Behind the rise of Suavecito
DWNTWN
Suavecito Pomade busted onto the scene over a half of a decade ago as three friends carved out their own space in men's hair products with personality and determination. The quality was unmatched and their business quickly grew from self distribution to a warehouse in Santa Ana, full time employees, and an onslaught of orders. With the explosion of quality barbershops popping up all across America Suavecito is now poised to be at the forefront of their industry defining the future of styling products and what a company can stand for. Once we started carrying Suavecito at Dwntwn it became clear very early that they had something special with their line of hair care products and the devotion their customers felt towards a brand that represents so much more than well kept hair. We reached out to Tony, Pete, and J-Bird to ask these hometown heroes about what has set Suavecito apart and where its going.
Here's what they had to say.
• What was the original inspiration to make your own pomade versus the pomade companies that were available at the time?
The idea was to make something original and true to the people we were. We only cared about something that fit our style and represented where we came from. Also, stuff that was available at the time didn't work for our hair and the styles we were trying to achieve. It was important for us to change that.
• Was there a specific moment when you knew it was time to switch over and do Suavecito full time as opposed to it being something you did on the side?
We realized there were friends working at Suavecito full-time that had their livelihoods dependent on the success of the company. Some friends working at Suavecito early on had kids and we knew we had to take it seriously because these friends apparently did. Up until then, Suavecito was ALL just good fun. Now we have to balance that.
• As the company has expanded, why have you chosen to keep Santa Ana as your world headquarters?
This is the city we were born in so we feel raised by it and as devoted to it as you would to any good parent. A lot of companies falsely claim their roots in Santa Ana but often times do it just for the street credibility. There's nothing fake about our love for our roots. A lot of people abandon Santa Ana and move somewhere cheaper or "cooler" but we have no interest in that.
• What do you think initially caused such a strong demand for Suavecito in barbershops?
There was obviously a great need and demand for a product and company like ours during the time Suavecito was first making it's rounds otherwise we would have seen no success. We connect with people on a personal level, have no egos, and don't think that we are better than anybody. People like that. The only thing we truly believed was that our product was better than everybody else's. We still do.
• What has been the biggest surprise for you since Suavecito has taken off?
We are surprised by longevity of the support we continue to receive from people that invested their time, money and love in Suavecito. As the company continues to grow, people can start to have negative feelings inside about the idea but those that stick by Suavecito are the ones we truly respect.
• Have you ever encountered any problems with the branding or advertisement for your products or logo?
Our branding doesn't jive well with a lot of people looking at us from the outside-in because it screams So-Cal and sometimes latino culture. This hasn't deterred us as we find that there is more support for our originality and and devotion than we find problems because of it. Even when we face these sorts of barriers, we only like to treat them as a small obstacles. Progress will always face push-back but progress is good. It's worth the struggle.
• What prompted you to branch out into women's hair products with such an already competitive marketplace for that?
The demand for women's products was so overwhelming for us that it was hard to keep ignoring. Eventually with so many women working at Suavecito, we found the drive to push the brand forward and take the same approach and attitude we have for the men's line into the women's line. The transition was an easy one.
• What has been the most surprising thing that has come from your success at Suavecito?
Getting so far ahead of the competition has created a culture where fans are excited to see us grow and to keep pushing our brand into places where companies in our industry have never been. Suavecito keeps raising the bar and people continue to expect that out of us. We are constantly surprised with the support we get from such different industries where we get welcomed with open arms. It keeps things excited for us whereas we see other brands in our industry stuck in a boring state of existence.
• What has been the hardest thing to hold onto from your success at Suavecito?
Loyalty.
• What is the next thing Suavecito is getting involved with?
Hard to say. But imagine the crazy stuff you see us doing now... well our team has already been working on the next crazy thing for about 3 months now.
Thanks to Suavecito for taking time out of their day to give answer a few questions and let everyone see how humble, down to earth, and honest this company is and why we are proud to do business with them. We've already had one Straight Razor Saturday where we teamed up with Suavecito and True School Barbershops to offer some free haircuts to anyone rolling through Dwntwn La Mirada and there will be plenty more events in the future with our hombres at Suavecito. Between their support of local businesses and events to their unwavering devotion to what has made them who they are today we know Suavecito will be leading the charge for a long time to come. Next time you need some top quality pomade and beard grooming products you know where to find us.
You can find Suavecito online at their official website, Instagram, and YouTube.
