eye'candy, the brainchild of co-founders, Adrian Wood and Jason Charity, is a new concept in hair salons. The brand has been conceived out of a passion for excellence and a desire to encourage clients, stylists and the industry as a whole to demand more from the salon experience.
Tragically, Adrian, 34, died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage on 9 December 2005 only six months after the launch of eye'candy. Here we reflect on the achievements and creativity he shared with us all, using quotes, he made during his short but wonderful life. And we hope in doing this, you'll understand why we opened our first, but not last, hair salon.
Determined from an early age to influence the hair industry, Adrian progressed from his college training and onto the salon floor at Vidal Sassoon. A period of intense personal development ensued and it was here that Adrian honed his technical and creative skills, drawing inspiration from Sassoon's legendary approach to structure and form to create his own unique style.
"My life is driven by the precision and attention to detail I apply to my hair cuts, and I am uncompromising in my pursuit of perfection." - Adrian Wood, creative director.
The opportunity to join an internationally renowned hair company prompted Adrian to return to the Midlands where his clients included members of the England football team and local celebrities and titles. During this time, he became increasingly frustrated by the standard of hair salons and recognised that the industry was in need of a major overhaul.
"It was clear that my need to move the industry forward would not be satisfied while working for somebody else, and I could feel my entrepreneurial streak surfacing."
Driven by determination and an inner desire to excel, Adrian pursued a potential franchise opportunity with Nicky Clarke and began working in London with some of the biggest names in the industry, including top session stylist Andrew Jose. This new direction exposed Adrian to an international audience and he styled the Kenzo catwalk show at Prague Fashion Week as well as Sophie Anderton's photo-shoot for OK! magazine.
"Working with Nicky Clarke was an invaluable experience but the restrictions imposed by franchising were a concern."
This was the turning point. Adrian and Jason made the decision to go it alone, and together they conceived eye'candy - a refreshing new hair studio brand based around the entire customer experience, not just the hairstyle.
"We know what the old salon clichés are, and so do the general public. So we've created a luxury brand which remains refreshingly down-to-earth. We place great emphasis on providing an oasis of calm in ones busy day; clients are welcome to arrive early and relax in the lounge with a drink before their appointment begins. We allocate a full hour where other salons allocate 45 minutes, so there's enough time to talk and to listen. Most importantly, every hairstyle reflects the client and their lifestyle, not the latest fads."
In contrast to Adrian's creative ambition for the business, Jason had his own set of opposing, but complementary, reasons for opening eye'candy.
A lawyer by training, a management consultant by trade, chairman of Coda Partnership and member to the council of the UK's foremost private university, Jason has drawn upon his vast understanding of strategic development in order to lay the foundation for the eye'candy brand.
"We have worked hard to create a brand which is packed with unique personality: with its own ideas, its own intellect, a rather dry and occasionally self-deprecating sense of humour, and a social conscience." - Jason Charity, managing director.
With his extensive experience in the financial services sector, acute understanding of complex business management, and familiarity with overseeing budgets of up to £200million, Jason provides a dynamic business backbone to the eye'candy brand. Having spent years guiding major blue chip companies towards optimum growth and operational excellence, Jason has invested his experience and expertise into the eye'candy concept in order to evolve a highly sophisticated product with the potential to expand rapidly.
"Having worked in many different industries in Europe and the US, I'm always amazed at how vibrant the hair industry is, although it lags behind its peers in the retail sector. My motivation is to use the skills and knowledge that I have built up over my career to grow eye'candy into a big brand. What gets me out of bed each day is the desire to see eye'candy in the FTSE 250 in my lifetime."
In September 2006, eye’candy scooped two top industry awards at the British Hairdressing Business Awards, making the Derby-based studio the most promising new salon in the UK.
‘Independent Salon Business Newcomer’ (Winner)
‘Best Marketing’ (Finalist)