Luxury and pampering are synonymous with most spa visits, so when hair care company Paul Mitchell wanted to create an experiential event with a luxe, laid-back vibe to introduce its latest hair care collection, Awapuhi Wild Ginger, a Fifth Avenue spa seemed like a good fit. Paul Mitchell and Shop PR invited 45 beauty editors, mostly from print publications, to indulge in some self-care at Tuesday's indoor-outdoor launch at Spa Chakra. The goal: to capture the “awapuhi mood” of luxury and let the editors experience it from the minute they walked into the spa, said Jenny Overdevest, director of public relations for John Paul Mitchell Systems.
The event also celebrated the 30th anniversary of John Paul Mitchell Systems, as the new collection, a major introduction for the beauty brand, features the same tropical ginger plant as one of the company's earliest shampoos.
Broken into groups of eight to 10 for appointments scheduled throughout the day, guests started on the Midtown spa's roof deck, where company co-founder and C.E.O. John Paul DeJoria and co-owner and artistic director of education Angus Mitchell explained the benefits of the eight-product line. The outdoor setting was a good fit for a brand that incorporates natural elements into its products and owns a solar-powered, sustainable awapuhi farm in Hawaii as well as a sheep farm in New Zealand.
Following the presentation, the editors headed downstairs into the salon, where they could try out the goods firsthand. "It was important to get editors in to touch, smell, and feel the products," said Shop PR's Vanessa Pesce. So 11 Paul Mitchell stylists and artistic director Stephanie Kocielski were on hand to administer the intensive moisturizing hair treatments and requisite blow-outs as well as speak about the product's benefits, advanced formulas, and usage tips and tricks.
As a nod to the new products, ginger also figured into the event's menu from Mary Giuliani Catering & Events: a selection of small plates and two-bite treats that included ginger-spiced Belgian waffles with spiced whipped cream, muffins, Greek salad, panini bites, and drinks like pomegranate-ginger spritzers and ginger lemonade.
