Heritage
A house, in its own words
Emi Jay was co-founded in 2009 by Julianne Goldmark and her mother, born out of Julianne's own fascination with hair styling that began during her middle school years. From the outset, the brand centered on what Goldmark described as 'bold femininity,' a guiding principle that shaped both its product range and its identity. The label initially built its reputation on hair accessories, including its claw clips and claw pins, which developed a strong following among younger consumers and became signature items for the brand. As the customer base grew, Emi Jay began exploring adjacent categories in personal care, eventually moving into fragrance with its Aura Hair Mist line. The expansion marked a notable pivot: a hair accessories company stepping into scented beauty, anchored by the same playful, feminine sensibility that had defined its earliest products. By 2025, Emi Jay had secured placement at Sephora, a milestone that introduced the brand's hair mists to a much wider audience and signaled its evolution into a multi-category beauty label. The mother-daughter founding story remains central to how the brand presents itself, with Goldmark frequently referencing her mother's influence in interviews and brand communications. Emi Jay's creative philosophy centers on the idea that hair and scent are deeply connected expressions of personal identity. Goldmark has spoken about wanting products that feel both effective and effortless, an approach that carries through from the brand's hair accessory origins into its fragrance development. The brand's entry into scent was driven by a desire to offer a 'signature scent' for hair specifically, rather than repackaging traditional body fragrances. This led to the creation of the Aura Hair Mist range, designed to be layered into a daily styling routine rather than applied as a standalone perfume. When developing scents like Lychee Baby, the team explored unexpected notes such as lychee, described by Goldmark as 'playful, juicy, and a little unexpected,' reflecting a willingness to move beyond conventional fragrance categories. The brand's approach to scent feels closely tied to nostalgia and femininity, with names and concepts drawn from personal memories and shared mother-daughter moments. Emi Jay's philosophy positions fragrance not as a luxury indulgence but as an everyday, accessible layer of self-expression that complements the rituals of styling and grooming.