Get to know the founder behind the luxury hair brand!

Locks & Mane is taking over the hair care game with its affordable collection of luxury hair extensions. Today, HOLR is chatting with founder, Jennifer Parrott, to discuss the brand and how she built a name for herself in the industry. Keep reading to learn all about Locks & Mane and why it’s our fave go-to brand for fast, affordable, and non-damaging hair extensions.

Locks & Mane is a successful luxury hair extension company that is highly regarded by celebs and hair stylists as a go-to for styling and everyday hair needs. Tell us about how you got into the business and what inspired you to start your own brand.

Thank you for such kind words! I started Locks & Mane 7 years ago, while on maternity leave with my son! I’ve always had thin, fine hair and struggled to find extensions and products that were natural-looking and easy to use. The idea of offering a hair extension service (which ultimately turned into a product!) that was fast, safe, and affordable wouldn’t leave me alone – I’d go to sleep and wake up thinking about it! I decided to prepare a business plan and dive in headfirst. I was just days away from quitting my job as an Event Director when I found out I was pregnant with my first child, which meant putting off starting the business. A few months after having my son I felt even more drawn to my idea and decided to take the plunge! I’m not sure I would recommend starting a business to any new moms, but I’m definitely glad I did 🙂 

As a local brand that was able to make a name for itself in the industry, how did you differentiate yourself from the competition?

This is such a great question! One of the issues I had with other hair extension brands is I didn’t feel they were inclusive and they really only spoke to a certain subset of the population – the young and ultra-glamorous! Our mission at L&M has always been to create quality products that inspire all women to look and feel their best. I think we’ve been successful at differentiating ourselves because of our approachability and our unique, easy-to-use products.

What are some of the products and/or best sellers we can shop from the brand? What makes them unique?

We have a wide range of products and accessories now, but our core product has always been our 12″ & 18″ clip-in extensions! What makes them so unique is not only their fantastic quality and colour range but their design! We were the first company to design a 2-piece clip-in set (as opposed to 8-10 pieces) and our clips are upward facing, instead of the traditional downward facing clips. Because of our unique design you no longer need to backcomb your hair before clipping in your locks and they lay flatter and more securely than the traditional design. I wanted to make sure they were as easy-to-use and natural-looking as possible!

How is Locks & Mane giving back through Strong like Me?

I formally registered the non-profit, Strong Like Me, at the end of last year as I had been gifting wigs to teenagers undergoing chemotherapy treatment at SickKids Hospital for the past few years. I knew it was time to register SLM as its own entity because one day in the not-so-distant future I’d like to expand the wig donation program across North America and extend it to not only young women but to all women affected by treatment-related hair loss. It’s a cause that’s very near and dear to my heart as my husband and I spent a number of years in the hospital with my son during his treatment for leukemia. We met so many wonderful families and I saw firsthand how devastating it was for teenage girls to lose their hair. I started gifting wigs to patients almost immediately and then developed a program with the social work team to notify me whenever a young girl or teen is in need of a wig. What’s really special about the program is we try to have the wigs created to look as close as possible to the patient’s natural hair. I feel incredibly grateful as my son finished his treatment last year and is a healthy, happy almost 8-year old now! 

What’s next for Locks & Mane?

We have some incredibly exciting retail partnerships that we can’t wait to share with everyone in the coming weeks!

Published by HOLR Magazine.