Spending time with Marina Bolin from men’s grooming design house Bolin Webb you quickly become aware of where the force and drive behind this brand comes from. Utterly professional, Marina has a passion and enthusiasm for her craft that is palpable. This is, perhaps, hardly surprising given the success of her ultra-contemporary razors, which are now on sale across Europe, North America and Asia in some of the most exclusive shopping destinations around (think Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and the Conran Shop in the UK and Nordstrom and the Museum of Modern Art, Chicago in the US, for example).
The concept for Bolin Webb’s original product, the R1 razor, came about on holiday in Switzerland, where Marina’s husband and business partner, Derrick, “looked at his old [Gillette] Mach 3 and realised there must be a better design for a razor”.
But rather than try to enter the market for the full package, which the super-brands such as Gillette really have sewn up through huge economies of scale and worldwide distribution agreements, Marina and Derrick instead decided to focus on the aesthetics and design of the razor handle. “Bolin Webb took on the challenge to bring more design inspiration into the shaving experience”, explains Marina, “our razors show spirit – curve, balance, movement – which look and feel great”.
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| The Bolin Webb R1 |
Marina claims that she and Derrick are jointly the creative and business minds behind the brand. However, Marina admits that “we each have different strengths. I am the main contact for new business and customers, while Derrick works with product design and development, and the supply chain”.
It is clear that this works well for the duo. The R1 is sleek and holds beautifully in hand. Made in the UK from automotive paint and lacquered metal with a bacteria-resistant rubber base, this really is the Porsche 911 of the razor-world. And the design is key for Marina, “design is substance. Ergonomics, robust materials and quality finish all add to the enjoyment of seeing and using the product".
And the reaction to the R1, and its younger brother the X1 (designed to fit a Gillette Fusion Blade), has so far only been positive. Asking if Bolin Webb has had to adapt to different grooming habits across the world, Marina said that “every man has his own preference for grooming: blade, frequency of shave, style etc. We cannot say that one culture has one pattern. There is so much variety and this is what allows Bolin Webb to succeed in so many countries”.
Continued growth and international exposure are certainly top of the Bolin Webb agenda going forward. Marina cites the launch of the X1 and its striking stand in 2013 as just a taste of things to come. “We are to launch a range of grooming care products in 2014, which will provide our customers with a complete shaving experience from Bolin Webb".
I’m certainly looking forward to testing those out in the near future!
