How Aspasie combines art+science
Matching a color swatch is like creating a fine perfume or a vintage wine—it takes skill, instinct and years of experience. When you own a professional hair color brand, placing a luxurious swatch book into colorists’ hands tells your story with impact. So, where do you turn?
With more than 50 years of delighting customers, Aspasie combines attention to detail, creativity, proximity, and the expertise of a passionate team. Renowned for its leading hair color marketing tools, including swatchbooks, rings, charts and promotional materials, Aspasie is a multi-generational female-founded and family-owned company that recently passed the torch to the next generation. Beauty Industry Report had the pleasure of meeting their team last year, and was intrigued with their vision and story. We are delighted to share our conversation with our readers.
BIR: Welcome, Friends! Many of our readers know your work but might not know your story. Tell us about Aspasie’s origins.
Nicole Gélinas (chairperson & co-founder): Absolutely. Aspasie was founded in 1971 in St-Barnabé Nord near Trois-Rivières in Québec. Back then, it was rare to see women leading manufacturing businesses—especially in beauty.
My husband, Gaston, and I started the company with a passion for the hair salon industry and creating the best hair color marketing tools. Over the decades, the company evolved into a family legacy. Recently, we passed the reins to our sons—Maxim, who is our CEO; Antoine, our general manager; and David, who focuses on other businesses. Their leadership allows me to focus on philanthropy, knowing the company is in strong hands.
BIR: The name Aspasie is unique. Where does it come from?
Nicole: Aspasie was an influential intellectual woman in ancient Greece—respected for her eloquence and boldness. I chose her name because she represented everything I wanted this company to be: brave, intelligent and visionary. That same spirit still defines us today.
BIR: Your products are used by some of the most-respected brands in professional hair color—how did that come about?
Maxim Gélinas: We’ve always been laser-focused on quality, customization and customer experience. Over the years, we’ve worked with brands like Wella, Goldwell, Aveda, Pravana, Matrix, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Joico, L’Oréal Professionnel, Aloxxi, Sally Beauty and many more.
Whether it’s a global launch, a brand refresh or a promotional campaign, our goal is always to deliver color tools—swatchbooks, rings, charts, promotional materials—that truly represent the artistry and the uniqueness of the brand and that are well adapted to the point-of-sale needs.
BIR: You manufacture everything in-house?
Antoine: Yes, our entire operation—from design to final assembly—happens under one roof in Trois-Rivières. That gives us total control over quality and timelines. It also means our clients get to work with a real team, not a supply chain. From client services, to design, hair swatch color matching, prototyping, printing, production, assembly and shipping, we do it all in-house.
Sometimes we enlist the help of our sister companies: Concept POS, when a merchandising system unit is needed, or Aspasie IML, when plastic injection molding and printing are requested. Our factory and warehouse employees work four-day weeks, which not only boosts productivity but gives them time to recharge and enjoy family life. That balance is really important to us.
BIR: You emphasize collaboration and innovation. What’s new on that front?
Antoine: We’ve launched a research initiative focused on how swatchbooks are used in real salon environments, from client consultation to formulation. The findings will help us identify opportunities for new tools that better support colorists. We’re inviting stylists, educators and brand teams worldwide to provide feedback at: https://bit.ly/4l83u0Z
BIR: Are clients invited to visit your facility?
Maxim: Definitely. There’s something magical about experiencing hands-on how a swatchbook comes to life, from an extremely thin, colorless hair strand to a custom hair swatch, to the design, printing and assembly process. They get to see and touch it all. We regularly host brand discovery days in Trois-Rivières. Seeing the process firsthand helps marketing and education teams better understand how to co-create impactful tools.
We have another discovery concept where we take the workshop directly to the brands’ offices. It’s still very immersive and practical, but without the production floor experience.
BIR: Every hair color brand wants to stand out—how do you help them do that?
Antoine: At Aspasie, we don’t offer one-size-fits-all solutions. As manufacturers, we’re always focused on making this highly customized process as lean and efficient as possible—because custom shouldn’t mean complicated. Each swatchbook is custom designed from the ground up to reflect the brand’s identity, commercial objectives and creative vision. We help our clients imagine and bring to life the exact tools they need, whether it’s a hardcover book, a fan deck, a swatch ring, a binder, a wall chart or a unique promotional piece.
BIR: What’s involved in bringing a custom swatchbook to life?
Maxim: It starts with collaboration. Our team takes time to understand the brand’s needs, budget and visual direction. We create prototypes early in the process, so clients can see and touch what the final result might look like. Once the format is chosen, we dive into swatch design—which is incredibly precise work. Hair strands are matched for color, texture, shine, density, and even translucency or opaqueness. A single swatch might contain over 1,000 individual fiber strands!
BIR: That’s impressive. How customizable can a swatch be?
Antoine: The possibilities are nearly limitless. Over the years, we’ve produced hundreds of thousands of custom shades, and we’re always adding more. Swatches can range in length from 2 cm to 30 cm. And the format? You can go with brooms, loops in petal or swirl shapes, even arches or waterfalls. We also offer removable swatches attached with snaps, Velcro or magnets—whatever helps the brand tell its story best.
BIR: Color matching sounds like both an art and a science. How do you get it right?
Antoine: It’s exactly that. Matching a color swatch is like creating a fine perfume or a vintage wine—it takes skill, instinct and years of experience. We have dedicated team members we affectionately call The Eyes—experts who see color the way a perfumer detects notes or a sommelier evaluates balance. Machines support us, but the human eye is our most powerful tool.
BIR: Sounds like a blend of passion and precision.
Maxim: Absolutely. That’s what sets us apart—and what keeps clients coming back for decades. We co-create with each brand, involving marketing, education and color teams at every step. It’s a collaborative, inspired process—and it’s uniquely Aspasie.
Sustainability in every strand
BIR: Aspasie is known for its craftsmanship, but your sustainability practices are just as impressive. How do you walk the talk?
Maxim: For us, sustainability isn’t a department—it’s a mindset that’s integrated into every step of our production. It starts with our facility itself, which operates on 100% hydroelectric power. In Québec, we’re fortunate to have access to clean, renewable energy that significantly reduces our carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels or even solar alternatives in some climates.
Antoine: It’s built into our DNA. We maintain strong ESG practices across our operation. Our production process uses minimal water, and what little we do use is filtered and returned clean to the municipal system. We also print exclusively on FSC-certified paper. Our color tools are built to withstand repeated use in salons, maintaining their look and accuracy over time. Less wear, less replacement—making them a more sustainable choice. We believe that an eco-friendly product is one that lasts.
BIR: You also hold an EcoVadis Bronze certification. What does that recognize?
Antoine: EcoVadis is a globally respected sustainability assessment platform. The Bronze rating places us in the top tier of companies working seriously toward sustainable and ethical business practices. It assesses four key pillars: environment, labor & human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. It’s not just about how green we are—it’s also about how we treat people, source materials and govern ourselves responsibly.
BIR: Speaking of sourcing—tell us about some initiatives in responsible sourcing
Antoine: We’re very selective. Much of our swatchbook paper is imported from Sweden, which is known for its high environmental standards and exceptional paper quality. All our paper is FSC-certified. We also offer recycled paper options, and we print everything in-house to reduce transportation and energy use.
BIR: And what about waste reduction in your actual products?
Maxim: It’s a huge focus. Every part of a swatchbook, down to the smallest button or tab, is an opportunity to improve. We’ve implemented recycling systems throughout our factory, and we’ve redesigned components to minimize plastic. For example, the snap buttons used to hold swatches are made from repurposed plastic. Even the nylon fibers we use to create hair strands are often diverted from waste streams.
BIR: That’s a powerful combination—precision manufacturing and deep environmental care.
Antoine: That’s exactly it. We believe a beautiful product should also be a responsible one. As a manufacturer, we take that responsibility very seriously.
Aspasie’s human side
BIR: Tell us how your tools come to life.
Antoine: At our Trois-Rivières facility, over 120 team members work across design, hair swatch creation, printing, molding, assembly and shipping. Then, during peak periods, our family grows.
We’re supported by a large network of project-based and temporary workers who come on-site to help us meet demand. And just like in haute couture, we have our own petites mains—our little hands—working from home. These include stay-at-home parents, people with limited mobility, neurodivergent individuals, retirees and those looking to supplement their income or simply contribute to something meaningful.
Some of those hands have been with us since the beginning. Their dedication, flexibility and finesse are woven into every swatchbook we send out into the world. And alongside them, a new generation is rising—passionate, skilled and ready to carry the craft forward.
BIR: Let’s talk about your sales and development team. Who are the faces behind your partnerships?
Maxim: We’re proud of our team. Our front line includes:
Solenn Büttner, Senior Sales Account Manager
Katherine Dubuc, Sales Account Manager
Martin Diamond, Operations Manager
Karine Larouche, Continuous Process Improvement Lead
Patrick Noël, Studio Creative Director
Alain Audet, Strategic Consultant (Solnyx Consultants)
Together, we embody our spirit of excellence and collaboration that represent the Aspasie values.
BIR: With global economic pressures and shifting trade policies, how does Aspasie maintain stability?
Maxim: Our Canadian roots are a strategic advantage. Thanks to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), our products move tariff-free across North America. We produce more than 95% of our components locally, use renewable power and keep supply chains short. That means pricing is stable and our lead times are protected—even when global markets are in flux.
For any brands looking to relocate part or all of their swatchbook production, we are happy to explore how we can support you with quality, cost-efficient, North American-made solutions. And while we’re proudly North American, we ship swatchbooks across the globe—to Europe, Asia-Pacific, Mexico and Latin America.
BIR: Any final thoughts?
Antoine: After more than five decades, we’re just as passionate as day one. Whether you’re launching a new line or reinventing a classic, we will help you bring your colors to life—beautifully, responsibly and with heart.
For more information, contact Maxim Gélinas at [email protected].
