Fuchs Hair has just landed down under and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to the green team! To this super salon, nothing is more important than family, community and the environment... That’s why our teaming up is a match made in heaven!
From their humble origins in 1955, Fuchs Hair has expanded across five locations in Switzerland and has now gone international, making Australia their first stop! The popular salon group has just opened their doors in Sydney, marking the start of the third generation in the salon dynasty.
Alexander and Rebecca Fuchs are the sibling duo taking the lead of this Sydney based salon. “Family for us is the most important thing,” says Alex Fuchs. “For us to be able to bring the family business to Australia after leaving Switzerland 9 years ago has been a dream come true.”
The pair moved to Australia almost a decade ago to work with La Biosthetique. “We were only meant to be here temporarily to help the growth of La Biosthetique, but we fell in love with Australia and decided to stay here,” Alex tells us.
To this sibling super power, there’s not a huge distinction between business and family. “The family business is something that we grew up in and it was always a part of our personal and professional life, so for us hairdressing and family is very much the same thing.”
That’s why the pair were so excited to return to the family business in Australia. “The reason we brought Fuchs to Australia was to bring the family back together and to also make sure that the 3rd generation of Fuchs Hair will continue,” says Alex.
While some siblings may be terrified of the idea of working together, for Alex and Rebecca it’s the complete opposite!
“We know each other so well, we both know each other's strengths and weaknesses. We know how to push each other’s buttons, but we also know how to support one another,” says Alex. “We are able to have a discussion about any problems and just let them go, instead of carrying on about them forever. It’s definitely a huge benefit to the business!”
"...though, we do need our time on the weekends to just be siblings rather than business partners!" adds Alex.
As the first overseas salon for the Fuchs Hair brand, Alex explains that there is much more freedom to do things differently than there is in Switzerland. “It’s great because the Australian branch gives us the chance to trial new ideas and ways of doing things. We’ve changed the logo, the feel and the look of the salon, and we’re changing some of the service elements as well.”
He explains that if the new ideas and processes are successful, they will then be adopted by the five salons in Switzerland. This gives Alex and Rebecca Fuchs the chance to be creative and bold in the way they run their branch of the family business.
One of the changes they have already made is to the design of the salon. The pair have added more natural materials such as wood and stone within the salon in a move to avoid plastics and environmentally harmful materials. “We want the salon to be more grounded, earthy and most importantly, sustainable,” says Alex.
As big advocates of sustainable practices, Fuchs Hair have been rethinking the way they look at salon waste... and it's all starting down under!
“Most people aren’t aware of how much waste they produce by going to a hair salon. But now, they’re finally talking about it. I’ve been having a lot of moments in my life where I realise how much I’m throwing away and it’s really eye opening.”
“We have always tried to do the best we can for the environment, but in recent years it has really become a huge focus of ours. All businesses should take more responsibility and start looking after the environment we all live in.”
Apart from repurposing their waste with Sustainable Salons, the Fuchs Hair team make sure to partner with like-minded brands.
“That’s why we partnered with La Biosthetique, we love that they use renewable energy, recyclable material and don’t test on animals. Choosing a product partner that is environmentally conscious for hair salons is really important.”
So where can we find the latest branch of the Fuchs Hair dynasty? The new salon will replace Sydney’s Bauhaus Hair with the sibling duo taking the reins from former owner and current CEO of La Biosthetique Hair, Rob Aubin. The transition comes from a long history of partnership between La Biosthetique and Fuchs Hair.
“We work with La Biosthetique very closely. We use all of their products and love their whole service philosophy. We think it’s important to have luxury that is available to everyone,” says Alex.
“We always keep our doors open and are happy for people to come in just for a chat. We want people to be able to have luxury, service, and experience in a way that is approachable.”
So what’s next for this family dream team? Alex tells us that he would love to be able to expand to other locations in the future. We’re keeping our eyes peeled to see where this powerhouse family team will open next. Wherever it is, you can bet that they’ll be spreading strong family values and sustainability love!
Sustainable Salons provides the most comprehensive waste free systems to the professional hairdressing industry. We collect and recycle 95% of a salon’s waste and reward the salon for their recycling efforts! Contact us here if you’d like to become a member of Sustainable Salons.
