From fresh-faced graduate to fashion guru and now CEO of an ‘unstoppable’ hair product: Aldo Miccio on KELA Hair

For centuries, people have styled their hair with accessories: be it flowers or beads, braids or pins, it’s all been done. But, there’s always been one common problem, they’ve always slipped out.

What if, somebody said they had, for the first time ever, created a hair accessory that is physically impossible to slip out?

KELA hair charms have done exactly that.

From a degree in Management Science and Business Administration to the youngest Mayor of Nelson City (New Zealand), and now the CEO of a disruptive, ‘unstoppable’ hair styling embellishment, Aldo Miccio reveals how KELA hair charms are changing the way the beauty industry game is played.

Aldo Said: “KELA is an innovation in hair and beauty, you are able to style hair in ways that was never before possible but, for the first time ever you’re able to put products into your hair that won’t slip out or loosen.”

Beginning his career in the fashion industry 25 years ago, when grilling Aldo on the Kela product and business model, he explained that Kela was a result of 25 years of learning:

“I had to do a crash course in fashion when I first started out as a graduate, I’d had no experience in fashion whatsoever… I remember doing a test and the hardest part was to try tell the difference between a knit and a weave, I failed, badly,” Aldo joked.

But Aldo’s career in fashion was only just beginning. Fast-forward to 20 years later, Aldo is an expert in the licensing game. He has worked alongside multiple big name brands, to name a few, the Sydney Olympics, Disney, Warner Brothers and Hello Kitty – all of which are opportunities to be licensed by Kela to produce varying designs of charms and chains.

He says: “I knew the licensing game really well, the sales game and the fashion game – I said yes to every opportunity where I would learn and where Kela is now, is a result of my experience and openness to try new things, failure was integral to this learning.”

With a background in collectables and the self-proclaimed brain behind the original name branded mugs and socks, Aldo won an award for international product development.

After being poached by numerous clothing companies across Australia, Aldo was approached by Kelly Litterick, the inventor of KELA technology.

Aldo says: “She was from Perth, flew over to come and see me on a recommendation and I saw the product and I just went ‘oh my god’ because the product is targeted for everyone.

“I thought wow this is going to be fun, it’s a brand new product in a brand new category that’s never been done before and it covers a lot of spectrums in business in terms of taking a product to market.”

Why is KELA so different to other hair accessories? The technology. It is a patented non-slip grip mechanism made up of a clasp and silicon. Inside the clasp is patented technology and silicon. The silicon interacts with the device and the shape of the silicon allows the hair to stick to it to create a non-slip device.

As a brand new category in the jewellery market, Aldo saw the opportunity to take KELA to the global market and dominate a space that no one else is operating in.

He says: “In terms of the product development side of it, the patenting, the trademarking, all the different business processes have all come together and taken this product to be the global monster we want it to be.”

Born just over a year ago, KELA continues to grow from strength to strength. In a market that is predicted to reach 265 billion by 2017, the opportunities for KELA are endless.

KELA in one word? ‘Unstoppable’. It’s not just the persona of the KELA girl who’s unstoppable but the brand itself will not be slowing down anytime soon.

Aldo says: “Stylists are going crazy for it.

“You cannot name a single stylist or superstar in Australia or the UK who is not on our list of potential ambassadors – we had great success in the TV show the Bachelor just recently, where we got some of the contestants to wear Kela.”

Worn by Kelly Rowland and Alicia Keys, Kela is going from strength to strength in the influencer marketing space.

Aldo explains that KELA has in the past, had to turn down many stylist requests: “Since January we have had to make up excuses as to why we can’t supply stylists with our products because the distribution simply hasn’t been ready to go.”

But now, KELA is more than ready, with their UK launch on the cards in just 4 weeks time, KELA has perfected its retail proposition and is ready to take their products global and sell their propositions to distributors.

KELA have taken a very broad approach to their sales strategy, with their products listed on, eBay, Amazon, Etsy and the KELA website. Trialling new sales and marketing strategies have also helped to build brand awareness.

Family man Aldo, said: “My youngest daughter and her football team wore KELA Clipcharms to her football game at the grand final.

“The girls went crazy, they took the products home for their families.”

The KELA brand represents a charm that you can have for life. With ranges aimed at 3-6 years, a teenage range, adult fashion range and a KELA X range, the product targets all markets in the space. KELA X, a joint venture with Harry Georje, the first and only Australian to win the De Beers International Diamond Jewellery Design Awards.

The success behind KELA? Working with good people who all love the product and want to be involved all the time.

Find out more about Kela’s investment offering, and be part of something special, unstoppable and beautiful today.

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