Olivia Garden is positioning itself as the luxury brand of hair tools, according to Anne Maza, VP of Sales and Marketing, who privately owns the company with her brother, Pierre Rennette. “It’s not just about the product,” she said. “We want people to have an elevated experience when using our hair styling tools.”

The company, started by Anne’s parents in Belgium in 1967, launched with the goal of providing high-quality, innovative hair brushes, combs, sheers, salon apparel and a variety of salon tools, to the professional industry. Ever since, Olivia Garden has sold more than 15 million brushes, is available in 100-plus different countries and has seen sales increases between 10 percent and 20 percent annually. Ulta Beauty is its largest retail partner in the U.S.

“Ulta’s value-added, high-end brand positioning is a perfect fit for our line. Of course, we are always looking to gain new users for our brand but we will only do that in ways that are in synergy with our company’s brand positioning,” said Anne.

Olivia Garden was founded on the principles of innovation, design and high quality.

“We genuinely care about anyone who is going to be using our products, whether in the salon or at home. Being a very hands-on, family owned company, we pay attention to every detail of our product and our brand, and we spend endless resources on R&D to ensure the output is something that truly makes a difference,” said Anne.

Part of its research and development process includes printing countless 3D samples and tapping salon professionals across the world to test and review products before finals are brought to market. As a result of its most recent product development process, the company is launching two new items this summer. The first, MultiBrush Collection ($13-$23), will debut in May, and features ionic barrel brushes in five sizes that come with a removable barrel, allowing the brush to be used for styling, or detached once placed in the hair to set curls. The second is its Ceramic + Ion Professional Hair Dryer ($159), which will launch in July and marks the brand’s first foray into the hot tools category. The dryer features the same ceramic technology found in the brand’s signature brushes to prevent damage and add shine, as well as a powerful motor for fast drying.

As part of the company’s plan to expand brand awareness, Olivia Garden has sponsored backstage fashion shows and partnered with stylists to use the products during red carpet events. Additionally, the brand offers how-to videos on its website, as well as an app for iOS and Android, to help consumers select the perfect hair brush for their hair type and desired style. Guidance is also provided to professional stylists through an extensive education program.

“Our educators are in the U.S. and Taiwan,” said Anne. “The team was primarily built to meet the needs of hairdressers who seek to further renew and advance their skills in relation to cutting, styling and finishing techniques. There is a lot of education about hair color available but very little on cutting, styling and finishing, although those skills are crucial to making any client look amazing as they come out of the salon no matter which service they had done. We provide free classes at all the major industry hair shows around the country and we work individually with our distributors for those that want to offer classes at their local level. Educators are spread across the country strategically and they usually cover their local areas, but will definitely travel out of area if necessary.”