The story behind Chicago Black hair innovator Luster Products: 'A beautiful testimony'

CHICAGO -- They say necessity is the mother of invention. And, in 1957, one Chicago barber took that adage to heart.

When Fred B. Luster was unable to find the necessary hair products to service his African American clients, a light bulb went off, and he decided he would make his own.

Fred Luster Sr. began selling his wares out of the trunk of his car, and Luster Products was born.

Their mainstay back in the day was "Luster's Style Cream," which was a men's straightening cream. During that time, many popular Black entertainers, like Sammy Davis Jr. and the Temptations, among others, wore their hair straight. So, when straight hair became the rage, Luster's Style Cream became Luster's big seller.

Today, the company continues to flourish, as one of Chicago's premier purveyors of hair care and beauty products specifically tailored for African American hair.

Luster Products remain a 100 percent Black, family-owned and operated business, and is proud of manufacturing products in the same city that started it all. Fred Luster's son, Jorie, runs the business, with many other family members contributing, including his daughter, Resa Luster, the marketing executive for the company.

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Resa Luster recalls stories of how her grandfather, Fred Luster, had his children, including her dad, Jorie Luster, working in the barber shop helping out when they were young. Jorie Luster recalled how excited his dad would get to sign off on a loan application so one of his employees could buy a home. Fred Luster couldn't be prouder that his company had grown into such a vital part of the community.

The Lusters reflect on the time the industry reflected a "standard of beauty that wasn't natural to us."

Resa Luster detailed how one of her professors said she couldn't go on a job interview with curly, natural hair. Jorie Luster proclaimed that one of his proudest moments in the business was "when the business transitioned to texture hair."

Currently, Luster Hair Care has 125 different products, all manufactured in Chicago, including shampoos, conditioners and natural products sold in about 70 countries around the world.

Jorie Luster passes around glowing letters from customers so his employees can feel the impact of their labor. After reading one from a woman who has been using Luster products since eighth grade, Jorie Luster said, "what a beautiful testimony for a company that does what we do!"

When your last name is Luster and there is a clamor for lustrous hair, making great hair products is your destiny.