With its iconic architecture and gentile vibe, Savannah, Ga., might
seem like an odd place for the rise of an “indie” men’s skin-care and
lifestyle brand like Prospector Co. But this historic town, the backdrop
for the novel and film “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” is
one of the most innovative and cosmopolitan in the South.
“All-Purpose Dirt,” $32 at prospectorco.comPhoto: Handout
“Savannah is the kind of place that allows creative people to do
creative things,” says Prospector founder Kyle Hinton. “The unique
nature of this town acts as a kind of incubator for small companies like
our own.”
Founded in 2010, Prospector offers a range of grooming, accessories and
fragrance products for men — and now women. Initially, the company
became a “cult” favorite of hirsute hipster types who swooned over
Prospector’s unique shaving products — particularly its signature
Burroughs Beard Oil. Woodsy and masculine, the Beard Oil emerged as an
ideal splash-on for the type of image conscious crowd then emerging from
Williamsburg and the Los Angeles enclave of Los Feliz.
“Burroughs Beard
Oil,” $18 at prospectorco.com
That’s also the exact kind of man increasingly found in Savannah
itself thanks to the creative student body at Savannah College of Art
and Design (SCAD). The thousands of young SCAD men coursing through
Savannah, Hinton explains, has allowed Prospector to be more “edgy” with
their product development, display and design — all evident in
Prospector’s light-filled flagship on the city’s iconic fashion
boulevard, West Broughton Street. After years of carefully cultivating
their brand, Prospector is wellpositioned for national expansion.
“Gleaners Facial Scrub,” $24 at prospectorco.com
Prospector arrives in New York this month, at Barneys’ Madison Avenue
flagship. Of course, Burroughs Beard Oil will be front and center — but
so will additional key Prospector products, including its All-Purpose
Dirt (a great cleanser), K.C. Atwood Aftershave Splash, Wormwood
Absinthium Cream and a nice range of shaving brushes and accessories.
Some items will also be available at select J.Crew outposts in time for
holiday shopping.
With the brand still new to New York, it’s a bit early to see how Gotham
guys will respond. But grooming insiders are cautiously confident
Prospector can stand out among the sea of skincare competitors.
Men’s grooming journalist and expert Matt Bell has had the brand on his
radar since its start. “Prospector has been a favorite among the
in-the-know for a while now,” says Bell, who swears by the brand’s hand
creams. Bringing Prospector to NYC, he adds, shows that “Barneys is
trying to drop the metrosexual thing and associate with a modern,
polished-but-rugged masculinity.”
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