OUAI cool: Meet the US haircare brand founded by a celebrity stylist that’s notching up double-digit growth in Australia

There was a time when Australian shoppers waited months to get their hands on the latest products from US-based skin and beauty brands. But for one such brand, those days of Australians ‘following the US’ are over and universal launches are now a priority. 

“We have such a strong fan base in Australia. To see them in our DMs, saying ‘when are we getting this’, and we can say, at the same time as the US, I think we win … credibility with that,” says Diana Pratasiewicz, head of education for hair, fragrance and lifestyle brand OUAI. 

“Australia and the UK watch us so closely; we are far apart but I feel they are with us every step of the way. If we come out with something, they want it here, they want it now.”

Pratasiewicz was in Melbourne this week with OUAI communications director James Tuffin ahead of the launch of the prestige brand’s new St. Barts range of body cleansers and creams — a launch that was happening at the same time across all territories. 

OUAI (pronounced ‘way’) was founded by celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, who Pratasiewicz tells me would have loved to have joined the Australian tour but was busy styling Kendall Jenner for the Oscars. 

Aitken sought to create a “socially-connected haircare brand”, that was relatable and accessible to consumers who wanted a salon-quality product to use at home. Even the choice of the brand’s name — taken from the casual French way to say ‘yes’ — was designed to convey the “effortlessness” of the brand and to spark conversations among those who don’t know how to pronounce it. 

The brand’s growth has been rapid; OUAI was launched seven years ago and has been available in Australia for five years, via an exclusive retail partnership with Sephora. Recognisable by its minimalist packaging, OUAI has expanded from hair care to now include body products, fragrances and lifestyle merchandise.

OUAI has a staff of more than 65, and its revenue was projected to hit US$80 million for 2022, one year after it was announced that haircare giant Proctor & Gamble would be acquiring the business an undisclosed sum. Aitken remains involved with the brand as chief creative officer.

OUAI has a growing presence in its homebase of the US, UK, Canada, south east Asia and Europe, as well as Australia, with Tuffin confirming that it is experiencing “double-digit” growth across all regions, including here. 

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Among OUAI’s top-selling products in Australia are its leave-in conditioner and its ‘North Bondi’ scented range, which Aitken developed after spending time in Sydney. 

The brand is hoping to unlock further growth in the Australian market by taking a leading position in the scalp care category, which Pratasiewicz says is one that is “just on the cusp of starting”. 

“It’s absolutely not a trend, but it will be a future category,” she says, noting the release of the brand’s scalp serum in 2022. 

“We like to call it the ‘skinification’ of hair,” she adds, highlighting the need to protect the skin on one’s scalp in the same way we do with the skin on our faces. 

“Especially in Australia, this is something I really admire about you guys: sun protection is not an afterthought, it’s right in front.”

It’s clear the Australian market is a priority for OUAI, which Pratasiewicz says will differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive space through its distinctive packaging, scents and a belief in “collaboration over competition”.

“We want to sit with those brands, we want to work with them,” she says.

“Is OUAI a brand that is for absolutely everyone? Aboslutely not. are we missing a hair spray, a gel? Yeah, sure. Let’s work with the brands that are currently experts in those.

“I think OUAI’s superpower is definitely doing something that is easy, accessible and honest,” she says.