Rohan Widdison has certainly made his mark on the Australian beauty industry. Following on from his mother Helene’s legacy as Director at the esteemed Helene Abicair Beauty College in Melbourne, Rohan is also a groundbreaking innovator for organic cosmetics and skincare in Australia with the 2005 launch of NVEY ECO. NVEY ECO was the first Australian brand to be 100% Natrue (European standard) and NSF (US) Organic Certified.
NVEY Eco is a leader in the international make up market (it rose to number two organic makeup brand in France within the first year) yet it is manufactured right here in Melbourne. We love a home-grown beauty!
Here at Onya we are thrilled to introduce our first ‘King’ into the Beauty Queens of Australia segment, Rohan Widdison.
Your mother, Helene Abicair, created her Beauty Therapy College in 1958, when did you start taking an active interest in the business and what drew you in?
In 1987, while studying at Melbourne University I stepped in to help part time and just fell in love with the industry, the very fluid and free flowing dynamic nature of the beauty sector, and possibilities of what could be. In some ways it’s a second generation view, and the amazing foundations Helene laid, and the insights I gained from working closely with her really crystallised my passion for the business.
How do you find being a male Beauty College owner in a largely female dominated industry?
I find the atmosphere very vibrant and engaging with a skilled and passionate team of educators. I grew up in this atmosphere so it’s very second nature to me. There are definitely times when I look at things from a male perspective, which I think enriches the overall experience of our staff and students. What I bring to the table is 25 years of experience in education in the beauty sector but also a point of view as a formulator with NVEY ECO Cosmetics, which I see as just another contribution to the richness of our student’s experience.
I visited Helene Abicair and it was clear to see it has a fantastic ambience – every student seemed genuinely happy. What do you think sets Helene Abicair apart from some of the other established Beauty Colleges in Australia?
There has always been a consistent comment from students that we are very friendly and caring, which to myself has always been the most basic and fundamental approach you should take. However, this is possibly one of the keys to our success, that we treat our students as clients and deliver what we would expect such as small class sizes, a professional atmosphere, great detail in the courses, and a commitment to individual’s career goals.
Where do you see Helene Abicair heading in the future?
In the past two years we have really raised the bar in beauty education and what students should expect, very much refocusing the college as an elite specialist college, enabling our students to access Vet FEE-HELP, and specialising in the Diploma of Beauty Therapy. This year the college went wireless for student communication and information access and added digital elements to the learning experience – this will form the base for the future where we see the learning experience being developed towards to the future students perspective of learning.
You’ve also created the very successful and groundbreaking NVEY ECO makeup and skincare range; what inspired you to do this?
I grew up with an amazing mother who took a holistic approach to wellbeing, so to myself this was a natural extension to create a cosmetic range that could reflect the needs and loves of what I was so privileged to experience.
Here at Onya, we love that you’re not only Australian owned, but also made right here in Melbourne; why did you chose this for your business?
This was a passion project that I started seven years ago, to create a certified organic makeup range, and then it took on its own personality and ran from there. Back in 2005 organic makeup was unheard of, and we created the world’s first organic pressed powder. Now we are sold in over 30 countries, have an amazing production team, and are about to do rollout with a national retailer in the USA.
What advice do you have for other Australian entrepreneurs who wish to succeed in the beauty industry?
Be passionate about what you are doing. If you do it purely for money I think the game is over before you start – you have to be in love with your project. You definitely need to have a plan, finance and structure in place, but if your customers know you love what you do, sell or represent, you’re half way to achieving your goals. Then the money flows!
