Founded in 1998, Umberto Giannini rapidly grew to become the fastest-growing hair care brand at global retailer Boots UK. Now, the brand is expanding its global footprint, bringing its transformative vegan hair care range to Australia for the first time with an exclusive partnership at Priceline.

The brand’s journey, however, is marked by both innovation and tragedy. British stylist Umberto Giannini passed away in 2001 due to complications from dermatomyositis, a rare disease affecting the muscles and skin. He was only 33. Following his untimely death, Claire Shread, co-founder and Umberto’s partner, took over the running of the business. Claire brought her artistic flair and strong vegan and ethical values to the brand, guiding it towards significant achievements, including earning Certified B Corp status. This certification recognises the brand’s high social and environmental standards, aligning with Claire’s vision of a responsible and impactful beauty brand.

Claire, who visited Australia to celebrate the launch, held at Icebergs, shared her excitement about this significant milestone. “Umberto’s signature style was to enhance the natural texture of hair rather than work against it. Matching the right product to your hair type transforms how you manage and get the best out of your hair; this ethos underpins the range still today,” Claire said. “When the brand launched in 1998, not only was it vegan and cruelty-free, but the campaign that accompanied the launch showed women with their hair and make-up undone and without retouching, accentuating the power of being your true self and using beauty as a positive and empowering ritual—something we continue to celebrate today.”

The brand’s hero ranges, including the TikTok-viral Curl Jelly, is now available at Priceline. Curl Jelly, the number one best-selling product in Boots UK’s professional hair category, has achieved cult status, with one Scrunching Jelly sold every minute. Claire explained, “Curly girls have unique needs, and different ones for waves than coils; UG has a product for every curl type and a deep understanding of curl behaviour. This is what sets us apart from other hair brands.”

The brand’s  other popular ranges, such as Grow Long and Banana Butter, are also available. The Grow Long range focuses on boosting growth and nourishing lengths, while the Banana Butter range is a superfood for textured hair, designed to nourish and restore dry, breakage-prone hair with 97% natural ingredients. “We believe every hair problem is a beauty opportunity, and this positive beauty affirmation resonates with women everywhere,” Claire said.

The brand’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its 90% recycled PCR packaging, with a goal to progress towards 100% recyclable packaging. “The industry still has some way to go to reach 100% recyclable because of the difficulty in producing pumps and actuators in this way. All of our tubes, bottles, and tubs are 100% recyclable,” Claire explained.

When asked about the exclusive partnership with Priceline, Claire noted, “Our goal is to solve every woman’s bad hair day, so the reach of Priceline and the alignment with the customer base was the key driver to partnering exclusively. Also, Priceline understands product and could see that UG filled a gap for them in efficacious professional heritage products with a beauty soul.”

This partnership is seen as a crucial step in Umberto Giannini’s global expansion. “We see the partnership with Priceline as a key step in our global expansion, reaching more women and answering a demand. Sales have been amazing and have exceeded all expectations from day one!” Claire said.

As Umberto Giannini continues to grow, Claire remains committed to maintaining the brand’s legacy and ethos. “If you’re not growing, you’re in decline—there is no standing still! Keeping the culture of the team together as you grow is often an issue for companies in high growth. I am really proud of the team and culture at UG; the talent and hard work that this group of driven and inspiring women puts in is the secret sauce of UG’s success. We are our own customer, and our love for a truly transformative product binds us!”

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