Mehron’s roots in the beauty industry run deep and wide. The first seeds of the brand were sown back in 1927. Mehron Melik, the son of Armenian immigrants, had been working as a fur salesman. In order to look his best on sales calls, he had his suits
custom-made by a tailor to the stars. During one of his fittings, he was introduced to the owners of a cosmetic company called Plucker & Ahrens, Inc. The company created grease paints, powders and rouges for theatre and “moving pictures.” Intrigued with the possibilities the cosmetic industry offered, Mr. Melik purchased the company in 1927 and renamed it Mehron.
Mehron set up shop in the heart of New York’s theatre district at 1673 Broadway. With the space’s close proximity to shows, Mr. Melik would send “Mehron Ladies” to visit actors and dancers backstage in order to introduce them to his products. He soon
opened boutiques on Fifth Avenue and Broadway. Mehron quickly became the exclusive makeup brand among performers and celebrities. The company also began to private label some of its products: Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and Max Factor
were among the company’s best customers.
Mehron concentrated on developing incredible products that catered to the specific needs of vaudeville, theatre, burlesque, opera, ballet and movie performers. In the 1950’s, Mehron patented and trademarked the first >> Get the Fall 2017 issue to catch the rest of Mehron’s inspiring 90 years in the industry