Today at Davroe HQ we are celebrating 38 years of Dresslier owner/director/girl boss, Mary Centofanti.
Mary began her career at Dresslier at the tender age of 15, working her way through the ranks until 2007, when Mary and her husband, John Centofanti, purchased the then struggling business.
It took years of hard work for Mary and John to reach their vision, transforming Dresslier into what it is today; Australia’s leading hair care manufacturer
Dresslier has its own long, rich history in hair care, but today, we sat down with Mary to look back on her 38 years at Dresslier.
Wow, Mary – 38 years! How does it feel?
It feels good to have so much experience here, but it’s easy to lose sight of just how long that is! Sometimes I think, wow, I’ve been at Dresslier for longer than some of my staff have been alive, that’s amazing!
Speaking of 38 years, you must have seen some pretty crazy hair trends come and go, as well as different products going in and out of fashion. What product do you think has stood the test of time?
LOL, some good and some bad!! Yes, we’re always seeing trends come and go, especially now with social media, hair can change so quickly. Regarding products, it really is about understanding hair and what products will help you achieve the look you want. Ultimately, hair needs to be healthy, so the introduction of thermal sprays was a big game changer, it should be a staple for everyone who uses a blow dryer and hot tools.
How did you feel about Davroe venturing internationally?
We’ve always focused on growing Davroe here in Australia, but taking it to the world has always been in the bigger picture, and huge goal in terms of growing Davroe.
How does it feel to see Davroe represented all across Europe and the US?
It’s very exciting, manufacturing here is South Australia and distributing world-wide is something I am extremely excited about and proud of.
What was your biggest ‘pinch me’ moment?
There are so many! Walking down the street and seeing Davroe in salon windows, receiving emails from people saying how much they love Davroe and how much difference it’s made for them, watching our Davroe teams backstage at Fashion week, receiving emails from potential distributors overseas saying they have heard great things about Davroe and that they need to stock it.
What is your first memory of a Davroe product?
Davroe is over 30 years old, so my very first memories are of Davroe Treat Shampoo and Rinse Conditioner, neither of these are still part of our range, but some other products that were formulated all those years ago still are, like our fabulous Tame Detangler, Formation and Replenish.
What is your first memory of bringing family in to the business?
My family have always supported me through the journey, and are such an important part of my life; having family in the business takes it to the next level, (laughing).
As a growing company, staff is everything! We’ve recently started thinking about the future of Dresslier and its succession; there are amazing opportunities for all our staff, including the many family members we employ.
Both my children, Sophia and Michael, have literally grown up in the business, I would bring them into the office with me from a very young age. Together with nieces, nephews, a brother in law and my sister, they are now part of our Davroe family, and learning different parts of the business.
What is your favourite Davroe product and why?
Well, most of you would know that Ends Repair and Rebuilder are my favourite products, but I have to tell you, Fortitude Elixir is definitely now a must have my mine. Try it; you will thank me for it!
When you launched CURLiCUE late last year, you sold out within the first 48 hours! How did that feel?
Amazing!! But frustrating at the same time, I hate being out of stock of products and not being able to supply everyone interested. But we are back on track and able to get all our curlicue goodness out there.
Daily Naturals has just undertaken a complete rebrand, how does it feel to see one of the brands that you founded go through this new look?
I love this, it’s been 2 years in the making and I’m very excited to see where this brand goes. It was important that we get fresh eyes on it, so we gave Sophia and Anna-Maria the opportunity to undertake this massive task. There were many months of brain storming, mood boards, ideas, ups and downs, packaging, artwork; it’s an exciting time for Daily Naturals and I’m happy to say that the new branding will hit the market on June 1st.
Any exciting news you can tell us about?
Dresslier continues to grow and go from strength to strength, between Davroe, Daily Naturals and our Private label growing, there are so many exciting things happening, keep watching this space.
If you had to describe your time at Dresslier in only three words, what would they be?
Endurance
Driven
Thankful
Mary Centofanti
We’d like to take this time to say thank you to Mary for all that she’s done over the years, not just for the company, but also for her staff. We can’t wait to see where she leads us next!
