Zara is fortifying its beauty lineup with hair products — and has tapped seasoned hairstylist Guido Palau to do so.
The company is introducing Zara Hair on Nov. 30, a boxed set including a gold gel, a gold glitter spray, a gold bobby pin and a gold comb that will retail for $49.90 in stores and online. Palau, who designed the products, said they are the first of many.
“This is the beginning of a whole rollout of products we’ll be doing, which drops next year,” Palau said. “This is a teaser, something we thought we’d do for the holidays as a fun gifting idea and getting into the holiday season.”
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As reported, sales for hair products are still on the rise — especially in the higher-end market. Circana data for the third quarter indicates a trade-up to prestige, as hair care unit sales in the mass market begin to wane.
Zara launched a makeup range in 2021. Last year, the company tapped Jo Malone to create a fragrance collection under her second brand, Jo Loves. Hair products have been discussed for years, Palau said. “They’re responsive to ideas; they’re very open and a modern-thinking brand,” he said of the partnership. “We talked about doing a hair line some years ago.”
Palau’s idea was to start with products more cosmetic in nature, as opposed to proper hair care, given Zara’s bread and butter business. “The idea is the first drop is more fashion-led,” Palau said. “There will be other drops that come that will nod to fashion, as well as main styling and hair care products.”
He also designed the collection to appeal across demographics. “It’s for anyone, any age, who fancies a little holiday spirit in their hair and wants a little bit of sparkle,” he said. “It’s just to have fun. I always get asked backstage how someone could make their hair a little bit more special for the evening or if they were going out — you can do that with a few simple products.”
Each product was designed for ease of use, too. “You can update your hair by just putting in the bobby pin — it takes your hair from being naturally simple to something a little bit more glamorous and with a bit more edge to it,” he said. “With the gold gel, you get this great shimmer, and with the golden glitter spray, you get a little luster. It can start out very mild, or you can build up a much more extreme, exaggerated look.”
Palau reasoned that the versatility of the products mirrored the larger state of the beauty industry. “It’s a crazy time in beauty — there’s no rules when you go on social media. You have everything represented from extreme beauty and hair ideas to simple and natural ideas. I’ve been in this industry for a long time, and this is the most democratic, which is fantastic,” he said. “There’s no rules and the message is to be yourself, be whatever you want. Leave it simple, or push it wherever you want it to go.”