Grooming Business Brushes Up on Men of Color

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Downtown L.A.’s Hue for Every Man last week launched a line of luxury grooming products specifically targeted to men of color.

The line debuts with a pomade, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner and a refining mist for the face.

Jessica Estrada, Hue’s chief executive, said the idea for the line came after listening to a friend, a barber with celebrity clients, complain about the lack of premium men’s grooming products for the multicultural market. When she would ask where his clients shopped, the typical answer would be Nordstrom, Bloomindale’s or Fred Segal.

“I started looking into the market and it was unbelievable,” said Estrada. “No product was specifically for men of color (at these stores).”

Major beauty brands such as Kiehl’s and Clinique feature a men’s line, and some such as Jack Black are only for men. But Estrada said many of the products are water based as opposed to oil based, which is better for black, Asian and Latino men. She said the products with ingredients such as lavender oil, mango and shea butter are aimed at helping reduce ingrown hairs and discoloration from razor bumps.

Prices range from $25 for a 1.5-ounce pomade to $38 for an 8-ounce bottle of shampoo or conditioner. The company is working on developing a face toner and clay mask.

Hue manufactures its products at a factory in Riverside and sells them through its website and at barbershops across the country. It is also carried at apothecaries in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Hue hopes to expand its distribution to department stores and boutiques such as Butler’s Grooming Club, a barbershop inside Saks Fifth Avenue in Birmingham, Ala., next year.

New York native Estrada co-founded Hue in 2012 with partner Kyle Frazier, who handles the company’s branding. She said startup costs were about $100,000 and they added partner Brennan Dyson, who also contributed funds, earlier this year.

Seeing Stars

Women’s contemporary brand Michael Stars of Hawthorne is making its first foray into menswear.

The company made the announcement last month and will debut its men’s line, which will feature items such as jersey tees, cashmere blend sweaters and woven shirts, in September.

The 34-piece collection is meant to look classic yet modern and its spring-summer 2015 line will offer more pieces in new fabrics such as seersucker and nylon.

Jared Ellis, Michael Stars’ senior director of retail and e-commerce, said the goal was to create a line that fit into its current women’s collection.

“Bringing men’s into the mix will allow us to open larger stores, which we will be showcasing with our Melrose Avenue location opening in 2015,” he said.

Suzanne Lerner, a company co-founder, said the expansion was an important element to the brand’s growth strategy.

“Our women’s line has expanded into a full lifestyle collection and the menswear is a natural next step for our brand,” she said in a statement.

The company, known for its T-shirts, was co-founded by Suzanne and her husband, Michael Cohen, in 1986. The company operates 11 stores and its line is sold at boutiques and department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus.

Revolving Doors

Beverly Hills restaurant chain Fatburger and sister company Buffalo’s Express opened a joint location at 474 N. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills last week. … Philadelphia-based apparel chain Urban Outfitters has postponed the soft opening of its 5,275-square-foot men’s store in Westwood Village from last week to later this month. No reason for the delay was given. … Meat District Co. will be opening its first restaurant in Old Pasadena next week. It will serve all-natural beef burgers, ribs, chicken, lamb and pork with meals starting at $18. … Joan’s on Third will be opening a second location, at a 4,000-square-foot space off Ventura Place in Studio City this month. … Danish retailer Pandora Jewelry opened a location inside the Del Amo Fashion Center last month. … Italian ice-cream chain Rita’s Italian Ice of Trevose, Pa., opened a location in West Los Angeles last month. … Bar 20, a rock ’n’ roll-styled bar, opened last month on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, next door to fine-dining steakhouse Oliver’s Prime, which opened in the spring. … Old Navy is scheduled to open a 15,314-square-foot space near Macy’s at the Shops at Montebello before the holiday season. … Beverage retailer BevMo! of Concord opened a location in Culver City last month. … City Chic, an Australian retailer for plus-size women, opened its first independent location at Westfield Culver City this month and will open another store in Glendale Galleria this fall.

Staff reporter Subrina Hudson can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 251.

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