New York, 1977 – The underground and punk scene is booming with future icons, trendsetters and a lifestyle that would live on for the foreseeable future. Within this crowd of expressive fanatics are the Bellomo sisters, Tish and Snooky, also known as The High Priestesses of Punk! America’s darlings of creative hair colour are soon to become the pioneers of the extreme aesthetic that is bold and vibrant hair colours.
Whilst the sisters perform in bands such as the original Blondie line-up rocking their own organic outgoing aesthetic, they notice an unmissable gap within the culture and scene that they know and love so much. “Back in 1977, there were no beauty brands that catered to the creative, rebellious underground artists like us.” Tish and Snooky Bellomo.
With that America’s first Punk boutique, Manic Panic was born. Tish and Snooky Bellomo had created a space where artists could transform and create aesthetics that would enable them to be the boldest and most emphasised versions of themselves.
Over time, the underground music scene within NYC grew and artists were beginning to perform internationally. Before they knew it, the word of the new Manic Panic hair colours travelled globally and the brand began its reign as the world’s creative colour leader.
Just as many trends change and develop throughout the years, Manic Panic has, with great power, continued its lead in the creative hair colour industry for almost 45 years. The brand provides excitement and fresh starts to an extremely wide audience full of creatives that appreciate individuality and high-quality products. Tish and Snooky continue to live their punk rock lifestyles through their creative brand, but the colours have also grabbed the attention of some of the world's A-List celebrities with the likes of Rihanna, Lady Gaga, ‘Lil Kim, Kylie Jenner and more all seen using Manic Panic colours.
As a brand, Manic Panic stands for something more important than just hair colour. The year 1977 unravelled a true passion for Manic Panic founders, Tish and Snooky which has only enhanced and grown over the past years. As an independently women-owned business, the sisters have lived, loved and self-promoted their brand ever since its creation to spread their diverse message of self-expression and self-belief. The idea of taking a step back to really look at the person you are becoming and who you want to be can be a terrifying experience, and whether or not a vibrant hair look is for you – we urge you to explore and experiment with the person you are today to become the person you hope to be tomorrow.
For almost 45 years, Manic Panic has never stopped becoming the brand Tish and Snooky had always wished for. A brand that has worked hard to empower others through their own self-expression, has always given back to those who truly need it, has been mindful of its products and has stayed true to the punk rock heart within Manic Panic, born in 1977.