The “herstory” of Tish and Snooky is a tale that exemplifies the American dream. As successful women entrepreneurs, the founders of Manic Panic are true pioneers who pave the way for generations of girls.
The two sisters grew up in the Bronx and were raised single-handedly by their mother, she herself the daughter of immigrants. It didn’t matter that they had little money as she gave them an abundance of unconditional love and encouragement to live their dreams.
From the time they were schoolgirls they began performing as singers, letting their creative juices fly and designing their own costumes. Their flamboyant style grew without boundaries as they hit the stages in the avant-garde music scene in 1970’s NYC. People were always asking them where they got their wild outfits so they got the idea to open their own boutique to sell what they loved to wear. Thus, MANIC PANIC was born on July 7, 1977, the name was coined by their mother.
The duo proudly ran their business without professional guidance, attracting rock ‘n’ roll royalty including David Bowie, Cher, The Ramones and Cindy Lauper. While members of Blondie’s original lineup, Tish and Snooky introduced their now-famous vibrant hair dyes along with matching color cosmetics for lips, nails and eyes, in hues that extend beyond the rainbow. As the line grew, so did their popularity, and soon enough they began distributing to major retailers directly from the MANIC PANIC boutique. Since then, the company has opened three official MANIC PANIC salons and expanded internationally with distribution reaching every major city on the globe.
“Hair and makeup play a big role in the rock ‘n’ roll industry,” says Snooky. “It inspires people of all generations to express themselves in their own way. We’ve seen everything from rainbow hair to glitter lips and eyebrows.”
“We are thrilled to be celebrating 40 years in business,” says Tish. “The success and support over the past four decades has been so much greater than we could have hoped, we’re excited to see what the next 40 have in store!”
Featured in books, films and rock videos, MANIC PANIC has solidified itself as a cultural icon. Worn on high-fashion models and celebrities alike, its colors can be spotted on A-listers such as Katy Perry, Rihanna, Jared Leto and Lady Gaga. Over the course of 2017, MANIC PANIC will be adding to its already extensive line with launches including the Hair Freshener Dry Shampoo, Coffin Dust shade extensions, Blue Lightning Bleach Kit and its newest line, MANIC PANIC® Professional.
Today, Tish and Snooky still share their love and encouragement with the world. They continue to give back, encouraging young girls to live their dreams as their mother encouraged them. They also support numerous charities from fighting breast cancer and animal cruelty, to donating to artist scholarships.
About MANIC PANIC: Tish & Snooky’s® MANIC PANIC® NYC began on 7/7/77, when two N.Y.C.-born sisters, Tish and Snooky, added some extra ambition to their rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. At the time, the sisters were singers in the original Blondie lineup, and few of the people who helped to ignite the late 70’s PUNK scene would have ever dreamt of the company's current acceptance by the mainstream.