Erwin H. Kupitz - JA Alternatives

From Hollywood...
(cont.from pg.10)
NHJ: What are the requirements to become an
EHK customer
JM: There are no written guidelines, but we do
like to feel an artistic kinship. We try to spend
time with anyone who is a potential distributor.
We want long-term professional relationships.
NHJ: We talked earlier about some of your
design and quality control procedures. How
can you ensure consistent standards
JM: We go back to our factories regularly for
remedial training. There are many moving parts
to this product. Our close relationship with the
factory is one of the most important.
NHJ: The movies are a world of romance and
13 The National Hair Journal Fall 2010
NHJ: What steps have you taken to make sure
that Erwin’s designs are executed to the same
high standards on the production end
JG: Numbers talk, and there’s no doubt the
money we put into design and manufacturing
ensures us an enviable position. But it goes
beyond that. We didn’t simply show our production
people a product; we brought in our
own team and we virtually lived in the factory
for10-12 hour days while we put everything
under the microscope - literally in some cases.
We have a great relationship with our factory
owner because he is proud of the product and
wants a long-term relationship. That’s not to
say that we don’t look at other factories, but
we’re very happy where we’re at right now. Our
factory has proven that it can deliver the product
the way we designed time and time again.
NHJ: Could a hair expert hold up an EHK
product and say, “I recognize this” And if so,
what would he be noticing
JG: He would have to pick up a brush. The
minute he brushed the hairpiece he would
notice it moves exactly like growing hair. This
is what sets our product apart more than anything
else. The natural movement makes the
hair looks and feel like it’s growing on your
scalp. There are no slits, no directional problems,
and no large knots. If you look at a man
with a full head of hair, you will note that different
sections on the head grow in different
directions. That’s what Irwin has achieved in
our designs.
NHJ: There seem to be two market forces at
play at the moment; on the one hand you have
people looking for economy in these difficult
economic times, and on the other hand you
have the flight to quality. Clearly, you chose the
second path.
JM: Our clients choose the path. We’re fortunate
to have clients who are insulated from
many of the economic forces out there. They
may feel the contracting economy, but it’s not
affecting their disposable income and they’re
requesting better-looking hair replacements.
So we decided to concentrate on this group and
we found that by creating a superior product
and raising those price points we were working
smarter.
NHJ: Do these clients see Hollywood as
something that’s within their reach
JM: They used to think it was out of their
reach. When people saw someone like Bruce
Willis or Nicholas Cage with hair they thought,
‘Oh, I can’t get that. It’s out of my range.’ Well,
we’ve proven that they can!
NHJ: In the movies the actors wear hair not to
cover up a problem, but to transform themselves
for a different role. Does the fact that
you are offering “Hollywood hair” makes your
clients perceive themselves as changing roles,
as opposed to fixing a problem
JM: Without a doubt. When they see someone
in the movies with more hair or different hair, it
legitimizes the whole experience of wearing a
hair replacement.
NHJ: How would you define today’s client
JM: It’s always been about appearance, but
more and more it’s about baby boomers and
their crusade against aging. It’s either about
someone wanting to look the way they feel, or
someone who is still relatively young not wanting
to accept the first signs of aging. We have
a youth-oriented culture; I think that’s what drives
our business.
imagination. Do you try to create the same
magic when you work with your clients
JM: Without a doubt. The experience of getting
an EHK is different from a conventional
hair replacement. I’ve been a hair wearer for
many years myself, and even I was surprised by
the way it feels. It’s extremely light; you don’t
even know it’s there. That’s a factor we didn’t
consider initially, but it is turning out to be one
of the most important.
NHJ: Is the EHK collection only available in
human hair
JM: That’s correct.
NHJ: Are there any other products or support
tools
JM: Right now we’re working on a signature
EHK bond.
NHJ: Do you require special training to
become an EHK distributor
JM: We do offer training, but there is no formal
certification process. We have people who
spend a weekend or even a week with a new
salon. We want to get them off on the right
foot.
NHJ: The “right foot” in today’s economy usually
means, “the right bank deposit...”
JM: Every salon has a certain number of highly
discriminating clients. If you can upgrade
those clients, you can increase your sales by 30-
percent without even putting on one new client.
We are a company that doesn’t brag about its
marketing successes, but in this case we have a
tangible track record; we can prove it.
Erwin Kupitz - For over 20 years Erwin H.
Kupitz has been a master creator of Hair
Additions for the major motion picture companies
in Hollywood. His personal Hair
Replacement clients read like a who’s who list
of Hollywood mega stars.
Motion Picture Credits – Forest Gump,
Congo, Casino, Austin Powers (First),Star Trek
Features 1994 on, Titanic, Mask of Zorro,
Enemy of the State, Mystery Men, Fight Club,
Return to Me, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Kid,
Pearl Harbor, The Yards, Bedazzled, Roller
Ball, Rock Star, Jurassic Park 3, Monkey Bone,
American Sweetheart’s, Ali, Panic Room, Wind
Talkers, Catch Me If You Can, Raid of Fire,
Bad Boys 2, Hollywood Homicide,
Wonderland, The Alamo, Gangs of New York, A
Man Apart, Austin Powers Goldmember,
Chicago, Hidalgo, Beyond Borders, The Great
Raid, Scooby Doo 1 & 2, Master &
Commander, Starsky & Hutch, Anchorman,
Chronicles of Riddick, White Chicks, Flight of
the Phoenix, Lemony Snicket, Mrs. Harris,
Down In The Valley (E. Norton), Cheer Up,
Mr.& Mrs. Smith, The Pink Panther ( B.
Knowles), Fun With Dick & Jane, Bewitched
(S. MacClaine/Jennifer Aniston) Sin City, The
Fountain (H. Jackman)