American Crew are best known for their innovative and affordable male grooming solutions – Here at Salons Direct, we stock a wide range of best selling American Crew barbering products.

We took 5 minutes to chat to the brand about their heritage, how they keep up to date with industry trends and where the brand is heading in 2018 and beyond.

Tell us more about how the brand began?
Back in ’94, a stylist named David Raccuglia walked into a distributor’s office in Chicago holding a clear bottle filled with maple syrup. David foresaw a future where men would pay as much attention to their looks as anyone else – he knew they wouldn’t want to lose their masculinity in the process. The revolution David triggered started the global men’s grooming market – he was the originator, the early adopter – he created the men’s grooming market we all enjoy today.

 “Men’s grooming is now one of the largest growing categories in the salon industry –no longer a niche market– and it feels very good to finally being recognized for what we’ve been working on since 1994. We are very excited to be living that prophecy it’s now true: men’s salons and barbershops are opening every day and more and more men are looking for high quality haircuts and grooming experiences. For 20 years, American Crew has fought tirelessly to make this category not only relevant, but a huge opportunity for the salon business. And now it’s happening!”

-David Raccuglia, Founder American Crew

What do you think sets American Crew apart from their competitors within the market?
Being 24 years old, American Crew is not the brand that your father uses – we are also the brand that is relevant to the current groomer, even in their teens and twenties. At American Crew our passion goes beyond products.  We’ve shaped the skills of thousands of stylists, developed education based on men’s needs and we’ve helped understand how men think and what they want.

In 2017, American Crew reworked their education platform with MMG, Master of Men’s Grooming. Taking barbering skills to a new level with our newly combined Complete Method 01 & 02, the “bootcamp” of mens cutting. Not forgetting the most important men’s styling and grooming competition –  American Crew All Star Challenge… Finalists will enjoy all-expense paid travel to go head-to-head with some of the best stylists in the world.

How have trends within the male grooming industry evolved over the years?
In recent years, men have had much more confidence to change their style, for example the bearded look which emerged from different communities, bikers, hipsters, creatives etc. In a generation that has lived through metrosexuality, facial hair is a defining symbol of masculinity, and the trend became mainstream.

In the last 10 years, there is a new generation of men who are sporty & proud of the physique this gives, they are proud of their bodies and place value in looking after them properly. Men’s attitudes towards products is different. It’s about performance and function not pampering. They want products that work and are genuinely created for them.

What has been the brand’s greatest success? This could be a campaign, or a product?
Our Elvis campaign was hugely successful worldwide as Elvis is such an iconic figure across the globe. It re-awoke the sleeping giant in the UK (it never really went to sleep in the USA) and put American Crew back in the forefront of the men’s grooming industry.

What is your best-selling product?
Our best-selling product is the Fiber Puck. This classic has stood the test of time & matte definition works for so many styles. We just bought out a Fiber Cream to complement our best seller that works on medium to longer styles. It’s set to become a future classic as stylists and barbers use it as their go-to product for creating refined texture with natural shine.

 

Where do you see the future of male grooming headed? Trends that are evolving etc.?
Personalisation, connection & experience are going to be the defining trend of the generation. In an increasingly digital age we are all looking for something created just for us that connects us as communities and links us to a joint experience. Convenience & good old fashioned customer service will be cornerstones.

Why do you think your brand appeals to a wide audience?
The brand appeals to a wide audience because it is classic and true to its American lifestyle roots. People respond to authenticity & confidence. Men choose crew because it was created for men who know that paying attention to their appearance helps gets them the things they want. American Crew is the only professional salon brand build specifically for men from the start. It isn’t a diffusion line, but a lifestyle brand created with men as its only focus. American Crew is the most popular men’s salon grooming brand in the world. Men and their stylists count on it for the latest and best in hair, body, shave and style products and have done so for over 20 years. It’s a modern American Classic.

What can we expect from American Crew in 2018 and beyond?
In our digital age, more is going to move online. We now have online classes to provide instruction on how to customise every client’s salon experience and successfully execute the latest in haircut trends. Plus, our usual raft of exciting new product development across all our categories.

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