HISTORY

Establishment of Takahashi Barber Shop

The late Takashi Takahashi, the founder of SOCIÉ WORLD, opened “Takahashi Barber Shop” in Tsuruma, Yamato City, Kanagawa Prefecture, at the age of 27 in 1960 after working at a barber shop attached to the Far East Command Center of the American military camp in Zama. The barber shop that provided authentic American customer service gained a reputation and opened a second shop 5 years later in 1965.

Advancement in the Hair Business

In 1970, “Takahashi Barber Shop” opened barber shops under the “Hair Salon World” brand and beauty salons under the “Fashion Hair World” brand. The following year, in 1971, it was incorporated as Takahashi Shoji Co., Ltd. By creating a manual for employee training and providing uniform, high-quality services not found in other companies in the industry, the company accelerated salon openings and expanded its business to 18 salons.

Entry to Esthetic Industry, Expansion of Business, and Opening of a Salon in Taiwan

With the corporate philosophy of “Creating total beauty as a comprehensive fashion leader,” SOCIÉ’s Esthetic business entered an era of significant expansion.
In 1981, the company’s first Esthetic salon, “SOCIÉ de Esthetic Ginza WORLD” opened on Namiki Dori in Ginza. In 1982, the name of the company changed to SOCIÉ WORLD Co., Ltd., and developed salons based on the revolutionary concept that “Hair, Esthetics, and Sports are Fashion.” Carefully selecting prestigious locations to open salons and the innovative design of salons with a hotel-like entrance, relaxation space, sauna, and private cabins, with an emphasis on privacy that continues to this day, attracted attention in the industry. SOCIÉ was one of the first to break away from the image of “Esthetics is hair removal” and established Japan’s first esthetician training school, “IBA,” in 1984.

In 1988, SOCIÉ signed a franchise contract with GUERLAIN, a long-established French luxury cosmetics brand, and opened “Esthetic Salon Guerlain Paris.” As for the Hair Division, SOCIÉ opened its first salon in partnership with the Parisian brand salon “Jacques Moisant” in 1985. With 110 salons in Japan, including 45 salons with both hair and esthetic facilities, the company’s growth strategy extended overseas. In 1987, Taiwan SOCIÉ Beauty WORLD Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary in Taiwan, was established and opened a salon in the Sogo Department Store in Taipei.

Era of Total Beauty for Mind and Body

In the 1990s, SOCIÉ aimed for an innovative salon style that embodied “total beauty for mind and body,” with a focus on hair, beauty, and sports businesses. In 1996, the first salon in Kansai (western Japan) with a new brand, “Le Grand SOCIÉ” opened in Imperial Hotel Osaka. In October of the same year, “Le Grand SOCIÉ Beauty Avenue” (currently Esthetics & Spa Beauty Avenue SOCIÉ) opened in Shinjuku Takashimaya. Then, in 1997, “Beauty Avenue SOCIÉ” opened in The Pan Pacific Hotel Yokohama (currently The Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu). SOCIÉ attracted attention as a complex that changed the history of esthetic salons. The salons, established in pursuit of a customer-oriented spirit, with multiple brands to choose from, depending on the goals and tastes, and straightforward pricing, became a turning point for SOCIÉ and the industry. In the 1990s, the company opened 61 salons in the Hair Division, 86 salons in the Esthetic Division, 18 studios in the Sports Division, and 5 salons in Taiwan. In 1997, the company changed the brand name to “Esthetic Salon SOCIÉ” from “SOCIÉ de Esthetic Ginza WORLD,” and “Fashion Hair WORLD” in the Hair Division was renamed to “Hair Salon SOCIÉ.” In addition, the company acquired and took the French partner brand, “Jacques Moisant Hair Salon Main Branch,” under its wing.

Development of Salons with New Concepts

Opened urban spa resort, “Esthetic & Spa Beauty Avenue SOCIÉ (HERBIS PLAZA ENT Branch) in 2004, and “Esthetic Resort SOCIÉ 245,” a salon on the highest floor level in Japan with a panoramic view on the 51st floor of JR Nagoya Takashimaya in 2006. As an integrated urban resort facility, an out-of-ordinary large space offers everything for beauty, health, relaxation, and a prestigious space for sophisticated women to experience “impressive esthetics.” It is an advanced salon that only SOCIÉ, which has done all for women, can create.

The founder, the late Takashi Takahashi’s achievements in developing esthetic salons through cosmetics partnerships with GUERLAIN (France), INSTITUT ESTHEDERM (France), and THALGO (France), as well as his involvement with hair designer Jacques Moisant were recognized and awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Services Nationales by the French government.

Era of Total Beauty Culmination

Celebrated 50th anniversary in 2010 and embarked on new challenges. Opened a new concept salon in the Kobe foreign settlement that combines esthetics and hair salons. Subsequently, opened hair salons and esthetic salons one after another in Ginza, where the high concentration of Japan’s top brands is. In 2012, opened “TOKIONE,” a spa salon for men and women in the basement of Tokyo Station Hotel. Also opened a new spa salon in “Kagaya Ryokan” in Taiwan as part of the new business and gained a higher reputation overseas.

Development of the Eye Beauty Division

Celebrated 55th anniversary in 2015, and acquired “Biz Glam Holdings Co., Ltd.,” which operates 2 eye beauty (beautifying eyebrows and eyelashes) brands, “Beauty Gene Professional” and “Silhouette” in the Kanto area, the Kinki area, and in Fukuoka. This new addition of eye beauty services to the existing hair, esthetics, sports, nails, and head spas brought the company closer to realizing the philosophy of total beauty. In 2016, the head office was relocated to 4-chome Yoyogi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo due to business expansion.

Pursuing Beauty and Health

Aiming to further improve the brand and corporate value as a leading company in the beauty industry based on SOCIÉ WORLD’s concept of “total beauty for mind and body.”