Kiehl’s and Pink Moon additionally supply canine shampoos.
Pride + Groom’s daring black and white branding is meant to present an upscale really feel. The founders needed to create bottles that pet homeowners would need to “depart on the [bathroon] counter and never really feel like they’ve to conceal it,” mentioned Wegman. “The entire level was that this is as stunning as every other magnificence product that you simply’re proud to show.”
Dogs “need to really feel good; they need to be glamorous,” mentioned Haymes. “When you’re keen on one thing, you humanize it.”
