Brands
Colour me record L’oréal inks Guinness title with 422 stylists in action
MUMBAI: When 422 hairdressers pick up their brushes in unison, history gets a new shade. On 17 September 2025, L’Oréal Professionnel turned Mumbai’s NESCO into the nation’s largest ever salon, setting a Guinness World Records title for ‘Most people colouring hair’ in one go.
The grand spectacle, dubbed Hair Color Coders 2025, saw 422 hairstylists and 422 models take over a 1 lakh sq ft space, powered by 60 backwashes and more than 5,000 tubes of colour. The palette of the day? Iconic Browns, the brand’s colour trend of the year versatile tones designed to capture India’s evolving love affair with understated glamour.
But this was more than just a numbers game. With L’Oréal Professionnel Artistic Ambassadors and Indian Hairdressing Award winners leading the charge, the event spotlighted the rise of the hairdresser-as-creator. Stylists weren’t just colouring hair they were shaping digital stories, creating over 1,000 social mentions in a single day, and claiming their place as influencers in India’s booming beauty ecosystem.
“What we achieved today showcases our ability to set global benchmarks,” said Zeenia Bastani, Director, Professional Products Division, L’Oréal India. “From Min Kim’s mega masterclass to 422 Iconic Brown makeovers under one roof, it was a celebration of artistry, entrepreneurship, and an overwhelming love for hairdressing.”
The day was anchored by Min Kim, L’Oréal Professionnel’s Global Color Ambassador, who demonstrated cutting-edge techniques like face-framing and tonal layering. To prove the power of browns, she delivered a live makeover for actress Kritika Kamra, transforming her locks into a glossy, dimensional brunette showstopper that set Instagram buzzing.
Mathilde Barthélemy-Vigier, General Manager, L’Oréal Professionnel India, called the event a “pivotal step for the professional hairdressing industry”. She underlined how premium salon services like hair colour are now driving unprecedented growth, with salons morphing into destinations for personalised, elevated experiences.
The record-breaking showcase was the culmination of four intensive pre-event masterclasses where hairdressers were trained in not just cut, colour and style but also social savviness ensuring their artistry resonates both in salons and online feeds. “Education has been the backbone of our brand,” said Priya Kasthuri Rangan, Head of Education, L’Oréal Professionnel India. “Hair Color Coders wasn’t only about setting a record, it was about equipping stylists with the skills and confidence to shine as creators.”
For the hairstylists, the event was both a celebration and a career-defining stage. Glossing, balayage, and gloss-layering techniques were redefined at scale, proving that Indian hairdressing can match and even set global trends.
As Min Kim summed it up: “This moment reflects the power of sharing knowledge and elevating hair artistry internationally. Browns are being reimagined globally and India just coloured itself onto that map in a record-setting way.”
From 5,000 tubes of Inoa, Majirel and Dia Color to 422 synchronised transformations, Hair Color Coders 2025 wasn’t just about dyeing hair, it was about dyeing history.
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
