Mindy ‘Cute Girls Hairstyles’ McKnight is diversifying her portfolio after the massive success of her first venture: a range of hair care products dubbed Hairitage that launched in January exclusively at Walmart.
That line, a collaboration between McKnight and beauty brand incubator Maesa, is on track to clock $30 million in retail sales this year, Amy Neben, McKnight’s manager at Select Management Group, tells WWD. It is also set to expand internationally next year, as well as debut new product categories beyond its current lineup of shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and other styling products.
Now, in a separate venture that’s also inspired by her hairstyling acumen, the mother of six (including identical twin lifestyle influencers Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight) is teaming with consumer products licensor Jakks Pacific on a line of toys — including toy mannequin heads and other styling accessories — that are meant to help children learn how to style hair. The line is currently available at Walmart, and will roll out in coming weeks to Amazon, Target, and Sam’s Club — including both online and in physical stores. Products range in price from a $10 glitter brush to a $40 styling wig, per WWD.
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Products range in price from a $10 glitter brush to a $40 styling wig.
In the past, McKnight told WWD that she purchased mannequin heads to practice new techniques for her YouTube channel — which counts 5.6 million subscribers and 10 million monthly views — to give her children a break from serving as her models. And Neben added that the partnership with Jakks came about because McKnight owns a massive chunk of the SEO as it relates to searches about girls’ hair tutorials.
The product range was two years in the making, McKnight tweeted (below), noting that it was particularly important for her to create products that were representative of all girls, including different hair textures.
“We believe creators are next-generation media brands and should have varied and diverse revenue streams,” Jamie Byrne, YouTube’s senior director of creator partnerships, told WWD. “We’re continuously impressed with how our YouTube creators, like Mindy, have continued to innovate both in terms of their content and their businesses.”
2 years can really fly, but it’s FINALLY happening! My toy line is now in select @Walmart’s (Sam’s and Amazon coming soon! 👍🏻) Everything from assorted styling heads to accessories! Shoutout to @Jakkstoys for working with me to create the PERFECT toy that represents EVERY girl!❤️ pic.twitter.com/l9zKRpDxfr
— Mindy McKnight (@CuteGirlHair) August 12, 2020
