The hair accessories category has long played the role of a silent supporting character in the fashion industry.

They are usually displayed in the corners of shopping malls, with low prices and ordinary materials, making it difficult to shake off the labels of "low added value" and "cheapness".

Moreover, the industry's habitual low-price competition has made plastic hair clips and hair ties costing just a few yuan the market mainstream, as if this track is destined to have nothing to do with high-end or branding.

However, the American DTC brand Emi Jay has broken this "low-price involution" situation, and with a plastic claw clip that costs only a few cents to make, has raised the selling price to $36 (about 258 RMB).

This pricing strategy, which breaks industry perceptions, has not become an obstacle but has instead propelled Emi Jay to break through the value system of the hair accessories category, growing into a dark horse in the track with annual revenues of tens of millions of dollars.

 

Image source:Emi Jay

The Entrepreneurial Miracle of a 14-Year-Old Girl

According to public information, in 2009, Julianne Goldmark, who was only 14 years old at the time, founded Emi Jay in Los Angeles, USA, establishing a brand focused on high-end hair accessories and lifestyle categories.

Initially, her target customers were her classmates. She brought her handmade hair ties to school and sold them during breaks, and unexpectedly, they were all sold out in less than five minutes.

Seeing her handmade hair ties so popular, Julianne immediately realized this was a great opportunity. She quickly registered an Instagram account and began showcasing and selling these hair accessories online.

As a result, by the second month, her monthly sales exceeded $20,000 (about 140,000 RMB).

 

Emi JayBrand Story Image source:Emi Jay

The real turning point for the brand came in 2012.

At that time, legendary hairstylist Chris McMillan styled actress Jennifer Aniston using an Emi Jay velvet hairband to tie a low ponytail.

The next day, Marie Claire magazine ran a full-page report on the event, not only praising the hairstyle for its "casual beauty," but also including a link to Emi Jay's official website in the article.

This exposure brought huge repercussions, and overnight, Emi Jay received 6 million orders, with the server almost crashing from the surge in traffic. Subsequently, famous American host Oprah Winfrey included the brand in her "favorite items" list, further boosting sales and brand influence.

Riding this momentum, Julianne officially rented her first office and began assembling a dedicated team, laying the foundation for the brand's scaled development.

 

Image source:Marie Claire

Breaking the Deadlock: The Double-Edged Sword of Quality Products + High-End Pricing

A deep dive into the fundamental reason for Emi Jay's brand breakthrough reveals that it is inseparable from products that meet user needs.

In an online interview, the Emi Jay brand stated that from conception to production, the brand always prioritizes quality, ease of use, and practicality. Because of this, their products are suitable for women of all ages, regardless of their hairstyle or hair texture.

Not only that, according to the official website, the brand's hair clips and hairpins are made from biodegradable cellulose acetate, and the products are also hand-assembled and sewn, which truly caters to Generation Z's focus on sustainability.

 

Image source:Emi Jay

In addition, the high-end positioning adopted by the Emi Jay brand is also a key factor in its rapid rise in such a traditional industry.

Since the brand's major turning point in 2012, Emi Jay has gradually bid farewell to the "student handmade price" positioning, shifted to the "designer accessories" route, and adjusted the main hair tie price range to $18–22.

With the popularity of the blockbuster product Big Effing Clip®, its regular version price was further raised to $36, while co-branded, limited, and custom engraved versions even reached $48–88.

With prices significantly higher than similar products on the market, Emi Jay successfully avoided low-price competition and established a clear positioning in the mid-to-high-end fast-moving hair accessories sector.

 

Image source:Emi Jay

Social Media Strategy: Dual Approach of Aesthetic Penetration and Celebrity Effect

In social media operations, Emi Jay chooses to promote across platforms through unified visual content, thereby strengthening its relaxed and elegant brand tone.

As of August 2025, Emi Jay's official TikTok account @emijayinc has gained 108,100 followers, focusing on "cute + trendy" women's beauty/accessories. Through four types of videos—tutorial, showcase, creative, and scenario-based content—it covers different user needs..

 

Image source:TikTok

Among these videos, tutorial content is especially popular..

Take for example the "viral hairdo" braid tutorial video they posted in March 2023..

This video uses an intuitive and clear teaching method to embed the product, making its practicality and aesthetics obvious at a glance.

After the video was released, it quickly spread online, ultimately garnering as many as 2.7 million views and attracting the attention and viewership of numerous users.

 

Image source:TikTok

In addition, Emi Jay also collaborates with TikTok influencers to promote products, leveraging their influence for publicity.

Take TikTok influencer Aubrey Lobban as an example. She is a beauty influencer with 13,800 followers, whose content mainly consists of beauty and styling tutorials paired with aesthetically pleasing results, which aligns well with the brand's tone.

In her collaboration video with Emi Jay, she demonstrated the product's strong hold and high durability through a real 13-hour usage scenario, effectively enhancing the product's credibility..

Ultimately, the video garnered 238,500 views, and the inquiry effect in the comments section was also very good, with many comments expressing interest in the product, such as "I need this hair clip right now!!" and "What size is this hair clip?"

 

Image source:TikTok

On Instagram, Emi Jay's official account @emijayinc has also accumulated nearly 260,000 followers.

The overall style of the homepage continues Instagram's unique soft aesthetics, mainly using low-saturation warm tones such as cream and Morandi pink, combined with natural light photography and delicately textured backgrounds to create an effortlessly refined atmosphere.

Content mainly revolves around product effects, innovative inspiration, and real shoots with celebrities. This approach of integrating the brand into various life scenarios not only maintains its image but also greatly helps attract target users.

 

Image source:Instagram

Channel Layout: Independent Site as the Core, Coordinated Online and Offline Development

As the main traffic base, Emi Jay has built a self-controlled user reach network on its independent site.

Emi Jay's independent site operation focuses not on simply selling goods, but on creating a brand space that customers truly like and are willing to visit often.

For example, they have set up a "LOOKBOOKS" section on their independent site, using models to showcase in various real-life scenarios to provide users with styling references.

This is a model known as "light private domain" operation. Unlike traditional private domain that relies on frequent 1-on-1 communication, it relies on good content, consistent style, and continuous value provision to make users come back to buy and interact on their own initiative.

 

Image source:Emi Jay independent site

As for offline channels, Emi Jay has now entered retail platforms such as Revolve, Free People, Urban Outfitters, and maintains unified pricing and product scarcity through limited SKU strategies. 

In 2025, Emi Jay officially entered the well-known beauty retail channel Sephora, further expanding high-end channels.Image source:forbes

 

Image source:forbes

Looking at the Overseas Expansion of Chinese Brands from Emi Jay

The success of the Emi Jay brand is backed by a precise brand-building strategy—

Through the close coordination of product, pricing, marketing, and channels, it has ultimately succeeded in carving out a high-end track in a traditional category.

For domestic brands intending to go overseas, if they want to take a personalized development route abroad, they might as well learn a thing or two from this.

Some may ask, is it still timely to go overseas now?

Of course! The overseas market is still vast and full of opportunities.

If domestic enterprises can master the overseas strategies introduced above, they will have a great chance to win a place in the global market!