Touting a classic rock’n’roll lifestyle through temporary hair color, the sister act simply known as Tish and Snooky opened Manic Panic in 1977 in New York City,which is credited as the very first punk-style boutique in the US. Decades later and still going strong, the brand has expanded its range of High Voltage Classic shades ($13.99) in colors such as Blue Moon, Violet Night, Voodoo Forrest and more.
 
The dynamic duo took time to correspond with Happi.com about the latest news that’s coming out of their colorful company:
 
Happi: Tell us about the new High Voltage Classics —how are these hues different from others in the Manic Panic collection?
 
Tish: Our five new colors are perfect for the upcoming season! As always, they are vegan, paraben-free, not tested on animals and they will last, on average, from 4 to 6 weeks. Blue Steel is a perfect on-trend pale, icy blue. Deep Purple Dream is a rich dark black currant that can also be used on darker hair for a subtle highlight. Inferno is an explosive hot red-orange. Plum Passion is a sultry, sexy shade of purple. Siren’s Song is the ideal color for the Manic Panic Mermaid Look. It's an exotic shade of seafoam green that glows under a black light.
 
Happi: Going back to the beginnings, why and how did you start this hair color brand?
 
Snooky: We were singing and performing regularly, most notably in the original Blondie band lineup, and always created our own glam and punk rock style costumes for stage and nightlife. Everywhere we went, people admired our look and asked us where they could buy the outfits. This is what gave us the idea to open a boutique that sold clothing and accessories for people like us, because there was nothing like that in NYC at the time. Our mother came up with the name Manic Panic and America's very first punk boutique was born. 
 
Tish: From right out of the tiny shop on St. Mark’s Place, we began wholesaling the hair color as its demand grew. In the 90s, the Manic Panic colored hair trend began to explode. It wasn't just rockers and drag queens with pink and purple hair, but also fashionable people and celebrities like designer Todd Oldham and basketball star Dennis Rodman. We needed more room to produce our products! The rising popularity of the East Village brought sky-high rents and eventually we were forced to forsake the small boutique. We moved to a large warehouse in lower Manhattan that we soon outgrew, and then to Long Island City, Queens.
 
Happi: What ingredients are key in your formulations and why?
 
Tish: All of our semi-permanent colors are loaded with conditioning agents that are incredibly good for your hair. Your locks will end up healthier and more moisturized than before you dyed! Our colors are enriched with natural and beneficial ingredients such as aloe barbadensis leaf juice, and all of our dyes are PPD-free, even Raven (black). All colors are vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free, so we can ensure the best ingredients and the most guilt-free experience.
 
Happi: Who inspires the colors in Manic Panic? Do you have any muses?
 
Snooky & Tish: Manic Panic was the very first company to give products edgy names. We are singers so we get some of them from our rock & roll roots: Rockabilly Blue, Rock ‘n’ Roll Red, Purple Haze, Electric Banana. Some of the shades are named after special individuals that have been inspirational to us. Cleo Rose, a beautiful shade of pink is named after our dear actress friend who was Europe’s answer to Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe back in the 60s. Cleo Rose is available in our hair dye and Lethal lipstick. Iconic performers Tomata du Plenty and Helen Wheels are two other late friends of ours that have lipstick shades named after them.
 
Happi: What are future plans and projects for the company?
 
Snooky & Tish: We are very excited to be launching a redesigned website. We are also currently working on a hair care line that will help our “Dye Hard” fans to achieve the best results and the brightest colors, even weeks after dyeing.  Stay tuned for further updates!