It has been over a week since the passing of Horst Rechelbacher, a creative genius in the world of hair and beauty. He is famous for his business ventures and commitment to health, a conscious lifestyle and sustainability. An Austrian stylist who became an expert in his field and found himself in Mpls founding revolutionary beauty businesses. (Not crucial to the rest of the post but you should def get more background at his wiki. IT'S FASCINATING!)
I had the pleasure of meeting Horst a few times over the last few years. The most exciting of which was a product testing session at the Host and Friends salon on East Hennepin in Nordeast (NE) Minneapolis. Horst didn't even do the entirety of my blow out but I am so glad that I was aware of the significance that his hands were even gracing my hair. That volumizing spray could have been a placebo for all I know but I walked around for the rest of the day feeling like the luckiest girl with the most beautiful hair in all of the land!
I had the pleasure of meeting Horst a few times over the last few years. The most exciting of which was a product testing session at the Host and Friends salon on East Hennepin in Nordeast (NE) Minneapolis. Horst didn't even do the entirety of my blow out but I am so glad that I was aware of the significance that his hands were even gracing my hair. That volumizing spray could have been a placebo for all I know but I walked around for the rest of the day feeling like the luckiest girl with the most beautiful hair in all of the land!
My Friend JH + Horst <3
Horst was a mentor to so many people, if you read the comments on his facebook page it is filled with students and mentees tellings stories. In an indirect way Horst even mentored me, he was a bold example of what could be. Towards the beginning of Sol Inspirations we were invited to be a part of a Fashion Night Out event that IN was hosting. That was the first night I met Horst, afterwards I googled this dear old man (with his beautiful gray hair and a crazy accent) was doing in Minneapolis, Minnesota.. opening an organic beauty company?! The whole thing seemed too exciting, I was almost suspicious of how forward thinking the whole operation was.
Horst's philosophies made so much sense and at the time I very much needed an example of how the consumer landscape could change. After that I had my hair done there a few times, I have done several in-house product testing sessions and they have even sent products to my home for evaluation purposes. Horst became sort of an idea example in my mind, proving all the doubts in my head to be wrong. He was successful, he loved what he did, he never stopped evolving towards his best self! He lived the American dream, with a luxurious history in beauty and fashion, sold a company for $300 million, studied agriculture and started a farm. To say he is inspiring doesn't even cross the starting line of describing this man's impact.
Aveda was world's ahead of it's time and Intelligent Nutrients is an impeccable brand that has all the potential in the world to make people healthier through 'beauty products.'
Horst's philosophies made so much sense and at the time I very much needed an example of how the consumer landscape could change. After that I had my hair done there a few times, I have done several in-house product testing sessions and they have even sent products to my home for evaluation purposes. Horst became sort of an idea example in my mind, proving all the doubts in my head to be wrong. He was successful, he loved what he did, he never stopped evolving towards his best self! He lived the American dream, with a luxurious history in beauty and fashion, sold a company for $300 million, studied agriculture and started a farm. To say he is inspiring doesn't even cross the starting line of describing this man's impact.
Aveda was world's ahead of it's time and Intelligent Nutrients is an impeccable brand that has all the potential in the world to make people healthier through 'beauty products.'
“He saw himself as an environ_mentalist, and increasingly more so over time,” said his wife, Kiran Stordalen. “He saw the plight of the planet and the ongoing damage we’re incurring. He felt that very intensely, and saw that the way he could contribute to improving that was thinking about choices people were making from the consumer point of view — their purchasing power.”
Examples of my deep feelings for IN :)
I COULD NEVER express enough gratitude to Horst specifically but also people like Horst - the leaders and entrepreneurs that have made it possible for me, and my generation, to make healthier decisions than my parents had.
In a way it feels morbid to talk so much about a man's businesses after his passing but Horst's life was so integrated, his love for hair, beauty, health and the planet were the fibers that were woven together by his journey to make up his being. All of the times that I have interacted with Horst we were at the IN headquarters, a beauty sanctuary of a space. I can't imagine that heart break and emotional turmoil that Horst's family is feeling and the extended family that is surely the Intelligent Nutrients staff. I send positive vibes and light to those people during this difficult time.
It's amazing how many times a day I come into contact with a product that Horst is responsible for. I shower and I use an amazing shampoo thanks to him, I use a lipgloss that delivers antioxidants, thanks to Horst. I use a soothing lavender lotion because Horst had a vision for the beauty industry well before 'eco' was trending.
Horst will live on through his ventures, through all of the people he has inspired in his long life and through this message...
It's amazing how many times a day I come into contact with a product that Horst is responsible for. I shower and I use an amazing shampoo thanks to him, I use a lipgloss that delivers antioxidants, thanks to Horst. I use a soothing lavender lotion because Horst had a vision for the beauty industry well before 'eco' was trending.
Horst will live on through his ventures, through all of the people he has inspired in his long life and through this message...
So for the next week I will be doing daily posts dedicated to hair in Memory of Horst Rechelbacher, a man who will forever be an inspiration to me and I hope you too will take a piece of Horst with you.
xox, kp
xox, kp
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