the world of hair is in mourning. The French pioneer of the hairdressing franchised and inventor of the "gradient" is extinguished Wednesday, April 3, in Switzerland, at the age of 85 years. Democratizing the hairstyle "the chain", the stylist star and business man has built throughout his life a true empire-style chic and on-trend. Hundreds of salons bearing his name in the world with countless products of cosmetics sold in salons and supermarkets, this star's hair leaves behind him an image of a man of affairs is appalling.

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After more than 50 years ago to cherish the group Jean-Louis David, the man sold his brand in 2002. Back on the runaway success of a craftsman, a hairdresser.

A young entrepreneur with ambitions assumed

At the dawn of its 25 years, the young entrepreneur opens in the 1950s the first salon of stylist his name in the 17th arrondissement of the capital. A few years earlier, Jean-Louis David had made a name by beating hollywood actress heroine of vertigo of Alfred Hitchcock, in the show Gabriel Garland held by the owner of the cinema magazine Cinémonde . "In 20 years, I have had the chance to cut the hair of Kim Novak", told it in 2013 in the swiss newspaper, Balance sheet .

Propelled by the success of the cup "degraded", that he created in 1970 and that was considered a real revolution in the world of hairdressing, the system Jean-Louis David adopts its cruising speed, the openings of salons in france and in Europe in succession over the years. The businessman is also distinguished by a variety of innovations such as the fishnet, the particular technique of fading. After catching the biggest stars who parade on the Croisette at the Cannes film festival, the hairdresser also likes photography in the 1970s with some of the greatest such as Helmut Newton.

French Pioneer of the hairdressing franchisee

But it was in 1974 that the empire of the businessman is taking a new turn. While Jean-Louis David left France to settle in the United States, he discovers the model of the franchise. Two years later, the entrepreneur creates the group Jean-Louis David and invented the first system of franchise hair salons. The group is positioned on the market niche of "affordable", with the proposed cuts for twenty euros. The operation was a great success and Jean-Louis David oversees the advertising, the sets and videos of training to its franchisees. The brand thus remains under the control of its founder, happy to authoritarian and who by his own admission "do not like to work in a group".

In 1994, more than 1,000 storefronts fairs in the world post the brand Jean Louis David. The French entrepreneur multiple then the conferences paid across the globe, to provide advice and management style. And in addition to its hundreds of salons, its range of cosmetic products, and more particularly hair products sold in supermarkets, feed into the group's portfolio which is associated in particular with The l'oréal to expand its conquest of the supermarkets.

The group sold in 2002

In 1993, the businessman withdrew and transferred control to his eldest son, Jean-Christophe. But, faced with the multiplication of channels of hair competing, the brand declines. In fact, the French designer gave up, in 2002, his empire to the american giant Regis Corporation. The u.s. will sell five years later the group Provalliance, led by Franck Provost.

Since then, Jean-Louis David ran a retirement gold between Switzerland and the Cayman islands, a tax haven caribbean which he had obtained the citizenship, According to the newspaper Balance sheet , the heritage of Jean-Louis David is estimated to be between 100 and 200 million swiss francs.

Date Of Update: 06 April 2019, 00:00