Scott Griffiths
Art Center alum (’79) Scott Griffiths, who launched 18|8 Fine Men’s Salons in 2002, has a track record of creating breakthrough brands. He recently began franchising 18|8, sharing the opportunity for driven entrepreneurs. Griffiths is a recognized marketing and branding trendsetter who has created and built industry-leading companies across several sectors, including within the salon segment.
Though I’m currently functioning in the business world as the owner and developer of 18/8 Fine Men’s salons with company-owned stores and a franchise business (18/8 is expanding nationally with target goal of 1,600 salons), I was trained first as an artist and designer at the Art Center College of Design.
Because of that experience, I see and think in pictures. I paint in my mind. The process of painting — working in layers, textures…adding and taking away — is conducive to entrepreneurship and building my businesses. (I have led or been on the leadership team for 20 start ups and early stage companies). My training from Art Center helps me think more like Mickey Mouse conducting in “Fantasia“ than like Gordon Gecko in “Wall Street.” After more than three decades, I’m still an artist at heart.
It’s funny — Art Center lost my original portfolio I submitted, which was architecturally oriented. They requested I submit a brand new portfolio for acceptance. Fortunately, I had original paintings (I painted for fun) and had enough to string together a portfolio. Art Center accepted me but put me into the illustration department. That’s where my journey began…but it would not end there.
I took as many different types of classes as I could — including environmental design, product design, filmmaking, and advertising. I would sit in on classes I wasn’t even enrolled in, just to soak it all up.
I befriended an instructor and moved into a warehouse with him in East L.A. to help build art furniture. On the weekends, I painted portraits at Disneyland. I fell in love with airbrushing and secured a scholarship for my last two years of school. I continued to learn and secure mentors from the Art Center. These are the people from whom I’ve drawn inspiration my entire adult life. The three instructors who had the most impact on me were Bill Moore (Advanced Design), Roland Young (Design/Art Directing) and Dwight Harmon (Illustration and Painting). Being closely connected with such brilliant creative minds was truly transforming.
When I graduated from Art Center, I had an idea for a coffee table book on airbrush art. I then designed it and sold it to Random House. The book was a home run, which sold more than 250,000 hardbound copies. I started a design firm and picked up major accounts when I was still in my twenties. And over the years have worked with many of the best — Nokia, Crystal Cruises, House of Blues, Vertu, Paul Mitchell, and Avery Dennison. I then created a microbrewery in 1990 called Rhino Chasers, named after the legendary big wave riders. My design firm designed everything. In fact, I set up distribution in 40 states and a brewpub at LAX. After selling the brand, I became involved in more start-ups and wrote two more books for major publishers. But always, even today — great design thinking, the heart of what I learned at Art Center, remains the epicenter of everything I do.
