Jim Markham
James Albert Markham (born December 22, 1943) is an American
Markham is known in the hair care industry for his innovative products in both the men's and women's markets, and he has won many awards for his contributions to the beauty industry.
Markham served as a technical consultant under Nancy Haigh, Set Decorator for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.[9] Markham's hybrid memoir/entrepreneurial guide[10] was released in February 2020.
Early life
Markham was born on December 22, 1943, in Houston, Texas, the youngest with a sister ten years older and a brother five years older. His parents divorced when he was a toddler, and he was primarily raised alone by his alcoholic mother Ruby, a waitress and short-order cook, in extreme poverty in Hobbs, New Mexico, and Farmington, New Mexico.[11] His father, Albert Markham, was a truck driver and heavy equipment operator and rarely present. By the age of 15, Markham dropped out of high school to marry his pregnant girlfriend. He attended Lubbock Barber School in Lubbock, Texas, and became a licensed barber at the age of 16.[12] By the time, he was age 22, he was the father of three children—Vickie, Robert and Jay – and had been divorced twice.
Career
Markham began his career as a barber in
After Sebring's death in 1969, Markham became president and CEO of Sebring International, and took over Sebring's celebrity clients,[11] and over the next two years expanded Sebring Products across the country using the educational program he'd established as a distributor himself. However, Sebring's father eventually put the company into bankruptcy. Markham and two partners bought the company from him and continued to expand.
A partner dispute led to Sebring International being put into receivership. Eventually, Markham reached an agreement with his former partners that allowed him to form his own company. On his birthday in 1972, Markham, with the help of investors including British actor, Peter Lawford, founded Markham Products. By the following spring, Markham came out with his own line of men's hair care products that he sold through barbers-turned-distributors.[12] He taught the hairstyling technique that he'd perfected – a natural, easy-care style – and certified barbers and shops as Markham Style Innovator shops. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Markham continued to hold his title as the hair stylist to the biggest male stars. Paul Newman hired him as the onset hair stylist on every movie he did into the early 1980s, sometimes giving him movie credit. Markham appeared on national TV shows and got press across the United States as the highest paid hair stylist in the country at $55 per cut.[11] Peter Lawford and Wolfman Jack made several public appearances with Markham to promote Markham Products and did radio spots and ads for the company. After almost a decade of running his own company, Markham sold Markham Products in 1981. He returned to Albuquerque and opened a salon with the intention of turning it into a franchised chain. Although he made the salon a success, he eventually realized his real entrepreneurial passion was in product development.
In 1989, Markham returned to California and founded ABBA Pure and Natural Hair Care to address a gap that he saw in the women's market. The brand started with four products and was one of the first 100% vegan lines in the United States. Markham's formulas for ABBA included extracts of plants, leaves, fruits, nuts and berries, with a spotlight on an environmental consciousness and a strong emphasis on education for salons and stylists in the professional beauty industry.[14] Markham sold ABBA in 1997.
In 2001, PureOlogy Serious Colour Care began as the result of Jim Markham developing sulfate-free/carcinogen-free formulas for a friend of Cheryl Markham's diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was unable to find carcinogen-free beauty products and asked Markham for help – the result were products not only safe, but also remarkable at preserving hair color.[5] PureOlogy won the HBA Global Packaging award in its second year in business. Health and Allure both named PureOlogy as Best Shampoo. Within three years of its inception, the Irvine, California-based company that specialized in products designed specifically for color-treated hair passed the $25 million mark in sales.
By 2007, PureOlogy was on track to do more than $263 million in retail sales, up from $200 million in 2006. On May 8, 2007, PureOlogy was acquired by L'Oreal for $280 million under the professional products division, and relocated to its headquarters in New York City.[15]
In 2011, Markham founded ColorProof Color Care Authority.[16] Markham stays at the forefront of ingredient technology advancements by regularly consulting with ingredient suppliers and purveyors of essential oils and fragrances. One of his most recent achievements includes working with chemists to create a breakthrough system called BioRepair-8, a drug-free formula designed to help prevent hair loss and thinning.[17] His latest innovation, SuperSheer, features the first professional silicone-free, fragrance-free, and clinically-tested hypoallergenic products for color-treated hair.[8]
Awards
Through his five decades in the industry, Jim Markham and his products have garnered numerous awards. In 2019, he was presented the Intercoiffure Lifetime Achievement Icon Award.
Other previous awards include 2002 Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD) Entrepreneur of the Year, 2012 Beauty Industry West Entrepreneur of the Year[21] and early in his career in 1967, he won the silver medal in Men's Hair Styling Olympics, the grand championship in the Men's Hair Styling National Championship, as well as the Southwest Regional Championship, Colorado State Championship and New Mexico State Championship.
Philanthropy
Over the years the Markhams have supported charities such as the
References
- ^ "Success Came Naturally for ABBA Partners : They scratched their heads over criteria for 'the perfect shampoo.' Five years later, their company is among the fastest-growing in field. - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 1993-03-29. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- ^ "From Poverty to Running a Multi-Million-Dollar Hair-Care Empire". Fox Small Business Center. 2014-07-14. Archived from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
- ^ "Manson Victim's Friend Posits Alternative Motive: "I Never Bought Into the Race War Theory"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ^ "How Hair Growth Patterns, Face Shape and Facial Features Influence Your Male Client's Haircut". Modern Salon. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Destined for Style". Orange County Register. 2014-05-05. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (July 30, 2019). "Manson Victim's Friend Posits Alternative Motive: 'I Never Bought Into the Race War Theory'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ^ "Color my world: Celebrity hairstylist Jim Markham". MSNBC.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-05. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ^ a b "Scalp Heath Starts with ColorProof SuperSheer Clean Shampoo and Conditioner". Estetica Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ "2020 Oscar for Production Design". Archived from the original on 2020-03-29. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ^ "Big Lucky: Serial Entrepreneur Jim Markham's Secret Formula for Success". Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ^ a b c "Haircutter to the Stars - At $55 a Clip". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
- ^ a b "CHOOSE BEAUTY: An Interview with Jim Markham, Founder of ColorProof". www.modernsalon.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ "Jim Markham, who was the protégé of celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, talks about the life and legacy of the Manson Family victim". Press Enterprise. 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ^ "The Vegan Beauty Movement". Beauty Store Business. 2018-07-24. Archived from the original on 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ^ Nagel, Andrea (2007-05-10). "A Colorful Deal: L'Oreal Buys Salon Hair Care Brand PureOlogy". WWD. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ "How I Made My Millions Colorproof Hair Care". NBS. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ Brookman, Faye (2017-06-02). "Hair-Care Industry Veteran Jim Markham Tackles Women's Thinning Hair". WWD. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ "Intercoiffure Lifetime Achievement 2019 Icon Award Presented to Jim Markham". www.salontoday.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ^ "Entrepreneur of the Year for Ernst & Young". behindthechair.com. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
- ^ "What Paul Newman Told Jim Markham...And He Never Forgot It". Behindthechair.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ "Jim and Cheryl Markham Named Entrepreneurs of the Year by BIW". Modernsalon.com. 2012-06-18. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- ^ "City of Hope National Professional Salon Industry Spirit of Life Volunteer Leadership". 2013-11-11. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2020-03-09.