Gerda Spillmann

Gerda Spillmann (born October 15, 1920 in Volketswil ) is a Swiss entrepreneur. She is considered the grande dame of the Swiss cosmetics industry and a pioneer in moisturizing skin care cosmetics.

Life

Gerda Spillmann was born into a farming family. She lost her father in December 1934, who left a family of five. After graduating from business school, she decided to enter the cosmetics industry , not least because of her interest in the history of the ancient Egyptians and the beauty rituals of Nefertiti .

On July 12, 1944, Spillmann registered her sole proprietorship in the commercial register in Zurich . At the same time, she had a range of products that a chemist produced in his spare time in very small quantities according to her wishes. She initially sold her care products to customers' homes with the help of her siblings. Right from the start, their target customers were the upper class of the population. It was later sold through health food stores, drug stores, pharmacies and hairdressing salons.

In the 1950s and 1960s Gerda Spillmann held one-week training seminars in luxury Swiss hotels, each of which was attended by around 50 to 100 people. Spillmann later also sold its products specifically to Swissair hostesses.

In 1954 Gerda Spillmann launched a sunscreen that she named after meeting the Nepalese mountaineer " Sherpa " Tenzing Norgay , Sherpa Tensing . The sunscreen developed into a sales success and was marketed with a sales partner from 1968. Due to certain differences of opinion, Gerda Spillmann later parted completely with this product.

internationalization

From the early 1980s, the Gerda Spillmann brand became known internationally. Thanks to a family friend to whom Gerda Spillmann gave the rights to promote her brand internationally, the products were presented at various cosmetics fairs and shows in the United States. The products subject to, among other things to the attention of Hollywood - make-up artists on. This increased awareness of Gerda Spillmann and her products, especially among prominent personalities. Her clients include the make-up artists of Kate Beckinsale, George W. Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Winona Ryder, Barbra Streisand and Liz Taylor. It last expanded to China in 2005.

Gerda Spillmann never married. She managed her company personally until the age of 90 before she sold the company to Roland Landolf in 2010.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Sherpa Tensing, History ( Memento of the original from April 19, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  

Web links

• Website by Gerda Spillmann
• Interview in the Coop newspaper , pages 94–95, issue no. 30 of July 21, 2004
• Interview in the Coop newspaper, pages 42–47, issue no. 41 of October 12, 2010