Fashion’s Heavy Hitters Came Out to Support Zara and Guido Palau’s Collab in Paris

At the historic Hotel De Miramion in Paris, the famed hair stylist Guido Palau could be found chatting with his friends, collaborators and industry insiders amidst various cozy rooms where massive cheese wheels, charcuterie boards and fresh bread were abound. “I'm not a party person actually, so this is quite a stretch for me,” Palau said with a laugh, between hugs and greetings with almost every person who walked through the mansion’s palatial doorways. The occasion? To celebrate the launch of his latest collaboration with Zara, dubbed Everyday Basics (out now).

Roaming through one of those grand, ornate rooms, lit by candle and attended by servers offering up various small plates of hors-d'œuvr and champagne, it wasn’t uncommon to come across other industry titans. Like Pat McGrath, Carlyne Cerf De Dudzeele, Emmanuel Alt, and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez to name a few. Also on the list? Plenty of the models—it is Paris Fashion Week, after all—and Palau has met many backstage at fashion weeks around the world, where he’s become known for shaping the future of hair backstage at the biggest shows.

And while Palau has worked with Zara for decades, this line in particular was cause for celebration not least because it was three years in the making. The collection includes a core assortment of products: Hair Spray, Dry Texturising Spray, Volumizing Mousse, Hair Balm, Curl Activator and Blow Dry Spray.

“I wanted it to be very easy for women to use,” said Palau between greeting friends. “When I talk to women about hair products, they're like, ‘Oh, I don't like them.’ There's a touchability to the hair. Even after the product has been used, I want real women to feel like it’s for real life, not backstage.” The event itself went late into the night, and even if the new products weren’t on hand to try, there was certainly lots to talk about with endless snacks and drinks.