Cover Photo: Oribe
Photo: Oribe
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Kaner shares his tips and tricks for haircare and how he believes in putting customers first, always
How I’m Making It is a weekly series in which Tatler speaks to influential individuals about their unique journeys and what keeps them going.
Daniel Kaner has been in the beauty business for more than 30 years. For Kaner, it was the power of influence from the people that surrounded him that pushed him to achieve success by creating a hair care brand that has become one of the most recognisable names in the industry.
Through envisioning a brand where traditional hairstyling interacts with technology and some of the finest ingredients, Oribe was born.
In 2008, Kaner, along with two partners including legendary hairstylist Oribe Canales, saw an opportunity in the professional hair care category to create a brand that offered a unique, boutique perspective within the segment.
Prior to his current position, Daniel was EVP of Marketing and partner at Bumble and Bumble. He began his beauty career at Aveda as the New York market director and a member of the Aveda Corporate Steering Committee. While at Aveda, he worked directly with the brand’s founder, Horst Rechelbacher.
“There have been so many influences throughout my career, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount from a lot of people. It was the makeup entrepreneur Sonia Kashuk (who later became my wife) and the Aveda founder Horst Rechelbacher who introduced me to the world of hair care,” says Kaner.
Spawned by his interest through his many interactions with industry professionals, Kaner sought to create his own speciality hair care brand.
“I worked directly with Horst for many years … he was a mentor. He was such a remarkable individual with an incredibly unique perspective and commitment to his vision. That experience certainly influenced my thinking within the category.”
Since the founding of Oribe, Kaner has continued to play an important role within the organisation through his stellar leadership.
“Leadership is an important idea within our organisation. But all of the decisions that we make are informed by three essential pillars: the brand, the team and the customers. There is no hierarchy; we hold them all at the same level of importance and respect. In that process of honouring our brand, customers and team, this helps to guide us as we try to do the right thing throughout,” Kaner explains.
Under his helm, Oribe rose to become one of the world’s most renowned and trusted hair care brands. “Our salon customers actually financed the Oribe brand when we first started out. I look at these relationships as partnerships,” he reveals. “The products that we make are of value and bring opportunity to both parties.”
The secret to maintaining Oribe’s popularity, Kaner noted, is exceeding customer expectations.
“Exceeding those expectations is what our team is dedicated to, whether it’s through the way that the products perform or our artist collaborations. When we founded Oribe Hair Care, the challenge really was: How do we create something that’s the best in its category? This led us to the idea that everything matters. Every element of the experience is part of the brand’s equity, from the product to the fragrance to the design.”
Above Photo: Oribe
Photo: Oribe
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Since then, Oribe has been on the lookout for products that would increase customer satisfaction, propelling the brand in both quality and prestige which has made it the leading professional brand it is today.
Kaner also shared that the brand will be expanding its popular hair care collection, Hair Alchemy.
“Next year, we will expand our Hair Alchemy Collection, which fortifies weak hair and prevents damage. We are also launching new products in our best-selling Serene Scalp line, which, among other benefits, will help balance the scalp’s microbiome for ultimate hair health. When you look at the consumer’s journey, the salon provides an opportunity to make an assessment and to prescribe the right products,” Kaner says.
Photo: Serene Scalp Leave-In Treatment
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Oribe’s popularity and inkling for the arts have prompted the brand to collaborate with various artists since its inception. “Having to understand the design process seen through the eyes of an artist has been inspirational for our teams, and the storytelling aspect of that work has been invaluable to us,” Kaner notes.
This Christmas, Oribe’s holiday collection was done in collaboration with Japanese artist Kohei Kyomori.
“He designed a triptych of the Oribe Goddess symbol that we called “Goddess of Paradise.” The design combines traditional Japanese animal and plant motifs that represent all the different shapes and forms that water takes to represent the myriad of hair textures. The collaboration was done completely remotely during the lockdown,” Kaner adds.
Above Photo: Oribe
Photo: Oribe
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With running Oribe, spending time with his family, and making time for his passions outside of work, Kaner manages to balance them all superbly.
Below, we chat more with Kaner about his passions, favourite Oribe essentials, and how to manage our hair in Singapore’s weather.
How do you ensure your hair care range stands out from competitors? What is the ethos of Oribe, which makes it a leading professional brand both in quality and prestige?
Daniel Kaner (DK): When we partnered with the legendary hairdresser Oribe Canales on this journey, we were inspired by his thinking that everything matters. His one non-negotiable was that the products had to perform at a level where they could be his tools for his runway and session work: That was the level of performance that he wanted to bring to hairdressers and consumers all over the world (and we have stayed true to that). The common thread that we hear throughout the world is that our products perform like no other: Using them, the quality of hair is rich, and our styling products are flexible and unique (the perfect tools for people of all textures).
You also hold many other passions including gardening, cooking, and drawing, have these interests ever influenced the way you oversee Oribe?
DK: Absolutely. All of them! They are all a form of artistry: They all involve the hand, the heart and the head. And we approach the Oribe brand with the idea that we can always do a little bit more, a little bit better, and a little bit differently. It’s an active piece of art that everyone who touches it loves the process. It has been an honour to be one of the leaders of this incredible team.
What are your hair care essentials when travelling?
DK: I love Shampoo for Beautiful Color. I don’t have coloured hair, but I love the colour of the bottle! I’ll alternate between AirStyle Flexible Finish Cream and Fiber Groom Elastic Texture Paste. And Desertland is a fragrance that I’m quite fond of because it was inspired by a transformative trip that I took to Marfa, Texas.
Are there any current trends you see in the professional haircare market that you hope to expand on in the future?
DK: We were one of the first brands that considered the overall health of the hair when designing products; it has always been part of the brand’s promise. Today, it’s being called the “skinification” of hair. Next year, we will expand our Hair Alchemy Collection, which fortifies weak hair and prevents damage. We are also launching new products in our best-selling Serene Scalp line, which, among other benefits, will help balance the scalp’s microbiome for ultimate hair health. When you look at the consumer’s journey, the salon provides an opportunity to make an assessment and to prescribe the right products (and it all starts at the scalp).
Which Oribe product would you recommend to customers in Singapore, who battle with their hair reacting with the country’s humid climate?
DK: Our Imperméable Anti-Humidity Spray was developed specifically to shield hair from frizz, while offering lightweight protection and hold. It’s like a raincoat for the hair. Oribe Canales designed Imperméable because he lived and worked in Miami, where it’s incredibly humid and the women love sexy, styled hair. Additionally, our Gold Lust products are designed to combat the dryness and frizz caused by humidity and make the hair stronger and healthier over time. Our Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil is a best-seller in Asia.
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