WORDS: AMY SESSIONS
The Precision Surgeon
What do the first 30 mins of your day look like, your morning routine? I always get up with my wife and sons around 7am before we all have breakfast together and then we walk with the boys to the station as they then head off to school. Afterwards Eva and I have some time together and that will be spent talking or working out together, and this of course includes a morning walk with Sparky (the family dog). Following that I head to Harley Street and at Harley street I will do consultations or treatments with my patients, I then split my time between Harley St and the 111SKIN offices – I think I can now make it across in seven minutes! You’re originally a surgeon, how did launching a skincare brand originate? As a surgeon, my primary goal has always been to ensure the very best results for my patients – we weren’t satisfied with what was available to surgeons at the time, so we set about finding healing solutions. Working with a team of scientists, we pioneered the brand signature healing complex NAC Y2. NAC Y2 was infused within the brand’s inaugural healing serum, which proved so effective that patients were seeking the products for everyday use. From there, 111SKIN was born. What is at the core of 111SKIN, the DNA and how has it grown so quickly to iconic status globally? To develop skincare treatments that both recreate and complement aesthetic treatments in the clinic for a more holistic approach to beauty. It’s about beauty and quality of skin and understanding the ageing process inside and out. We had little budget for marketing and so our business grew organically – largely by engaging with artists that work on a practical level – makeup artists, hair stylists, facialists, fashion designers & models. How did you retail 111SKIN from the outset and what have been the challenges scaling this globally? In June 2012 and starting with selected products from our now established Reparative range we launched in the beauty halls of Harrods, London. We started with a singular shelf at the back of the beauty hall and two members of staff that were dedicated to establishing the brand with Harrod’s clientele. For the first 3/4 years we were exclusive to Harrods and were focused on delivering the passion and research behind the brand, so much so that we created an extended family of clients that wanted
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more from 111SKIN. With our customers being the focus behind our range and their feedback being fundamental to the growth of the brand, we developed a range that grew from their feedback such as the light version of our bestselling product the Y Theorem Serum. With the strength of our range and the demand from our customers, my wife and co-founder, Eva Alexandrides put in the research to develop our sheet masks after a trip from Asia. Starting with one mask, the Bio Cellulose Facial Treatment Mask, we then developed the Gold Mask that successfully turned into the Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask in a hydrogel texture. From our journey in Harrods, we then grounded ourselves in America and Asia and from there have gone from 2 to 80 members of staff in the last seven years that are located both in stores and head offices. Today we stand proudly in the Beauty Hall at Harrods with a renowned counter and window display celebrating the fundamentals of 111SKIN. Positioned in leading luxury spaces and an international presence that is coveted by fashion designers, make-up artists and supermodels alike, 111SKIN formulates its skincare to deliver a no filter confidence. We are located in some of the most prestigious retail spaces like Harrods, Neiman Marcus, Mecca and Lane Crawford. We also offer aesthetic performance face and body treatments with our revolutionary spa concept that is present in the world’s leading spa resorts and hotels like Sandy Lane, Jumeirah, Four Seasons and Bvlgari. The focus for the future is to continue to deliver unprecedented quality and results to our clients and customers as well as positioning ourselves as the leading global skincare brand that is surgically inspired, science led and drives clinical results. I am still learning when it comes to building a brand, and with 111SKIN and my practice it is a work in progress and it’s a fantastic feeling if you can do it successfully. You do need a bit of luck because there are so many uncontrollable forces that can make or break you which you cannot wholly anticipate. Personally, I find it is about having a vision and knowing what you want. How do the research and commercial sides of the business work together and do you feel particularly drawn to one side of the business? The research and commercial sides of the business go hand in hand – both Eva and I have our strengths and use these to the best of our abilities. I am a surgeon and therefore provide the medical expertise, bringing innovations and pushing the possibilities of skincare efficacy for the brand. Eva takes these innovations forward, imagining how they can be delivered in the most compelling manner, and creating personal connections to the products that extends to ingredients, sensorials, new product development and packaging. What has been the biggest challenge since launching the brand and how did you overcome it? To be unstoppable means to be utterly determined to succeed, and not to
IMAGE: SUPPLIED
Founder of 111SKIN and leading Harley Street cosmetic surgeon Dr. Yannis Alexandrides specializes in facial reconstructive surgery. We discuss what it takes to launch an iconic skincare brand and push the boundaries of surgery
BEAUTY
8/31/21 2:59 PM
