Sydell Miller was the entrepreneur behind the successful and influential beauty brands Matrix and Ardell, co-founding them with her husband, the late Arnold Miller.
- Died: February 25, 2024 (Who else died on February 25?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Cleveland after a period of declining health at the age of 86.
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Sydell Miller’s legacy
Miller met her husband when she walked into his salon to have her hair done. He fell in love while he worked on her hair, and he proposed after just a few dates. Early in their marriage, she helped at the salon by answering phones, and her involvement there only grew. Soon, she was suggesting the first of her beauty innovations: a new process for applying false eyelashes.
The salon specialized in eyelashes, using a technique that was the industry standard at the time. Each lash was applied individually in a process that took hours and was expensive for the customer – yet lost money for the salon. A frustrated Miller took inspiration from a hair fall, in which individual hairs were hand-tied to a base. She applied the same concept to lashes and developed an innovative single-piece false lash style. The new product was a hit, and the couple created Ardell – combining their two first names – to market their new false eyelashes. The company remains a leader in the industry, more than 50 years later, though the Millers sold the brand in the early 1980s.
Next, the Millers founded Matrix in 1980, focusing on hair products. In addition to shampoos and conditioners, they built the brand on a new perm product that caused less damage to the hair than existing perms. They also revolutionized salon color, offering colors intended to be applied with a brush rather than a bottle. They marketed their colors to hairdressers, while color had typically been applied only by colorists. This was one of several ways they sought to elevate the status of hairstylists, bringing new dignity to the profession. Like Ardell, Matrix caught on quickly, and it is a top brand today as well.
After her husband’s 1992 death, Miller continued to help grow Matrix, and she became a notable art collector and philanthropist. Her art collection included pieces by Picasso and Chagall. Miller donated $70 million to the Cleveland Clinic after two experiences with their care, including a fight against breast cancer in the 1990s.
Notable quote
“There was a very negative perception of our industry because what was being put out there was the ditzy, gum-chewing hairdresser or Warren Beatty in the movie ‘Shampoo.’ We wanted to help build more professionalism, to present a better image and to create a better way for the stylist to earn a living. There were no paths to follow so we decided to start our own road.” —from a 2017 interview for Modern Salon
Tributes to Sydell Miller
Full obituary: Cleveland.com
