Introducing Fabric: Subscription-Based Skincare for Men Who Want Good Skin But Not Sure How to Begin
Cosmetic companies say that basic components should be#nbsp;made available to#nbsp;all but that consumers should be#nbsp;encouraged to#nbsp;employ them as#nbsp;they see fit. For instance, they advise men to#nbsp;have a#nbsp;grooming regime according to#nbsp;how they feel at#nbsp;the time, not according to#nbsp;what past tradition and current lifestyle has conceded proper for an#nbsp;occasion. They suggest that men make the same choice among skin, hair and shaving products and attempt to#nbsp;find marketing paths that express their personalities.
As#nbsp;a#nbsp;menswear expert having experienced consumers experience such confusion, they may never conform again. Yet despite individual differences, male consumer experimenters have in#nbsp;common a#nbsp;deep- rooted desire to#nbsp;take care of#nbsp;their skin differently from older generations
The acceptance of#nbsp;new products depends on#nbsp;innovators, who are the first to#nbsp;try the product, and influentials, whose personal style is#nbsp;copied by#nbsp;others. On#nbsp;a#nbsp;brand scale, public figures are often innovators and influentials. The buying public in#nbsp;menswear watches the athletes, entertainers and celebrities. If#nbsp;you ask me, I#nbsp;would place all my#nbsp;chips on#nbsp;the athlete#nbsp;— especially when it#nbsp;comes to#nbsp;grooming.
On#nbsp;a#nbsp;smaller scale, individual communities have their own grooming fashion innovators and influentials, but the target audience’s acceptance ultimately depends on#nbsp;good and usable product. In#nbsp;short, each person adjusts his grooming regime to#nbsp;balance a#nbsp;sense of#nbsp;clarity as#nbsp;well as#nbsp;a#nbsp;sense of#nbsp;belonging and being an#nbsp;individual.
A#nbsp;few weeks ago, I#nbsp;came across a#nbsp;men’s grooming brand that has developed an#nbsp;organized grooming regime that will most certainly be#nbsp;a#nbsp;sure-fire grooming method to#nbsp;grab men’s attention. When it#nbsp;comes to#nbsp;men’s skincare in#nbsp;the USA, I#nbsp;can assure you as#nbsp;a#nbsp;day is#nbsp;long, that American men demand results-driven product, travel friendly, competitive price-point and no#nbsp;bells and whistles. In#nbsp;a#nbsp;word; keep it#nbsp;masculine and keep it#nbsp;easy.
Fabric’s Holding Face Moisturize
FABRIC
Fabric is#nbsp;a#nbsp;new subscription-based clean, men’s wellness brand, that puts everything men need and nothing they don’t into products that empower daily rituals. Through simple, high-quality formulas, Fabric ends the confusion about ingredients, products and routines for men who don’t have the time#nbsp;— or#nbsp;the patience#nbsp;— to#nbsp;navigate the world of#nbsp;personnel care.
Assaf Sahar is#nbsp;a#nbsp;brand loyalist. He#nbsp;wears just two t-shirt brands (he#nbsp;owns dozens of#nbsp;each of#nbsp;his favorites), one brand of#nbsp;jeans and one brand of#nbsp;sneakers. He#nbsp;has a#nbsp;preferred whiskey, vodka, gin and so#nbsp;on. But one day it#nbsp;occurred to#nbsp;him that#nbsp;— despite using skincare products for over 20 years#nbsp;— this was the single category where he#nbsp;had no#nbsp;real brand affinity. This came as#nbsp;a#nbsp;surprise given that you should care about what you apply to#nbsp;your skin as#nbsp;much as, if#nbsp;not more than, what t-shirt you pull out of#nbsp;your closet each day. And so#nbsp;he#nbsp;did some research and found that brand loyalty when it#nbsp;comes to#nbsp;men’s skincare doesn’t exist because of#nbsp;three main factors:
The Brand Itself (Brands need to#nbsp;resonate with their target demographic and make them feel better about themselves.)
Price/Performance (Does it#nbsp;really deliver?)
The Customer Experience (Assaf wanted a#nbsp;brand for skincare to#nbsp;deliver in#nbsp;ways that some of#nbsp;his favorite DTC fashion brands do.)
And so#nbsp;he#nbsp;set out to#nbsp;create a#nbsp;brand of#nbsp;high-standard products bolstered by#nbsp;convenience and the perfect digital experience. He#nbsp;crafted a#nbsp;business plan based on#nbsp;extensive market research, raised pre-seed funding from a#nbsp;VC and here we#nbsp;are! OK, well his past experience didn’t hurt. Assaf grew up#nbsp;in#nbsp;Israel and led a#nbsp;Special Forces team for three years at#nbsp;the IDF. He#nbsp;holds a#nbsp;dual major from Tel Aviv University and a#nbsp;Masters of#nbsp;Finance from the London Business School. He#nbsp;began his career as#nbsp;a#nbsp;consultant for McKinsey and then spent almost a#nbsp;decade in#nbsp;corporate development at#nbsp;high growth brands such as#nbsp;Lumenis. You can say he#nbsp;knows a#nbsp;thing or#nbsp;two about a#nbsp;thing or#nbsp;two.
Fabric’s hero duo is#nbsp;The Standard Set#nbsp;— a#nbsp;quintessential skincare combo that makes a#nbsp;daily skincare ritual as#nbsp;easy as#nbsp;possible. Comprised of#nbsp;the Honesty Face Wash and Integrity Face Moisturizer, Fabric lays the foundation for healthy, clean and nourished skin. And, given Fabric’s no-brainer subscription model, men don’t even have to#nbsp;remember to#nbsp;repurchase.
The Honesty Face Wash is#nbsp;a#nbsp;powerful daily face wash that cleans off dirt, oil and grime to#nbsp;reveal healthy, balanced skin. Soothes and hydrates as#nbsp;it#nbsp;heals and fights bacteria. The Integrity Face Moisturizer hydrates, smooth’s, and soothes your face to#nbsp;defend against dryness, fine lines, and other environmental effects. The products are non-comedogenic, anti-oxidant rich, cruelty-free and PETA-certified, vegan, and free of: parabens, sulfates, SLS, petrochemicals and other toxins. The products are naturally scented with Fabric’s signature blend of#nbsp;essential oils#nbsp;— dominated by#nbsp;Pine, Sage and Sandalwood. Fabric invests in#nbsp;high-end ingredients and formulations that are lab-approved for sensitive skin. This stamp of#nbsp;approval means Fabric products are suitable for all skin types.
I#nbsp;recently had the privilege of#nbsp;speaking with Assaf Sahar, Founder & CEO of#nbsp;Fabric about what men are seeking today in#nbsp;grooming products, how he#nbsp;started using face wash more than 20 years ago during his time in#nbsp;the the Israeli Special Forces and why he#nbsp;believes it#nbsp;is#nbsp;important for consumers to#nbsp;be#nbsp;aware of#nbsp;this brand!
FABRIC
Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to#nbsp;Forbes about the history, launch date and DNA of#nbsp;your brand?
Assaf Sahar: Fabric (founded in#nbsp;2018) is#nbsp;a#nbsp;direct-to-consumer clean men’s wellness brand that puts everything men need#nbsp;— and nothing they don’t#nbsp;— into products that form the ultimate skincare rituals. We#nbsp;believe that it#nbsp;is#nbsp;possible to#nbsp;provide guys with premium clean products in#nbsp;a#nbsp;very compelling value proposition. We#nbsp;soft-launched the brand few weeks ago after more than a#nbsp;year of#nbsp;product development.
One of#nbsp;the barriers we#nbsp;saw in#nbsp;the men’s skincare market was that many men were lacking a#nbsp;skincare ritual. It#nbsp;is a#nbsp;misconception to#nbsp;believe that by#nbsp;purchasing a#nbsp;moisturizer or#nbsp;some face wash you take care of#nbsp;your skin. Anyone that has skin now knows that to#nbsp;have excellent skin, you have to#nbsp;ritualistically take care of#nbsp;it. Just like anything else. But with all the misinformation, crazy regimens, and marketing mumbo jumbo, knowing how to#nbsp;take care of#nbsp;your skin can feel complex and confusing. Like all things, it#nbsp;always comes back to#nbsp;the basics. Fabric is#nbsp;here to#nbsp;provide a#nbsp;simple regimen that every guy can follow. I#nbsp;started using face wash more than 20 years ago during my#nbsp;time in#nbsp;the Special Forces. Many of#nbsp;my#nbsp;weeks were spent on#nbsp;the field with dirt, camouflage and sweat on#nbsp;my#nbsp;face. At#nbsp;the end of#nbsp;the week, I#nbsp;looked forward to#nbsp;what I#nbsp;called a "mini-ceremony" to#nbsp;get ready to#nbsp;re-enter civilization#nbsp;— an#nbsp;incredible shower where washing my#nbsp;face and removing camo/grime meant I#nbsp;was about to#nbsp;head back home and back to#nbsp;reality. It’s this ritual that inspired me#nbsp;to#nbsp;create Fabric.
In#nbsp;the last 20 years, I#nbsp;have tried and tested numerous products and brands in#nbsp;the category and have not stayed loyal to#nbsp;a#nbsp;single brand or#nbsp;product. I#nbsp;could not find something that can deliver on#nbsp;a#nbsp;great 1) brand 2) price performance and 3) customer experience altogether, so#nbsp;I#nbsp;set to#nbsp;start a#nbsp;brand that would deliver and cater to#nbsp;guys like me.
Joseph DeAcetis: In#nbsp;your words, what is#nbsp;your competitive advantage in#nbsp;the men’s grooming market?
Assaf Sahar: Simply put, we#nbsp;make premium products, with efficacious active ingredients, and provide consumers with a#nbsp;simple and accessible regimen. We#nbsp;believe that taking care of#nbsp;yourself means establishing improvement routines that translate into our busy daily lives leading to#nbsp;optimal performance and happiness. There are not any other players in#nbsp;the market that can provide our level of#nbsp;products in#nbsp;our price point and ease of#nbsp;use.
Joseph DeAcetis: How do#nbsp;you intend to#nbsp;market to#nbsp;Millennial’s and Gen Z#nbsp;with advertising dollars?
Assaf Sahar: Obviously Millennials and Gen Z#nbsp;are very important groups as#nbsp;they currently represent a#nbsp;big chunk of#nbsp;the market and their share will only grow. We#nbsp;are currently a#nbsp;digitally native brand, meaning that our initial communication platforms are solely digital. Luckily those younger men are almost entirely digital in#nbsp;their shopping habits. We’re active in#nbsp;social platforms and believe that most of#nbsp;our marketing dollars will be#nbsp;spent there during our early days. Going forward we#nbsp;believe it’s important to#nbsp;be#nbsp;wherever our consumer is, so#nbsp;you’ll be#nbsp;seeing more of#nbsp;us#nbsp;outside digital and more into podcasts and relevant physical locations that our consumers spend time at.
Joseph DeAcetis: In#nbsp;your words, what are men seeking today in#nbsp;grooming products?
Assaf Sahar: More than anything, guys want clean, high quality products that can be#nbsp;integrated into their daily lives. I#nbsp;think that today most guys will not go#nbsp;for a#nbsp;complex, lengthy regimen and won’t pay a#nbsp;premium for overly expensive products. Most guys really want the basics: get the minimum required in#nbsp;order to#nbsp;look and feel at#nbsp;their best. These essentials are wash (Face wash) and hydrate (Moisturizer) this is#nbsp;how you start treating your face right. Body essentials are body wash and deodorant. Those are the very basics.
Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to#nbsp;Forbes in#nbsp;detail about the current product offerings and why it#nbsp;is#nbsp;important for consumers to#nbsp;be#nbsp;aware of#nbsp;this brand?
Assaf Sahar: Fabric is#nbsp;a#nbsp;clean brand that thoughtfully sources everything that goes into its bottles so#nbsp;only the best ingredients end up#nbsp;on (and absorbed by) one’s skin. Fabric invests in#nbsp;high-end ingredients and formulations that are lab-approved for sensitive skin. This stamp of#nbsp;approval means Fabric products are suitable for all skin types. All of#nbsp;our products are naturally scented with Fabric’s signature blend of#nbsp;Pine, Sage, Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Cardamom, and Patchouli essential oils. The products are packed with active ingredients that nurture the skin, such as: Centella Asiatica, Jojoba Oil, Sage Extract and Hyaluronic Acid. We#nbsp;launched with a#nbsp;focus on#nbsp;the face, with our two hero products: The Standard Set. This Duo contains Honesty Face Wash and Integrity Face Moisturizer. The basic regimen starts with a#nbsp;wash to#nbsp;cleans off dirt, oil and grime to#nbsp;reveal healthy, balanced skin. Immediately followed by#nbsp;using the moisturizer that hydrates and soothes to#nbsp;defend against dryness, fine lines, and other environmental effects. In#nbsp;few weeks we#nbsp;will introduce our initial body line: Respect Body Wash and Confidence Deodorant as#nbsp;well as#nbsp;our Shave line with Patience Shaving Cream and Authenticity Post Shave Balm. I#nbsp;believe that no#nbsp;other brand can provide our level of#nbsp;products in#nbsp;the price point we#nbsp;deliver to#nbsp;our subscribers.
Joseph DeAcetis: If#nbsp;you could choose one celebrity to#nbsp;showcase your brand, who would it#nbsp;be#nbsp;and why?
Assaf Sahar: I’d go#nbsp;with Ryan Reynolds. The man who was once seen as#nbsp;nothing but a#nbsp;pretty face showed men everywhere that they’re capable of#nbsp;growing, capable of#nbsp;greatness. We#nbsp;want to#nbsp;do#nbsp;the same.
As#nbsp;the brand for guys with more important things to#nbsp;do#nbsp;than skincare, Reynolds embodies what we#nbsp;believe in: Through it#nbsp;all he#nbsp;refuses to#nbsp;take himself too seriously, and instead focuses on#nbsp;rewarding projects, family, and presenting the best version of#nbsp;himself every day. We#nbsp;champion the same spirit of#nbsp;self-fulfillment and the never-ending pursuit of#nbsp;excellence. He#nbsp;rose from sophomoric comedies to#nbsp;genre challenging films and
philanthropy, and he#nbsp;owes it#nbsp;all to#nbsp;his hard work, integrity, and discipline. We#nbsp;believe those same principles are the building blocks of#nbsp;great routines in#nbsp;wellness.
Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to#nbsp;Forbes about how technology aided you in#nbsp;the development of#nbsp;your brand both product make-up and e-commerce? Details please.
Assaf Sahar: At#nbsp;the end we#nbsp;are a#nbsp;technology-enabled company, and this goes all the way from our product development to#nbsp;our digital platform. We#nbsp;started the development process by#nbsp;scraping the web and trying to#nbsp;find where we#nbsp;should focus in#nbsp;terms of#nbsp;products. This reassured our initial hypothesis. It#nbsp;took us#nbsp;a#nbsp;while to#nbsp;develop our first products, as#nbsp;this is#nbsp;a#nbsp;process that involves trial and error around product formulations and scents. In#nbsp;order to#nbsp;cut the times between product iterations (we#nbsp;went through a#nbsp;double-digit number of#nbsp;iterations) we#nbsp;had developed online questioners and performed statistics on#nbsp;a#nbsp;panel of#nbsp;respondents. Our e-commerce platform is#nbsp;fully customized and aims to#nbsp;provide consumers with all the flexibility to#nbsp;tailor their own regimen (later in#nbsp;the year you will be#nbsp;able to#nbsp;choose which products will be#nbsp;part of#nbsp;your regimen and the cadence you receive them). Our infrastructure allows us#nbsp;to#nbsp;automate most (if#nbsp;not all) of#nbsp;our marketing initiatives from restocking the products into new product offerings and through modifications in#nbsp;the subscriptions.
Joseph DeAcetis: What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
Assaf Sahar: My#nbsp;focus is#nbsp;making sure we#nbsp;have: the right team at#nbsp;any given time, enough cash in#nbsp;the bank and we’re delivering on#nbsp;our brand promise. AND helping guys be#nbsp;their best self every day, repeatedly.
Joseph DeAcetis: In#nbsp;a#nbsp;vast sea of#nbsp;men’s grooming products, why should we#nbsp;be#nbsp;interested in#nbsp;yours?
Assaf Sahar: I’ve tried to#nbsp;build something that would work for me#nbsp;as a#nbsp;consumer. From my#nbsp;days in#nbsp;the Special Forces I#nbsp;knew that I#nbsp;wanted the most efficacious products that fit into an#nbsp;automatic and simple regimen that could fit into a#nbsp;busy man’s life. While I#nbsp;was studying, I#nbsp;worked as#nbsp;a#nbsp;Fashion model, during that time I#nbsp;had exposed to#nbsp;all sorts of#nbsp;high-end overly expensive products that had exotic ingredients in#nbsp;them. I#nbsp;was looking for top products that contain no B. S#nbsp;and sold in#nbsp;a#nbsp;great value for their quality. I#nbsp;don’t think that there are others who could beat this offering.
Joseph DeAcetis: Where is#nbsp;the product made and why?
Assaf Sahar: Some of#nbsp;the values that define Fabric’s beliefs and values as#nbsp;a#nbsp;service provider and as#nbsp;a#nbsp;company are: Honesty & Integrity. Transparency permeates everything we#nbsp;do. We’re open and clear with our customers about our products and practices. Therefore, our products are made in#nbsp;the USA. We#nbsp;believe that the country has some of#nbsp;the finest labs and manufacturing facilities in#nbsp;the world. As#nbsp;a#nbsp;brand that wishes to#nbsp;lead a#nbsp;category as#nbsp;well as#nbsp;building trust with its consumers, the#nbsp;US was an#nbsp;easy choice.
Joseph DeAcetis: You have the floor: Talk to#nbsp;my#nbsp;viewers about why they should try this brand now (details)
Assaf Sahar: I#nbsp;firmly believe in#nbsp;this sentence: We#nbsp;are what we#nbsp;repeatedly#nbsp;do. Excellence then is#nbsp;not an#nbsp;act, but a#nbsp;habit. In#nbsp;order to#nbsp;take care of#nbsp;your skin you must ritualistically nurture it#nbsp;in#nbsp;your 20's and 30's. Doing so, you must choose excellent products and stick with a#nbsp;regimen you can adhere#nbsp;to. Fabric exists to#nbsp;provide you with a#nbsp;better start and ending for your day. Fabric is#nbsp;your 2 minutes to#nbsp;yourself when you give yourself a#nbsp;moment of#nbsp;personal growth through personal care. We#nbsp;developed a#nbsp;simple regimen, so#nbsp;you’ll be#nbsp;able to#nbsp;use it#nbsp;automatically and focus on#nbsp;the things that really matter to#nbsp;you in#nbsp;life (not skincare).
Joseph DeAcetis: What are your future projections and growth strategy for the next few years?
Assaf Sahar: We#nbsp;hope to#nbsp;be a#nbsp;household name among men who wish to#nbsp;use something more elevated than the usual skincare products. We#nbsp;should have 15 products by#nbsp;the end of#nbsp;2020. Hopefully, we’ll have a#nbsp;growing consumer base of#nbsp;loyal subscribers who will enjoy the greatest value. Going forward, we#nbsp;believe that being where the consumers are, is#nbsp;imperative therefore, we#nbsp;will have retail presence as#nbsp;well. I#nbsp;believe that within 2−3 years will start rolling out our own stores. For now, our focus is#nbsp;to#nbsp;deliver the best products in#nbsp;the market to#nbsp;our consumers and help them (in#nbsp;a#nbsp;modest way) to#nbsp;be#nbsp;the best version of#nbsp;themselves.