Haute Living Exclusive Q&A with Entrepreneur and Iconic Hair Colorist Leland Hirsch

Photo Credit: No Fade Fresh

How did you get started in the beauty industry?

I started my career when I was a teenager in my uncle’s laboratory working on the chemistry of hair color. Later, I became the New Product Development Consultant for companies including Redken and Clairol, among others. I worked as one of the first colorists in the world of haircare. I became a technical authority for leading beauty publications like Vogue, Mademoiselle, and Harper’s Bazaar in the 60s and participated in their photo shoots. I developed the calibrated, numbered color system for permanent hair color, and also calibrated ammonia in hair color with uniformity to create better health of the hair, and to help hair dressers make better formulation choices for their clients. My experience is rooted in chemistry, and it is factored into all of the products that we develop.

What made you fall in love with beauty, fashion and style?

I am in love with color. I also believe a vision is based on what you are exposed to. My travels around the world and my art collection serve as constant inspiration to what I apply to our industry.

Tell us more about your new line Celeb Luxury/No Fade Fresh. How are Celeb Luxury/No Fade Fresh different from other hair depositing lines?

Our products are semi-permanent color shampoos and conditioners that deposit color simply by shampooing and conditioning in the shower. We have the only products that can be classified as hair color depositing shampoos, that actually cleanse the hair while depositing color. I created this hair color category in the 80s, and sold our company, called ARTec, to L’Oreal Professional. I started Celeb Luxury for hair professionals based on new, plant-based formulas.

I became obsessed with delivering products that can be classified as Clean Beauty Hair Color, that are vegan, cruelty-free, and also free from harsh chemicals. Both with our professional salon brand, Celeb Luxury, and our drug store brand, No Fade Fresh, we are really the only company that can make claims against using what we refer to as Dirty Dyes in our products, which means that the dyes that we use in our products have safety data packages that meet European Union standards, which are adhered to by over 100 countries, as well as being FDA compliant, and are safe for use on humans. There are many ecommerce companies and Direct-to-Consumer companies that use dyes in hair color that are intended for textiles and carpets, and it makes me crazy.

No Fade Fresh was created at the request of food, drug, and mass retailers just before the global pandemic, and it is doing extremely well with the drug store consumer. Our products are both maintenance and insurance for the consumer that colors their hair, and are Clean Beauty Hair Color for the mass consumer and drug store consumer.

Do you see the beauty industry change with the Gen Z’s?

We have seen the Gen Z consumer be far more likely to make their purchases online, and also to comment online. They demand ethical, safe, and healthy companies, from both a product ingredient standpoint, as well as from a social responsibility standpoint. We have found that our Gen Z customers are more willing to “play” with their color, using our pink, blue, and purple colors.

Tell us more about your art collection.

I have both American and Chinese art from artists such as, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Zhang Xiaogang, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. My beauty photo collection is considered one of the best in the world, and was given its own auction at Sothebys. I decided to sell these photos so that they could serve as future inspiration for others. It was considered the largest collection of beauty and fashion collections, with photos from photographers including Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Herb Ritts. I also collect Christian Louboutin custom mixed media sneakers and have acquired over 75 pairs.

What advice can you give future hairstylists dreaming of a successful career in the beauty industry?

I operate from a perspective of creating what should be that is not. Learn all you can about your craft. Be analytical. Travel more, observe everything, get involved, train others and invest in yourself. Entrepreneurs must create a crossover between passion and innovation.

What can we expect in the near future from Celeb Luxury/No Fade Fresh?

We are continuing to educate both buyers and consumers about Clean Beauty Hair Color. There are many companies that use the Dirty Dyes in e-commerce and mass retail. The larger global companies are ethical, as we are, as a growing entrepreneurial company. But, it is my intention to educate through product innovation based on having a chemistry and colorist background. We will continue to apply our ethical standards to our company and to the products that we sell to consumers, and we will continue to formulate new products. We will always advocate for healthy hair color products for the consumer, using safe and most natural ingredients. Stay tuned.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Photo Credit: Instagram