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TheBuzz
Erika Engle
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Bandonis’ brand to beam broadly to buyers
Honolulu hairsylist-turned-inventor Mai Bandonis gets her big break this week on HSN, formerly Home Shopping Network, live on TV and online.
Not surprisingly the mother of her invention, CreaClip, was necessity.
A hairstylist for 15 years, it seemed "every day, I would have a client there who had trimmed her own bangs, and I'd have to fix it," she said.
They didn't have either the time or money for a salon trim every three weeks, so Bandonis came up with a guide for them to use at home.
CreaClip is a device people can use to evenly trim their own bangs. It has a level, like the ones carpenters use, to help prevent a crooked cut.
She also found that long-haired hula dancers would trim each others' hair with the oft-unachieved intention of cutting it straight across -- so she designed a large CreaClip.
"It's great for moms with kids, anybody," she said.
Bandonis established Innov8 LLC, for the venture.
She leaves for the mainland today for more product-pitching training before her appearances at 2 and 8 a.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. Thursday.
Bandonis' HSN odyssey began at CEO SPACE, a networking trade show in Los Angeles, where she connected with Bob Circosta Communications Inc.
Circosta was a pioneer in home shopping and has built an empire getting peoples' life-easing inventions on TV.
Bandonis enrolled in his program and Circosta's people presented CreaClip to HSN buyers, who "wanted it to be on right away," she said.
With the need for more units and other hurdles to clear, it taken about four months, "so this was the earliest it could go on," she said.
The set of two sells for $29.99 at creaclip.com, but will go for $19.95 on HSN. Prices don't include shipping and handling.
HSN's intention is to have the CreaClip sell out, said Brad Bohnert, director of public relations. Remaining inventory would be sold at hsn.com.
Hawaii's Oceanic Time Warner Cable was the first in America to launch Shop by Remote, enabling viewers to make HSN purchases using a remote control, Bohnert said.
Bandonis has other ideas in development for her Crea brand. "Now I've done all the hard part, the next idea's going to be so easy since I have all the contacts already."
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at:
eengle@starbulletin.com