Beauty Inc. celebrates the year’s hottest innovations and most directional marketers. See all the winners here.
JEN ATKIN
Trained at the Kardashian school of social media, Jen Atkin is earning honors with her brand Ouai and content site Mane Addicts. The celebrity hairstylist has masterfully combined content, professional education and product creation, all while tending to her star-studded clientele. “We are the first socially driven hair-care brand,” said Atkin, who has 1.7 million followers on Instagram. “It’s been a huge part of our DNA. I see a correlation between what’s been selling well and our social media feed.” Speaking of, Atkin’s feed—filled with the smoldering supermodel strands of Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Chrissy Teigen, Hailey Baldwin, Karlie Kloss and the Hadids—has kick-started some of the year’s key hair trends, from French braids to beach waves. Not bad for someone who also partnered with Chloe + Isabel on hair accessories and Beauty Works on extensions this year. Atkin isn’t about to slow down. Ouai is rolling out an online consultation service and has a brimming product-development pipeline. Atkin deliberately didn’t name Ouai after herself. “If you know who I am, you know it is my line, but if you don’t know who I am, who cares?” she said. “It’s still a great line.”
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