STYLE/BEAUTY
GOT IT PO-MADE Suavecito is Greaser Chic WRITTEN BY: MELISSA MITCHELL
What do a chef, an architect and a tool and die maker have in common? Well for one thing, they’ve all got incredible hair! Suavecito creators J-Bird, Pete Adame and Tony Adame may have grown up learning different trades, but they’ve joined creative forces to perfect one finely crafted category of expertise: hair products! From manetaming pomade to aftershave, these gents paved the way for grooming perfection. Whether you’re rocking a newly cut-coif or some long lustrous locks, Suavecito is the missing link to your next perfect hair day. Q: How did the business get started? J-Bird: We started the business about 6 or 7 years ago. Pete, a good friend of mine (and now business partner), began dabbling with making his own products. Pete, being a tool and die maker by trade, learned how to make his own toothpaste, shampoo, etc., from his mentor. Pete used to order hair care products all the way from Japan, and his mentor checked the label out one day and said, ‘We could make this ourselves!’ We started dabbling with ingredients and that’s how it all began. We didn’t have a name for it at that time, we were just using the product ourselves. The original intention of making the pomade was never meant to become a company or a business—it was just for our own use.
Q: What’s your favorite product? J: The coolest thing that we’ve recently launched is our premium blends line. It’s a little something different that we did with pomade, in which we infused water and oil together—people say they don’t mix but we figured out how to do that! With our premium blend you get the combined benefits of washing and pomade, leaving your hair feeling loose as opposed to dry or hard. Q: What is your strategy for production and business? J: None! [laughs] It just got to a point where we decided, ‘We have to do this,’ and we went in hard. None of us have any history in business. There were a lot of mistakes we made in the beginning but it’s a continual learning process and we’ve come a long way. Q: Did your work backgrounds assist with your company? J: Yes, because we all make things! Pete was a tool and die maker by trade, Tony went to school to be an architect and I studied culinary arts. Pete started creating the pomade, Tony designs things and I can mix things up. All of our background knowledge comes in handy. Q: What does the future hold for Suavecito? J: We just want to succeed in what we’re doing and stay relevant. Our key method in striving for success is to listen to our customers and keep figuring out how to make our products align with our customers’ needs. Whether good or bad, we do read customer feedback and opinions on social media and try to take that information into consideration.
“Before long, our friends wanted our pomade, then barbershops were after it and then it kind of blew up.” —J-Bird
SUAVECITO POMADE 2831 W 1st St Santa Ana, CA 92703 714.388.6920 | www.suavecitopomade.com @suavecitopomade
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LOCALE MAGAZINE
SUAVECITA: g Don’t fret ladies, the Suavecito creators haven’t forgotten you! This dream team launched a full-force women’s line last April. Aptly named Suavecita, this brand includes pomade, lipsticks and sprays with the ladies in mind! Stay tuned for more Suavecitainspired products coming up on the hair-izon!
WHAT’S IN YOUR J-BEARD?: g “We have a beard serum with argan and moroccan oil and it keeps my beard soft and conditioned throughout the day,” J-Bird says.