GHDs - the fightback?

I may have mentioned it before, but I have curly hair, and I'm not a big fan of it. You might also remember that recently, I was sent a pair of Cloud 9 straighteners to put through their paces, and I loved them.

Well, just last week, I was invited along to a GHD event with the incomparably lovely DINKY London (and if you haven't seen her new blog yet, please do go and take a look, it's lovely), to celebrate the launch of their new "Precious" straighteners. I had a great time, we got to go backstage and see the models prepare, get their make up and hair done, have a cocktail or two, meet Paul Merrit (from Channel 4's The Salon, a few years ago) and have a great chat with Nicola, who is GHD's brand manager.  GHD certainly put a lot of effort into their events, and this is one I was glad to go to. 

I did, of course, ask Nicola the Cloud 9 question, which is - basically - are they worried about the original creators of their own brand trying to do it again with a new product launch? I got the impression from Nicola's reply that they aren't, in all honesty, that worried, as you can't mention Cloud Nine at the moment without also mentioning GHD (certainly something I was guilty of in my review - and Cloud Nine themselves even mention GHD on the box!), GHD have a brand reach, and a brand loyalty that's second to none, and it's not difficult to see why - simply put, GHDs work.  They took a lot of the back breaking work out of doing hair at home, and for that - as a former curly girl - I shall be eternally grateful to them.

But, does that mean that GHD should rest on their laurels?  The (single) thing I was disappointed about at this product launch was that these "new" GHDs aren't that new at all as far as I can see, they're the same as the last set they released, but they have a pretty baroque pattern on them.  I'm not, entirely, seeing a whole lot of innovation in that, to be honest.  Limited editions are all well and good, especially when they're as pretty as this, but ... will a pretty pattern be enough to stave off good competition?  Do we women buy replacement goods simply because the latest incarnation looks prettier than the last, or do we need things to work as well?

Incidentally, I was interviewed for Fashion TV at this event (and I NEVER, EVER want to see that footage, thank you, it's the most embarrassed I've been since I was a Club 1830 rep and once lost the ability to sit down after a night on the tequila in a very long time) and I was asked what my readers* would think of the new GHDs, so I said I'd ask you guys. What do you think?

*I was slightly amused at this, because I still think that the only people reading this blog are my mum, MrLippie, MrLippie's aunty, and the 15 or so lovely ladies who've volunteered for my makeovers - and I wouldn't dream of answering anything on behalf of any of them!