A rare, ethical approach to making hair extensions

While most operations are coy about where their hair comes from, Dan Choi’s Remy New York is completely transparent about its supply chain

Remy New York is bringing much-needed transparency to the booming hair extension industry, which is rarely regulated. While most operations are coy about where their hair comes from for the extensions and wigs they create, Dan Choi’s fair-trade business is completely open about its supply chain.

The “virgin remy” hair used by Remy New York is ethically sourced, and it pays high prices for it. Virgin remy is considered a premium grade in the industry, as it is pure and unprocessed, so products made of it fetch a high price. Choi’s company also focuses on creating work opportunities for women in the US, teaching those interested how to make hair extensions and helping to drive clients their way.   

Many other hair extension businesses do not reveal the source of the hair they use, and some claim to sell wigs made of virgin remy hair when they are actually made with hair that would normally be discarded, either swept off salon floors or picked from combs. Traders in some countries also collect hair in unseemly ways, forcibly shaving the heads of some women or paying very little for hair that is willingly sold.

“I want to change the whole dynamic of the hair industry,” Choi told ABC News.