Premium Beauty News - How is your brand positioned today in the world of nail care?
Mary van Praag - At OPI we believe nothing can change your look or your outlook faster than color. That is why our brand is built on innovation - both in long wear color and technology.
The brand was originally founded in 1981 as a dental supply company when founder George Schaeffer noticed many of his customers were manicurists seeking quality acrylic formulas. With a solution in hand, George teamed up with co-founder, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann the “First Lady of Nails,” to create the now flagship OPI nail lacquer. By 1987, OPI became the first nail brand to trademark its iconic bottle – now one of the most recognizable in the world.
Today, we remain dedicated to bringing salon professionals the next generation of nail innovations—like our new hybrid lacquer, Infinite Shine, and OPI GelColor offered in the same 150 iconic OPI lacquer shades you have come to know and love.
Premium Beauty News - What do you ask your suppliers to bring you first, whether in terms of formulas or packaging?
Mary van Praag - Creativity, innovation and cost effectiveness are all top priorities in terms of formulas, however quality is by far the highest expectation we ask of our suppliers. Recent research provided by Kline & Company found OPI products to be the #1 brand of salon professionals worldwide. Without quality products, we would not be able to remain a trusted brand for both professionals and consumers.
Premium Beauty News - What were, for your company, the main axes of development, in the past 12 months?
Mary van Praag - In the last 12 months, we have introduced two groundbreaking innovations. Our first being Infinite Shine, a long lasting, photo-activated lacquer which delivers up to 10 days of intense shine and wear without the complications of gel application or soak-off removal. Currently there are 30 on-trend shades to choose from, with more new color offerings to come. In the next nine months, the collection will grow to nearly 90 high-gloss long lasting shades.
Our second, being GelColor as we are also changing expectations for Gel application and wear. For those who love our bold, of-the-moment colors but want the durability of a Gel, OPI offers our lacquer shades in matching gel formulas. With more than 150 iconic Gel color shades to choose from, OPI is unmatched in breadth and depth of Gel selection. And to help nail technicians create the fastest, most durable, and beautiful Gel looks, we’re excited to introduce the next generation of salon professional GelColor products in the coming year.
Premium Beauty News - In 2015, what do you see as the main leading nail polish trends?
Mary van Praag - The continual leading trend in nails right now is high shine and long wear; which is why we are so pleased with the quality of our long wearing hybrid lacquer, Infinite Shine and technology advanced OPI GelColor.
In nail polish and gel trends, the nude nail will be huge in 2015. Soft, demure, neutral color shades are on trend this spring and beyond. We also know nail art is here to stay, so plan on seeing nail art looks that experiment with nude colors in an exciting way.
Premium Beauty News - What are your ambitions at an international level?
Mary van Praag - With OPI currently being in more than 100 countries and truly being a global brand, our main ambition is to continue expansion worldwide. Research has confirmed there’s momentum in the nail category in all regions; however our immediate expansion focus will center on Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Premium Beauty News - The staging of your products is an important component in the success of your sales. To achieve this, how do you work with your distribution network and outlets?
Mary van Praag - To guarantee a top quality OPI experience with our lacquers, we are honing in on our distribution networks to ensure OPI Products are only sold through authorized salon and professional channels.
At the salon level we are providing more education, marketing support, and branding tools to our valuable nail professional partners. Our newly launched OPI professional team now solely focuses on educating nail professionals on the latest OPI nail technologies, systems, products, and trends so they can consistently stay up-to-date on the-moment news and advancements.
