The Art of Brushmaking with Altesse Studio’s Julia Tissot-Gaillard

by Victoria Vallecorse

Published 5 days ago

For 150 years, Altesse Studio has gone beyond the bristles, merging rare techniques with sustainable practices to become a leader in the haircare industry. So, what keeps the longstanding hairbrush brand relevant in a fast-changing world?

For Julia Tissot-Gaillard, sixth-generation brush maker and CEO, it’s a blend of honoring ancestral craftsmanship while embracing modern innovation–from the meticulous tufting techniques that distinguish their brushes to sustainable choices like upcycled wood and bio-sourced nylon.

But how does a classic brand stay relevant in today’s challenging beauty industry? Dive into this candid interview to learn about the journey, resilience, and bold ambitions that keep this heritage brand thriving in today’s beauty industry.

You’ve described brushmaking as an art form. What are the most intricate or challenging aspects of creating a brush that meets Altesse’s standards?

The crucial elements to manufacture a high-performing boar bristle brush are investing in the rarest, highest quality bristles AND inserting them with precision to create the perfect tufts that both penetrate through the hair and massage the scalp.

What are some of the rare techniques or materials that Altesse Studio uses, and why are they important?

The tufting technique is key. This entails creating a tuft with a specific diameter (a specific number of bristles) and setting them at certain lengths, which depends on the intended use and hair type. A high quality, 100% boar bristle brush will massage the scalp to stimulate blood circulation and promote hair growth, as well as grasp the natural oils present on your scalp (sebum) and distribute it along the length of hair to deliver natural nourishment, protection, and shine. Our unique and innovative bio-sourced nylon bristle brushes will detangle hair very delicately, but effectively, without pulling or breaking the hair.

What role does sustainability play?

A very big role! We use upcycled or certified woods for our hand shaped brush handles and collect any resulting wood shavings to give to local farmers. Boar bristles are inherently an upcycled material, our nylon bristles are bio-sourced and our packaging is made with recycled materials, which is intended to be kept and reused.

How does Altesse Studio incorporate traditional French techniques?

We utilize our ancestral know-how to ensure the continuation of meaningful and useful products, while applying the learnings of almost 150 years of brush-making to design beautiful performance-driven brushes.

The Beauté collection by Altesse Studio has captivated many with its elegance and effectiveness. What inspired the creation of this collection?

With Covid came an increased interest in health and hair care, and we decided to develop what would be the best hair brushes in the world according to our ancestral brush-maker’s criteria.

We performed dozens of tests, a consumer study, and pushed our design and manufacturing knowledge to the limit to ensure we delivered the best performing products. This is why we selected wood with a natural finish, which limits static, we worked extensively on the design to ensure a good grip and pressure when brushing.

We worked on our tufting technique to ensure 100% boar bristle brushes were effective even for thicker hair, because boar bristles are the best fiber/way to ensure maximum benefits to hair. And we’ve sourced an innovative bio-sourced nylon to allow magical detangling to avoid hair breakage.

Can you walk us through the experience of using an Altesse Studio brush from the Beauté collection? What should someone expect when they first use one?

What people notice first is that they don’t lose as much hair as they’re used to! And, if they apply the famous 100-stroke method daily, they will notice after 3 to 4 weeks, a better distribution of natural oils, resulting in more shine, less frizz, softer hair, a significant reduction in hair breakage and hair loss.

Not to mention, you’ll notice less oily roots allowing for more time in between washes. However, and this is the proof the routine is being effective, they will experience greasier hair for 1 to 2 weeks from starting their routine, which is the transition period.

With a legacy spanning nearly 150 years, how has the brand remained relevant across changing trends, styles, and customer expectations?

By always offering high-quality products and by adapting to consumer trends. For example, we developed high-quality beard and mustache brushes when this became a popular trend. With wellness becoming increasingly more important in recent years, our Altesse Studio products have been developed with scalp and hair health in mind.

What inspires you personally to continue the family legacy and bring new energy to the brand? Are there moments or memories that stand out?

To perpetuate our ancestral know-how to create beautiful, long-lasting and useful products! [A standout moment was] when we finally broke-even, 3 years after my arrival (as my mission was to either close the company or bring it back to life). Also, next year, we’ll turn 150 years old and we’ll have the financial resources to celebrate it properly and invite, for the first time, our employees and their spouses and children to an offsite event.

Looking forward, what are your hopes for Altesse Studio? Are there any future projects or innovations in hair care you’re particularly excited about?

My dream is that Altesse Studio becomes the undisputed world leader of high-quality and high-performing hairbrushes and that everybody knows how powerful a hairbrush can be when manufactured the right way. 2025 will be busy with limited editions and collaborations developed with artists, an innovative body brush developed with certified therapists, and a vintage collection referring to our 1875 creation.