Article: Celebrating 100 Years of Keune Haircosmetics
Celebrating 100 Years of Keune Haircosmetics
A family-owned company, Keune Haircosmetics has always kept the salon, hairdresser, and consumer in mind for its mission and goals. As we celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary, we want to continue the tradition of going the extra mile for our Keune family.
In June this year, Keune Haircosmetics hosted its 100-year celebration at RAI Amsterdam. With over 3,000 guests in attendance, the event had many unforgettable moments. First, an eye-catching catwalk showcased looks tied to Keune’s innovative products throughout the decades. Then, Keune unveiled limited-edition packaging for Care and Style products designed by artist Joseph Klibansky. Notably, King Willem-Alexander awarded Keune the Royal Predicate — an honor reserved for companies that have existed for at least a century and are of great importance to their field. It was an honor for George Keune Sr. to accept this award. This new title symbolizes the respect, appreciation, and trust that the King of The Netherlands has for the company. George Keune Jr., CEO at Keune Haircosmetics North America, is so proud of this reward. He says, “it is a huge moment for the company and reiterates our reliability as a company.”
The past, present and future
Founded in 1922 by Jan Keune, family-owned Keune Haircosmetics is now an international company that has gained worldwide recognition. The “Reflections” event theme created the opportunity to look back and celebrate the rich history and success over the past 100 years.
During the show, the Keune Creative team, led by international artists Ilham Mestour, Daniel Yap, and George Alderete, created looks to highlight moments in hairstyle history. Jackets made from hair extensions inspired by the ’80s were especially a hit. Going behind the scenes, George Alderete shares some secrets to creating these pieces.
To coincide with the “Reflections” theme, the team created vision boards featuring Keune’s innovations that impacted the hair industry over the last 100 years. The artists created the gorgeous hair jackets using an estimated 60 meters of hair wefts. Colored using Color Chameleon, the formulas were combinations of the Blue, Yellow, Magenta, and Violet shades. The darker coat was made with combinations of Orange, Yellow, and Rose shades. To get the finished look, Alderete shares, “The team prepped the wefts with Style Soft Set Spray on dry hair and backcombed each weft. Then, we used Style Freestyle Spray before crimping each weft. Once complete, the hair was combed out with a finishing styling brush and sprayed with Style Brilliant Gloss Spray for a high shine finish”. Alderete adds, “brushing and brushing and brushing some more was really the key to the finished look.”
In addition to quality and innovation, the brand is committed to building a sustainable future for generations. Keune has therefore launched an ambitious sustainability strategy focusing on three pillars: CO2 footprint, recycling, and social responsibility. “A centenary is a milestone that not many companies get to celebrate,” states Keune Haircosmetics CEO Eelco Keune. “The key is always to keep innovating. Innovation is part of our DNA. My grandfather Jan Keune had a drugstore, but he spent just as much time in his laboratory. We are proud that we have been able to keep this curious spirit and urge to innovate in us. We continue looking for development opportunities and new ways to make an impact. We do this for the hairdressers and stylists with whom we have been working with for the past 100 years and for future generations. We do this by developing even better and cleaner products to make the world a little bit more beautiful.”
Eelco Keune opened up about his vision for the next 100 years of Keune. He voiced that as a company, Keune is “not striving to be the most successful, we’re striving to be the best.” In doing so, they want to remain “the hairdresser’s ideal business partner.” When it comes to innovation, Eelco explained that he wanted to do for the haircare industry what Uber did for the mobility challenge all over the world. By matching supply and demand and the end consumer, they want to help the end consumer find the ideal match with Keune. “We are not working for a bonus at the end of the year,” says Eelco. “We are working for generations to come.”
Keune Haircosmetics isn’t just a product company. Eelco states, “We strive to help the hairdresser reach their fullest potential.” For example, Eelco explains, Keune will look into benchmarks of salon KPIs against the market to help them identify ways to add value to their business. They strive to help salons grow by highlighting blind spots and celebrating their successes. Eelco adds, “At the end of the day, the hairdressers are the ones that decide if we are adding value to their business, and that’s what we are here to do.”
George Keune Jr. shared more about his role as CEO of Keune Haircosmetics North America. George Jr. didn’t always know he wanted to work for the family business. However, after taking an opportunity in the United States, he fell in love with the industry and stayed. While running the North American Headquarters, he adores working with his team and exploring new ideas in the business and culture. George Jr. explains, “I think it is the unique culture that hairdressers, salons, and consumers have fallen in love with. So as a team, we will continue to do our best to deliver quality education and events alongside our tried and true products.”
Limited Edition products to celebrate 100 years of Keune
This fall, Keune Haircosmetics will release limited-edition packaging for Care and Style products. Keune collaborated with contemporary artist Joseph Klibansky, whom we had the pleasure of catching up with in Amsterdam.
Klibansky began his artistic career as a painter. However, contemporary multi-media artists Murakami, Hirst, and Koons, always inspired him to express himself in other mediums. It took him years to save up enough to start casting for sculpture. He currently does everything in-house. For Klibansky, “Art is about the emotion, and the medium is a way to express it.” The Keune collaboration for a limited edition collection was ideal for him because “it’s focused on a creative industry.” As for the inspiration behind the one-a-kind design, Keune gave Klibansky artist carte blanche to express himself fully without boundaries. This freedom allowed him to focus on a few key design elements, which “connect people, being global, and focus on the future instead of the past.”
The limited-edition products for Keune North America include and Each product has an additional complimentary 100 ml to give you more to love. The Keune X Joseph Klibansky products will be available in the salon for a limited time, starting September 1, 2022.