Aveda was founded by Horst Rechelbacher in 1978, and his mission continues to guide decision-making throughout the organization.
Horst Rechelbacher was a pioneer of holistic beauty and an advocate for environmental responsibility.
Born in Austria in 1941, Horst began working at a local beauty salon at the age of 14, and by 17 he was styling the hair of international celebrities at a salon in Rome.
At 20, he won the European Hairdressing Championship. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and opened his first salon, Horst & Friends, and several more, becoming a successful salon entrepreneur before the age of 30. After a few years, Horst experienced burnout and recovered through herbal remedies, as well as yoga and meditation.
Aveda was founded in 1978 with the vision of providing beauty professionals with botanical products that are good for them, their clients, and the Earth. Her ideas would revolutionize the beauty industry. "We are the earth," she declared. "We are soil. We are water. We are everything."