Spellbound Wigs • What inspired you to join this company, and how has your vision for the company evolved over time?
Rich Gienopie • I was inspired to join this company about 10 years ago because I saw the untapped potential for the brand. Estetica Designs was sort of a side project for the original founder and so I had the chance to really impact the company, its value and its culture. My vision for the company is that we are good stewards to our customers and to our employees.
Spellbound • How do you see the wig industry evolving in the next 5 to 10 years, and what trends are you most excited about?
Rich • I think the most exciting thing right now and on the horizon are improving technologies for synthetic fibers in both performance and capabilities.
Spellbound • Who is your primary target market, and how do you tailor your products to meet their specific needs?
Rich • We try to have something for every wig wearer, regardless of age or personal style. We have conservative, we have edgy, we have bold and innovative colors and we have all the traditional colors. We want to be the go-to brand for all of the wig wearing community.
Spellbound • Can you describe your product development process? How do you ensure your wigs meet high standards of quality and style?
Rich • The process begins with our Director of Development sending very detailed descriptions and marked up photos to our factories with our concepts. They produce samples and then there could be several rounds of back and forth until we are satisfied. But that's just the beginning. Then we have to test the packaging since each style and curl pattern requires careful packing to protect the final product through delivery and storage. After all of that has been finalized the first production order of a new style is shipped to us and we inspect each and every one. Sometimes the production run looks nothing like the pre-production samples we approved and the production run must be discarded or returned to the factory for correction. Then, and only then, we will launch a product. New colors are bit more straightforward since we already have the know-how for the style and rolling out a new color is easier than a new style.
Spellbound • How does your company address sustainability and ethical sourcing, especially considering the materials used in wig production?
Rich • Since 90+% of what we do are synthetic wigs, sourcing is not really too much of an issue. For the small number of human hair wigs we sell, we work with factories that have a solid, known, and long track record for ethical sourcing.
Spellbound • What marketing strategies have been most effective for your company in terms of reaching and engaging with your audience?
Rich • Lots and lots of social media and lots of time on those platforms at all hours of the day and night! And, more recently with our Instagram Lives, our blog posts and newsletters. But the key is that we are not just posting for the sake of posting but our team really genuinely care and enjoys interacting with both our retailers and our end users. As you have hopefully seen, nothing makes us happier than featuring real women, real customers in our posts.
Spellbound • How do you differentiate your products from competitors in the wig industry?
Rich • We refuse to launch a new style or new color unless it is unique to the marketplace. Over the past few years, we have seen several of the bigger brands copy new unique styles of ours as well as some of our most unique colors. As they say, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
Spellbound • How do you gather and utilize customer feedback to improve your products and services?
Rich • It's usually a pretty direct line from the consumer direct to us through emails, phone calls and dm's. Our account managers are in constant communication with the retail shops eliciting their feedback as well.
Spellbound • What are the biggest challenges your company has faced, and how have you overcome them?
Rich • The biggest challenge currently is the uncertainty in the economy. Everyone seems super tentative to spend money. Ongoing, the biggest challenge is the incredibly long production time for wigs. When it takes 5-8 months from the time we place a factory order to the day it's delivered to our warehouse, that can create real challenges to maintaining inventory levels correctly.
Spellbound • Can you share any recent innovations or upcoming product launches that you’re excited about?
Rich • Um, not really, but we do have a totally ‘new to our market’ cap construction coming later this year that makes one of the best selling categories of wigs even more comfortable than ever before!!
Spellbound • How do you manage and plan for international expansion, and what challenges have you encountered in global markets?
Rich • The biggest challenge globally is dealing with import duties, fees, taxes, etc. That can be a real burden and barrier for overseas retailers from bringing in Estetica Designs. The interest is definitely there, though!
Spellbound • How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you foster a positive company culture?
Rich • As much as possible I try to let people do things their way. As long as the results come in, I don't really care too much how they get there (within bounds, of course). As a leader, I am all about getting into the trenches with everyone else. Need help in the warehouse? Sure, I'll go out there. Need help covering phones or emails? Sure, forward to me. Want to try something new? Sure, go for it and see what you can learn. Maybe it'll be something we can expand next!
Estetica Designs June Giveaway: Every order in June is automatically entered into a Giveaway for Winner's Choice of synthetic style! Winner will be drawn July 1, 2024.
Thank You to Rich & the Estetica Designs team for an incredible Brand Spotlight month!
