Where wisdom meets functionality and Greek elements go international. This is where the male grooming products, Hommer, can be found. Their name is a play on words of the French homme (=man) and the ancient Greek poet Homer. Minos Zarifopoulos and his team are behind the first male grooming product series and know better than anyone, that beards is a man thing and that they deserves the best treatment.
*Interview by Yorgos Kelefis
#1. How did the idea for HOMMER come about?
The idea came about at a moment of inspiration after closely observing the global cosmetic market and noticing that there was no Greek counterproposal. Men’s beards are historically and politically connected to Greece (ep. ancient Greek philosophers, the Greek Gods of Olympus) The fact that maintaining a beard is very common, not only in Greece but internationally as well, prompted us to research and eventually create the first Greek line of beard grooming products, made of high quality, natural ingredients. The chemist we collaborate with has over 20 years of experience on natural cosmetics, and this collaboration was essential in creating innovative products based on hemp oil and to achieve an almost 100% natural product (our products are 96,5% natural).
#2. How do you respond to the negative critics who insist that maintaining a beard is a fleeting trend?
Fashion is a way of expressing oneself. And indeed all trends do eventually come to pass. The life span of each trend highly depends on how successful it is in expressing the people who follow it. In our case, we see a long-lasting trend which is being reinforced but all the traditional barber-shops that are opening up in various neighborhoods worldwide. Men are returning to places that are specifically designed to serve their grooming needs. Men aren’t embarrassed of grooming and there’s a certain nostalgia surrounding that. Critics of beard-grooming are simply refusing to accept beard-grooming as a core part of masculinity. Throughout history, well-kept beards have been a symbol of wisdom and prestige. Various researches can easily silence the critics, by showing how men with well-kept beards have excelled in various professional areas.
#3. Where can your products be found?
We collaborate with many barber-shops and shops that sell cosmetics. Our products can also be ordered on-line from our e-shop. On our webpage there is a list (which is constantly updated) of vendors that sell our products, in Greece and abroad.
#4. What are your dreams for HOMMER?
The HOMMER brand was created as a Greek product for the international cosmetic market. The brand’s name is a combination of HOMER (the name of the Greek philosopher which is also one of the 10 most popular make names in the world) and HOMME (which means ‘man’ in French and is a commonly used in the field of cosmetics). Our goal is to develop an entire line of cosmetics for men which will be used globally and preferred for their perfect balance of effectiveness, naturalness, aesthetics and uniqueness.
