In 1992 Anisa Telwar-Kaicker founded her eponymous brush company is true startup fashion, with scant entrepreneurial experience and a hunch that there was whitespace in the makeup artistry tool market.
“It was a very humble startup 25 years ago as I was not formally trained to build a business,” affirms Kaicker in a media release about the company’s 25th anniversary. “With the assistance and shared opportunities of my peers within the industry,” she continues, “I learned a way to grow this global organization that I truly take pride in.”
“It is the friendships and partnerships I have garnered over the years that have given my company the support and encouragement to keep going,” emphasizes Kaicker.
Gearing up
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company is now well known not only for the artistry tools it produces but also for its cosmetic brush design services, socially responsible manufacturing, and marketing support. In fact, Anisa International strives to “ensure creation of the best cosmetic brushes and beauty accessories on the market today,” according to the release.
Cosmetics Design checked in with Kaicker and her team at Anisa International a couple of years back to find out how the beauty business has changed over the years. “One thing that I see changing is that women are more aware that having the right tool is going to make a real impact,” she told Cosmetics Design at the 2015 edition of MakeUp In New York.
“However, there is a lot more work that needs to be done with women truly being educated on what they are putting on their skin when it comes to a brush. Fibers are so varied, both natural and synthetic – and women are getting more curious about who is creating the products that impact their everyday look,” Kaicker told this publication (foreshadowing the coming age of supply chain transparency).
Full speed ahead
Ten years or so after founding Anisa International, Kaicker began deliberately repositioning the business to focus on design and production rather than on only the marketing and distribution of brushes. It was around that time she opened a facility in Tianjin, China. It was here, at a “state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” the media release notes, where “the company honed its expertise and skilled hand-craftsmanship in cosmetic brushes while establishing key partnerships with some of the biggest names in the beauty world.” And in 2014, Anisa International opened a studio here in New York.
Most recently, Anisa International has endeavored to end the beauty brush industry’s use of animal hair—squirrel, goat, pony, etc. The company’s portfolio of The New Naturals, comprises a collection of man-made, patent pending fibers that do more than replicate animal fiber, that are meant to deliver the next generation of performance. The company is also innovating tool storage and brush cleaning technologies.
For Kaicker and her global brush firm, it’s onward and upward. According to the anniversary media release, “the company is excited for the future and will continue to provide solutions in the ever-evolving beauty space.”