Meet Mr. Smith

We sat down with David Justin, the Founder of the luxuriously chic Mr. Smith to find out more about the newest addition to the VANITY GROUP portfolio.

Why did you create Mr. Smith?

Mr. Smith was formed because I wanted to develop a haircare line that reflected my own personal values; being something that I would personally use on myself and was ethical, sustainable, and clean, whilst looking great in the bathroom without compromising on performance and quality of ingredients.

Mr. Smith’s ethos is crafted in style, substance and simplicity. Can you explain this?

Firstly style - style above all else. I think you buy with your eyes, so it had to look luxe and chic. I wanted something that resonated with me and something I would want to have in my bathroom. If you can take someone to a certain place and have them have that connection with the brand straight out of the gate, I think a lot of the leg work is already done.

Substance - unless you’ve got that substance inside, you’re always going to let people down because what’s inside isn’t reflective of the outside. All our products are 100% PETA certified so no animal testing, 100% Australian made and owned, we use naturally derived and organic ingredients, and every product is sulfate and paraben free - that’s the substance.

And simplicity - unless something’s simple, it’s not going to work. The more convoluted a message is, the harder it is to get across. Simplicity is really the key to make sure that in our current day you get the brand message through all the noise in the market.

Who is Mr. Smith’s ultimate muse?

Our muse has to be effortlessly chic. It is Alexa Chung, Kate Moss. Their style is classic, yet we’re infatuated by it.

What are your travel haircare essentials?

Our Mr. Smith Balancing Shampoo - it never leaves my side! Next would have to be the Mr. Smith Masque. When I’m jumping from flight to flight (when travel permits of course!) my hair dries out. The masque nourishes and moisturises my hair and even doubles as a hand balm!

I love that you can continue to layer the Masque as needed and will never get oily.

If you could only use one Mr. Smith product for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?

Without a doubt our bestselling Balancing Shampoo. For both its nostalgia and effectiveness. It was our first product to market after spending almost 18 months perfecting it! Every time I use it, it reminds me of why I started the brand. I even use it as a body wash I love it that much!

If Mr. Smith were a hotel, which one would it be and why?

The Standard.

Effortlessly cool, adored by its guests and located in all major cities.

Why do you think hotels want haircare brands in their bathrooms?

Haircare is undoubtedly the most important part of a shower routine or ritual. It’s a no brainer that hotels would want to showcase a haircare alignment via their amenities!

Learn more about Mr Smith and request samples here.

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