Luxury fashion houses have long been mainstays in the beauty world, transforming their prestige and exclusivity into lucrative cash cows. While their runway collections dazzle onlookers, the real business lies in selling accessories to the ultra-wealthy and beauty products to the masses. The pattern is undeniable — fragrance has been a pillar of nearly every major fashion brand for decades, and high-end makeup lines from Chanel, to Dior, YSL, and Tom Ford have been staples in beauty for years. More recently, houses like Prada, Hermès, and (soon) Louis Vuitton have expanded into color cosmetics, with Marc Jacobs set to make a highly anticipated return to the category.
Yet, when it comes to luxury haircare, the fashion industry’s giants have remained largely silent. Aside from Balmain Hair Couture, high-fashion labels have left the professional and consumer haircare market virtually untouched. Even Fenty Hair — by association with Rihanna’s now-defunct Fenty fashion house under LVMH — feels more like an extension of Fenty Beauty than a true designer-led haircare line.
So, which designer brands should take the plunge into haircare? We’ve rounded up SEVEN fashion houses we think are primed to bring their luxury touch to the world of hair.
Karl Lagerfeld
The man, the myth, the ponytail. Karl Lagerfeld’s signature white hair was as iconic as his starched collars and leather gloves. A KARL LAGERFELD haircare line practically writes itself — imagine IKONIK BLONDE shampoo and conditioner, along with a full range of pro lightening and toning products for salon use. With Karl’s deep roots in fashion illustration and a wealth of archival inspiration to pull from, a LAGERFELD haircare line would be the perfect way to cement his enduring influence on beauty. Could the man who reintroduced designer fragrances to the modern market be responsible for inspiring the first salon-worthy designer charcoal lightener?
Gucci
While Gucci’s rotating creative directors have brought uncertainty to the fashion side of the business, Gucci Beauty has flourished, thanks to its vintage-inspired packaging and aspirational branding. Luxury pro brands like Oribe have already paved the way for hair products that double as décor, and Gucci’s history of provocative, high-fashion campaigns proves that hair has always been part of its visual identity. A Gucci haircare range would bring theatrical elegance to our styling stations — think opulent textures, bamboo-infused formulas, rich colors, and editorial-worthy finishes wrapped in sumptuous, vintage-inspired packaging.
Prada
Prada’s entry into beauty beyond fragrance is still fresh, but we’re ready for them to take things further. This is a brand that thrives on minimalism with a subversive edge, making it the perfect candidate to bring high-fashion credibility to the backbar. Prada Capelli Nylon Signature Smoothing Treatments, anyone? Imagine walking into a sleek city salon for cutting-edge pro treatment technology, housed in chrome-accented white bottles with just a hint of Prada’s signature mint green and the iconic reversed triangle. With a mix of clinical innovation and geek chic cool, Prada haircare would be a masterclass in high-end simplicity.
Maison Margiela
If you’ve ever spritzed a bottle of Replica fragrance, you’ve already experienced Margiela’s ability to translate mood and memory into scent. But why stop at perfume? A Replica-inspired haircare line could be genius. Think: Beach Walk texture spray, Dancing on the Moon volumizing mist, or By the Fireplace nourishing oil. Margiela could lean into its avant-garde, deconstructed aesthetic, and create brand messaging that utilizes the same storytelling as its fragrance line, making its haircare range feel like an extension of its fashion ethos — effortless, yet deeply considered.
Schiaparelli
With its recent revival under Daniel Roseberry, Schiaparelli is once again at the center of the high-fashion conversation. Jewelry has already become a fast-growing segment for the house, and a move into beauty feels inevitable. Vintage Schiaparelli beauty products still float around resale sites, but the real question is how the brand will return to the category. Instead of color cosmetics, we’d love to see a maximalist, surrealism-inspired haircare line that plays with texture, sculptural packaging, and high-concept formulas. Imagine a time-bending anti-aging serum or a gravity-defying styling mousse in components that draw inspiration from Salvador Dali’s packaging designs, similar to Pat McGrath Labs’ own Dali-influenced packaging. The possibilities are endless — and shockingly Schiaparelli.
Mugler
Mugler is synonymous with sci-fi-inspired fashion, sculptural silhouettes, and larger-than-life esthetics, and its entry into haircare could be just as otherworldly. The brand’s signature fragrances, Angel and Alien, have inspired legions of devoted fans, and a haircare line could tap into that olfactory magic. Picture futuristic, chrome-drenched packaging, ethereal product names, and next-level ingredient technology infused with celestial fragrance profiles. A Mugler Beauty Alien Goddess Styling Myst? Consider us sold. And with L’Oreal’s recent purchase of Mugler, we can see it happening.
Fendi
This is the second designer label on our list that would be shaped by the lasting impact of Karl Lagerfeld, though this time, it’s less direct than his eponymous line. Fendi has long been known for its “fun-fur” (fur in crazy colors)—and what is fur but hair in a different form? Despite a few retro fragrances, Fendi has been largely absent from the beauty industry, but we’d love to see it make an entrance with a full professional salon color and care line. With a recent creative shake-up, now would be the ideal time for Fendi to enter the haircare market. From the house that created the Baguette bag, we know a Fendi Fun Colors Professional Hair Color line would be nothing short of iconic.
Luxury fashion houses have built billion-dollar beauty empires, yet they’ve barely scratched the surface of haircare. With the rise of high-end haircare as the next big category in beauty, it’s only a matter of time before the biggest names in fashion decide to make their mark.
Until then, we’ll be here, dreaming of Gucci styling creams and Prada smoothing serums.
