It’s been a decade of Franck Provost in Australia, and the ever-growing market refuses to slow down, recently launching a flagship salon in Barangaroo, Sydney to anchor its many national establishments. To celebrate this momentous anniversary, Global Artistic Director, Fabien Provost, and Global Communications Director, Olivia Provost, paid Australia a visit and spoke to us about the brand’s Australian evolution, writes Ida Almasi.

Franck Provost Paris is one of the world’s leading luxury hairdressing brands, with a global presence of almost 700 salons throughout 30 countries. It launched in Australia in 2008 and, 10 years later, Sydney has the largest concentration of Franck Provost Paris salons anywhere outside Paris, totalling 14.

From humble beginnings when Franck Provost opened his first hair salon in 1975 in a suburb of Paris, over more than 40 years the brand has grown exponentially to become the number one hair salon in France and is renowned worldwide, servicing more than 10 million guests each year.

Franck Provost Paris is very much a family affair. The brand’s eponymous leader still heads up the company today. Provost’s two children, Fabien and Olivia, hold vital positions in the company and have worked alongside their father for almost 20 years to expedite the brand’s growth.

When asked about the differences and similarities in hairdressing between Franck and his son Fabien, Olivia iterated, “Like most hairdressers they both have their own unique style and are really talented in that way but one thing they both are similar with is their ability to customise the look for a specific person really well. No two people are the same and their hair isn’t either.”

The Franck Provost Paris brand is renowned for making Parisian luxury accessible for women around the world. It releases its own colour and styling collections twice a year, which Fabien creates, and sets high standards globally for its prowess in delivering beautiful, wearable and timeless hair.

“The Franck Provost Paris business model has proven highly successful across the globe, and it is our goal to continue to build the Australian operation in the coming years, ultimately making it the country’s leading hair salon group,” shared Master Franchisor for Franck Provost Paris Australia Jean-François Carré, who is in charge of the expansion of the salon brand in Australia through franchising and opening corporate stores. A non-hairdresser with a business mind and a love for the industry, Jean-François exceeded expectations, successfully opening 17 salons in 10 years in Australia with an initial goal of 8.

Education plays a pivotal role in the success of the Franck Provost Paris brand, as it is of paramount importance that clients can benefit from the same expertise and signature handwriting that the brand is renowned for at any one of its hundreds of salons worldwide. Virginie Gayssot, Head of Education and Talent Management for Franck Provost Paris Australia, leads the Australian training academy in Sydney.
Recognised by the group as one of the top Franck Provost hairdressers worldwide, Virginie visits the Parisian academy each year to be trained in the latest trend collections and exclusive cutting, colouring and balayage techniques produced out of France every season, which she then translates and teaches to all team members back in the Australian salons.

“At Franck Provost Paris, Australian team members must attend Franck Provost training at least twice a year to be taught the new collections – Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter – plus there is an ongoing annual education program that they can all access with training sessions every week,” Jean-François said.

Despite its vast worldwide reach, the Franck Provost company remains at heart a family business. In fact, the essence of family is one of the brand’s key attributes that attracts over 10 million clients, hairdressers and franchise partners to its salons every year.

In its native France, Franck Provost Paris is a household name. The brand is renowned for beautiful, timeless hair, particularly its prowess in the balayage highlighting technique, one that Franck Provost himself pioneered many decades ago.

“I remember when we first opened our first salon in Sydney and to our clients the ‘natural look’ was bleached blonde hair to the roots,” Jean-François said. “In France, a women would be horrified to look anything but an enhancement of her natural self so balayage was the best route then and now these French beauty ideals have been adopted in Australia.”

Australian women have embraced the brand’s unique trademark of accessible luxury since it launched 10 years ago and as a result the company has ambitious plans to mirror the same unstoppable reputation that it enjoys in France on local shores. With an always expanding international portfolio and specific success in Australia and Sydney, our 10 year anniversary with Franck Provost points to a bright future. We look forward to seeing what’s next.

For more information visit franckprovost.com.au

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