PRODUCTION DESIGN AND CREATIVE DIRECTION
FOR 'EXHALE' BY SÁNDOR
DESCRIPTION
A BRAND LAUNCH FILM TO CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF SÁNDOR - A COMPANY FOUNDED BY HAIRSTYLIST SABRINA SZINAY AND MYSELF.
'EXHALE' IS AN AMALGAMATION OF FOOTAGE SHOT THROUGHOUT THE CREATION OF THE BRAND. WE CAPTURED ENDLESS HOURS OF THE TINY MOMENTS THAT HAPPEN IN A SINGLE EXHALE. THIS CONCEPT WAS BROUGHT MAGNIFICENTLY TO LIFE BY THE WORDS OF ROSE CARTWRIGHT AND COLLABORATION WITH DIRECTOR BRANDON MERCER.
DIRECTED AND EDITED BY BRANDON MERCER - CREATIVE DIRECTION BY TAJA FEISTNER AND BRANDON MERCER - WRITTEN BY ROSE CARTWRIGHT - COMPOSER ADAM WEISS AT FOUND OBJECTS - VOICEOVER BY MATHILDE WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG - RE-RECORDING MIXER NABIL NAFAR - HAIR AND MAKEUP BY SABRINA SZINAY - TALENT RAVYANSHI MEHTA, OLIVIA GOUVEIA, CARMEN JULIA GARCIA, REGITZE CHRISTIANSEN, CASANOVA AND FAMILY, CAMERON LEE PHAN, JOHNNY PETROZZINO, EVA M NELSON, SUSAN CIANCIOLO, TAJA FEISTNER AND SABRINA SZINAY - PRODUCTION DESIGN BY TAJA FEISTNER
FORMER CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SÁNDOR IS A LUXURY HAIRCARE COMPANY FOUNDED BY SABRINA SZINAY AND MYSELF.
SABRINA APPROACHED ME IN EARLY 2019 ABOUT A HAIRCARE BRAND SHE WANTED TO CREATE TO CARRY ON THE LEGACY OF HER GRANDFATHER SÁNDOR SZINAY. SHE NOTICED I WAS STUDYING SUSTAINABILITY AT PENN STATE AND CAME TO ME WITH THE QUESTION OF 'HOW DO I MAKE HAIRCARE SUSTAINABLE.'
WE PARTNERED AND BEGAN OUR JOURNEY OF CREATING SÁNDOR. AFTER 3 YEARS OF BRINGING THE BRAND TO LIFE, IN JULY OF 2022, I SOLD MY SHARES AND EXITED THE COMPANY.
SUSTAINABILITY DOESN'T REQUIRE SACRIFICE
ALUMINUM IS INFINITELY RECYCLED
THE FIRST STEP I TOOK WAS SELECTING PACKAGING THAT IS ZERO-WASTE THROUGH RECYCLING AND BIODEGRADABILITY BEGINNING WITH THE FULLY ALUMINUM BOTTLE. BY COMBINING A U.S. MANUFACTURER THAT MAKES POST-INDUSTRIAL RECYCLED ALUMINUM BOTTLES AND DESIGN DUO, ANIA ET LUCIE, WE CREATED THE TIMELESS AND RECYCLED + RECYCLABLE BOTTLE THAT SÁNDOR IS KNOWN FOR.
ALUMINUM IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST-VALUED RECYCLED MATERIALS WHICH HAS LED TO ITS INCORPORATION INTO THE RECYCLING PROGRAMS OF CITIES AND COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
ZERO-WASTE THROUGH BIODEGRADABILITY AND RECYCLING
INNOVATIVE BIODEGRADABILITY
ONE OF MY FAVORITE INNOVATIVE MATERIALS I WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE TO SÁNDOR IS MYCELLIUM - 'MUSHROOM' - PACKAGING. THIS PACKAGING IS GROWN IN A MOLD TO HOLD ANY SHAPE IN ONLY 7 DAYS AND WHEN COMPOSTED IT BIODEGRADES IN ONLY 45 DAYS. IT IS MADE BY GROWING MYCELLIUM IN AGRICULTURAL WASTE AND HAS A PROTECTIVE BUT LIGHT-WEIGHT CONSISTENCY SIMILAR TO STYROFOAM.
STYROFOAM TAKES 500 YEARS TO BIODEGRADE AND IS MADE FROM FOSSIL FUELS.
RECYCLED + RECYCLABLE
TO ASSURE A CLOSED LOOP OF RECYCLABILITY, WE SELECTED BOXES THAT ARE BOTH 100 PERCENT RECYCLED AND 100 PERCENT RECYCLABLE + HOME COMPOSTABLE. USING A NEW TECHNOLOGY IN PRINTING, THEY ARE PRINTED WITH BIORENEWABLE AND BIODEGRADABLE ALGAE INK.
BIODEGRADABLE INGREDIENTS TO KEEP OUR WATERWAYS CLEAN
BEYOND THE PACKAGING, WE HAD TO CONSIDER THE BIODEGRADABILITY OF OUR INGREDIENTS. MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT WHAT GOES DOWN OUR DRAINS CAN BIOACCUMULATE IN NATURE. FROM THE SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES IN YOUR FAVORITE SHAMPOO OR LOTION TO THE INGREDIENTS IN YOUR HANDSOAP, MANY CHEMICALS CAN'T BE REMOVED BY WASTE WATER TREATMENT AND ARE MAKING THEIR WAY INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.
I MADE SURE THAT ONLY BIODEGRADABLE INGREDIENTS WERE SELECTED - INCLUDING THE FRAGRANCE WHICH IS MADE OF ONLY NATURAL PLANT OILS AND RESINS.
THE REUSABLE PUMP
BOTTLED WITH A RECYCLABLE ALUMINUM CAP, THE REUSABLE PUMP WAS A NEW CONCEPT I INTRODUCED TO SÁNDOR MAKING IT ONE OF THE FIRST COMPANIES IN HAIR CARE TO ENACT REUSABLE BOTTLE ACCESSORIES. THE REUSABLE PUMP SOLIDIFIED SÁNDOR AS FORWARD-THINKING WHILE MAINTAINING A LUXURIOUS DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE.
