SIDLAB.
May 18th, 2009 - Posted by Mandy
THE DISTRIBUTION FACILITY FOR SIDLAB IS HOUSED IN AN UNDERGROUND WAREHOUSE BENEATH THE NOW DEFUNCT SYLVIE DAY SPA, AND HIS FAMILY LINEAGE READS LIKE ANY HAIRDRESSER DYNASTY. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=30283138&id=1035980452 It is not surprising that Sidlab WWW.SIDLAB.COM founder Eric Alan Nelson would eventually cultivate a product line, but how he ended up launching it from Portland is where the interesting part of the story lays.
When I asked him about his unpretentious nature, having moved here from working in Beverly Hills, he informed me that he actually grew up in a small town outside of Lake Tahoe, and that Portland sits around the middle ground between the two. He moved up here 7 years ago after taking a stab at platform work, but quickly became disenchanted by the corporate side of an artistic industry. Working for guys in suits crunching numbers was not what he signed up for. It was time to start something grassroots, and making Portland his home was an obvious choice considering it embodied healthy sustainability – something he wanted to showcase with his product line .
7 years ago reinventing the wheel and making a line that was parabin and sulfate free was a novelty, a fresh idea, mostly stemming from Europe with its possible links to breast cancer. Unfortunately the time and effort that goes into the actual chemistry of a line doesn’t happen overnight, and by now people are launching lines with this in mind by the dozens. Fortunately for Nelson he is backing his brand with the stylist behind the chair, which will indeed set his brand apart. “I want to erase the rules, I don’t want to end up in WalMart. There are no minimums for purchases. The whole concept is humble – speaks to the hairdresser more than snobbery.”
Sidlab has enjoyed success in areas such as California and NY, and is a sponsor of both Portland and LA fashion week, even being represented by Steve David in LA, who only does editorial hair. http://stevedavidhair.com/Portfolio.php On the Portland end Deanna Everson, owner of Ginger Salon, routinely reps Sidlab at events. http://www.gingersalon.com/. The brand also will be getting national funding soon, helping to further his goals, while also solidifying their education. Sidlab can be found in over 200 salons currently, and is hoping to expand to 1,000 soon.
