EXCLUSIVE: Joanna Czech to Open First L.A. Studio
Joanna Czech — the renowned aesthetician — has put down roots in Los Angeles. She is unveiling Joanna Czech L.A. Studio on March 3.
The long-awaited expansion, following existing stand-alone spa locations in New York City and Dallas, lands at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, the five-star hotel on Burton Way. Czech will take over a one-bedroom suite.
More from WWD
DSM-Firmenich to Spin Off Animal Nutrition and Health Activity
Julianne Moore's Favorite Kiehl's Original Musk Fragrance Is on Sale for $36 Today
“I’m very honest, I’m nervous,” Czech admitted. “I don’t know how it is going to go. I feel that L.A. has every aesthetician and their mother there, for a big portion of time.”
Czech expected to first open in London before L.A., she went on. “There, we have solid, steady clients that are willing to pay any money to get a facial. I think London is stronger for me than L.A.”
And yet, there’s already a waitlist when doors open in L.A. Czech — born and raised in Poland — has made a name for herself as a skin care expert and facialist to the stars, with nearly four decades of experience behind her. Traveling to L.A. the last 16 years for awards season, she has Kate Winslet to thank for spreading the word in Hollywood.
“She was the first client who flew me there,” Czech said, crediting Winslet for introducing her to the likes of Penélope Cruz. “She was the best P.R. ever,” she laughed.
Kim Kardashian brought Czech continued recognition, singing her praises as her own skin care guru while utilizing her as consultant for Skkn by Kim.
“We checked our Rolodex,” Czech said of a potential L.A. clientele. “At the moment we have about 200 clients coming to our New York Studio that are L.A.-based and they keep saying, ‘When are you there?’ So, it’s a good base to have a very steady business. But also, we have about 1,800 people shopping with an L.A. address.”
While selling brands like Biologique Recherche and Environ in her studios and site, Czech also offers her own skin care brand, which she debuted in 2021 with a seven-piece collection called “The Kit.” The $340 “The C+ Serum” is her bestseller, she said, revealing that she’s next launching a lip product, cleanser and eye treatment (“not an eye cream”).
“They’ve been worked on,” she said. “They’ve been tested by me. At the moment, we finally can start manufacturing.”
L’Ermitage Beverly Hills is a natural fit for Czech, who treated guests to facials at the hotel for last year’s Oscars in partnership with Lyma. This year, it’ll be a partnership with Chanel at a space she can now call her own.
“I’ve stayed at L’Ermitage a few times,” she said. “It was really unbelievable, the level of comfort that they created for us and for our clients. We were all in love with each other. And our guests were loving the intimacy of the hotel. They have all those exits and entrances that they can come [into] with their security.”
She has L.A.-based facialist Melissa Quinn — who Czech said has more than 20 years of skin care experience — trained and ready to oversee the L.A. Studio when she’s away.
“They are all red carpet facials,” Czech said of treatments to expect in L.A. “We’re going to have definitely a lot of face massages, a series of messages, series of peels. We have at least five different forms of microcurrent, depending on what clients prefer.”
She looks forward to having more time to prep celebrity clients for a red carpet. While she’s been “doing final touches and preparing the base for makeup artists,” she said, she’ll now have the opportunity to showcase more and include treatments with extractions and deeper peels. Czech is known for a long-term, regimented approach to beauty and self care — rather than quick fixes.
“I would love to be able to create programs for clients,” she continued. “You got nominated. We still have six weeks or four weeks to prepare you and [for you to] come back on a weekly basis. And Melissa can easily make her own decisions or we could communicate [through] a FaceTime consultation.”
She plans to utilize the hotel as well: “They have body treatments [at their Ricari Studios spa]. They have a hairdressing salon….That would be the sequence of the steps that I would recommend for my clients. Body first. It will show on your face already with the blood flow. I’m going to mess up my client’s hair and then her dresser will fix [it].”
She’s also working on incorporating a special dining menu for those looking to grab a bite before or after treatments. “It’s based on what I consider good for skin.”
“We are incredibly excited to partner with Joanna Czech at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills,” said Frederic Zemmour, general manager of L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, in a statement. “Her commitment to providing her clientele with personalized treatments aligns perfectly with our dedication to providing our guests with the very best in luxury, tailored service and wellness. We are confident that her seasoned expertise will be a welcome addition to our Beverly Hills hideaway, and we look forward to introducing our guests to her innovative technologies and timeless techniques.”
Best of WWD
