Famed vegan and cruelty-free UK haircare range Umberto Giannini was first established in 1998 by the youngest ever British Hairdresser of the year, Umberto Giannini, and his artist partner, Claire Shread.
The couple first met in the early 1990s when he was the rising star in hairdressing and Claire had her own interior design company.
Umberto employed Claire’s company to design a salon interior, they met, and the rest was history.
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“Umberto had not only the knowledge of haircare but a dream of having his own range and I had my own business, but I supported him on the creative side, and we developed the range,” Claire tells Best Picks.
Unfortunately, Umberto sadly died of a rare viral disease at the age of 33 in 2001, leaving behind Claire and their two small children.
Claire took control of the whole business, which was a big role to take on, especially due to the company still being in its infancy.
The first product Umberto created was the haircare line’s signature ‘Curl Jelly’ — which was created for Claire’s curly hair.
“The curl range was the first products we released and at that time no one was doing hair products for curly hair,” Claire explains.
“So many brands get it wrong, and they don’t really understand curls.”
“The theory behind Umberto Giannini is all about starting with your hair texture first, because if you understand your hair texture, you can then develop specific products for it,” Claire says.
Umberto Giannini caters to every hair texture and scalp care is also another big focus for the brand.
“Our scalp scrub is a dual action scalp scrub with pineapple enzymes and crushed walnuts,” Claire explains.
Another bestseller is the brand’s Rosemary Scalp and Hair Oil, which helps with hair growth and scalp stimulation.
Rosemary Scalp and Hair Oil $19, is a bestseller in Australia.
And while the Curl Jelly $19 is the brand’s global bestseller to this day, Claire also says, shoppers are a big fan of the banana butter range.
“It’s fantastic for dry and fragile hair while also smelling amazing,” she says.
Curl Jelly is the global bestseller, the best of the curl range, the banana butter is fantastic for dry and fragile hair.
Umberto Giannini also offers products for hair growth such as its Grow Long Hair Lengthening Shampoo and Conditioner as well as anti-dandruff products and a hydrating range.
Claire is now the sole owner and CEO of the company and says since “Umberto’s passing in 2001, I have very much made it my business”.
Her team is made up of 16 women, and they became B-Corp certified in 2021.
“It was a really difficult process, but the environment is super important to me and all our products are made in the UK,” Claire explains.
“I always like to say premium isn’t a price point, it’s about the care and attention.”
Claire explains that the company is big on only using clean ingredients in their hair formulas and “not cutting corners just for profits”.
“The shape of the business is about making products that will change women’s relationships with their hair.”
Claire started to go global with the brand in 2018 and partnered with Boots in the UK as well as Amazon and wanted to make the products as accessible for as many people as possible.
Claire explains that while there have been many milestones along the way, and her biggest “pinch-me moments” happen when customers reach out and share their personal stories using the products.
“We have many who send letters too,” Claire says.
“For me, it’s when people say I have been using Curl Jelly since I was 14 or my friends and I used to go and buy Curl Jelly.
“It is incredibly personal for me that Umberto’s name is on the pack and that he created our signature product, Curl Jelly for me.”
Claire’s biggest says that to this day, her biggest challenge was when she lost Umberto.
“If you can get through something like that then you can get through anything.
“Grief is an incredibly powerful emotion that affects everyone in different ways but also everyone in the same way.”
When it comes to other females wanting to start their own business, Claire’s best advice is to “be tough”.
“Don’t get turned off if people call you bossy and make sure you stand your ground but also know when to seek advice from the right people,” Claire explains.
Umberto Giannini is now stocked in all Priceline stores across Australia.