Deborah Pagani has always designed for women who know their power. She first honed her eye in the electric energy of the New York salon scene, then carried it into sculptural jewelry and hair accessories that became favorites of Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, and other women who gravitate toward pieces with presence. Her aesthetic is confident, sensual, and quietly glamorous, with a wink of nostalgia that feels entirely her own.
Her newest chapter brings that point of view into haircare. Deborah Pagani Beauty was created for the woman who wants performance without sacrificing pleasure and for the woman who believes a beautiful routine should feel like a moment, not a chore. Here, Pagani shares the story behind her brand, the rituals that shaped her, and the creative instincts guiding her next evolution.
In Conversation with Deborah Pagani
You began your career as a colorist under legends like Oribe Canales and John Sahag. How did working in that world shape your eye for sculptural design and the way you approach beauty now
New York in the nineties was different. The salon felt like part of the nightlife. It was not a quick appointment. It was an event. People came dressed, they stayed, they talked. It was social, loud, glamorous in that very New York way. Clients were not just there for their hair. They wanted to feel transformed, seen, part of something. That taught me early on that beauty is about experience as much as outcome. The energy, the ritual, the confidence you walk out with. That idea, beauty as a moment, not just a result, comes straight from that era and still drives how I design today.
Working with icons like Prince and Cyndi Lauper at such a young age must have been surreal. What stayed with you from those rooms, those personalities, those creative worlds
What stayed with me was how comfortable I felt in those rooms, even at that age. I trusted my instincts. You did not overthink. You did the work and stood by it.
Motherhood clearly shifted your perspective on the salon world. How did that shift guide the career choices and creative direction you pursued afterward?
Motherhood shifted how I looked at the salon world. I assumed that world would always take everything from me. What I did not expect was that building your own company is even more nonstop. The difference was ownership. I wanted to create things tied to experiences. Luxury rituals that did not really exist yet, but felt accessible. I have always been a dreamer, but grounded. The brand lives in that balance. Aspirational but attainable. Designed to fit into real life and built entirely on my terms.
Your work has a very specific visual language. How would you describe the aesthetic codes that define a Deborah Pagani piece?
For me, it has always been about a feeling. Beauty should feel intentional but never intimidating. There is a sense of fantasy to it, the kind that pulls you in, not pushes you out. That is what lured me into the beauty world in the first place. Deborah Pagani Beauty is designed to feel elevated but approachable. Luxurious but easy to enter. The visual language is soft power, sensual, refined, and intuitive. Products that invite you into a ritual, not a rule book. It is aspirational but attainable. Beauty that feels a little dreamlike yet completely wearable in real life. That balance is the DNA.
Your French hair pin became a modern cult classic. What do you think made women ready to embrace that shape again?
I have always loved nostalgia and classic forms. But I wanted to engineer it to perfection for how women live now. It took two years to get the shape, weight, and tension exactly right. That is what turned it into a classic cult piece. Familiar at first glance but unmistakably modern once you use it. Shop the hair pin here.
Your designs have appeared on women who define modern glamour in very different ways including Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Adriana Lima, and Priyanka Chopra. What is the throughline you see among women who choose your work?
The through-line is confidence and sex appeal. They are all very sexy but in their own way. It is not performative and it is not about trends. They know what works for them and they do not need permission. They are not trying to wear what everyone else is wearing. They are drawn to pieces that feel a little dangerous, a little personal. My work is sexy. That is intentional. I do limited runs and one of a kinds because the right piece should feel discovered, not obvious. Strong, feminine, and confident, never overdone.
What was the moment you knew it was time to create Deborah Pagani Beauty rather than collaborating with an existing brand or staying exclusively in accessories?
I am a control freak. Beauty is too personal and the details matter too much. It would have taken an extremely specific partner to get it right, so I built it myself.
What was the toughest part of getting from concept to final formula. Finding the right lab, dialing in performance, perfecting the fragrance, or creating the packaging?
Performance was non negotiable. Everything I design has to multitask. It needs to do more than one thing or it does not belong. Fragrance mattered just as much. A stock scent was never going to happen. I wanted a scent that did not exist in haircare, so I worked with Jerome Epinette to create something elevated but wearable. And the bottle had to look like it was designed by a jewelry designer because it was. The object matters as much as what is inside. Everything has to meet the same standard.
The fragrance has already become a defining part of the line. What was the initial inspiration behind the scent?
The scent came from nostalgia but it was designed with intention. I kept coming back to my Cuban grandmother’s desserts, the warmth, the sweetness, the way the air always carried something comforting. I wanted to make something for the gourmand girls because haircare never really did. This sits in an amber gourmand world but it is layered and adult. You get saffron and pistachio up top, then jasmine petals and black leather to keep it grounded, softened with condensed milk. It dries down to vanilla bean, ambroxan, pink sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. It had to feel ageless, sensual, and easy to layer with other scents. Familiar but unexpected. A little indulgent, never juvenile.
The Vital Mist is positioned as an all in one heat activated essence. What did you feel was missing in traditional heat protectants that pushed you to create something more elevated?
Traditional heat protectants always felt one dimensional. They did one job, usually at the expense of how your hair actually felt, especially if you have fine hair. The Vital Mist was designed to multitask. Heat protection, hydration, smoothing, and movement in one step. It is also an incredible refresher. I use it the way you use a face mist. A reset with no buildup. I tested it on women with the finest hair, women who refuse to use anything on their hair. They could not believe there was finally something formulated with them in mind. Heat activates it but it stays weightless. It disappears into the hair, does the work, and lets your hair still feel like your hair, only better.
Your glass bottles are now part of the brand identity. What do you want the packaging to communicate about the formulas inside?
The bottle was designed to feel like an object you want to pick up. It is inspired by a woman’s curves, both the perfections and the imperfections, translated into something sculptural and ergonomic. It feels good in the hand, not just visually. That is intentional. The packaging is meant to reflect the formulas inside. Considered, elevated, and designed to work beautifully in real life. It sets the tone before you even use it.
Now that jewelry, hair accessories, and beauty sit under one identity, what part of the creative world are you curious to explore or expand next?
I feel incredibly grateful that I get to build in this way. Curiosity is what has always guided me and right now that means going deeper. More multitasking formulas that really earn their place and one day a scent when it feels right. Hair accessories will continue to evolve and jewelry will become even more intimate with one of a kinds and very limited drops. I do not take it lightly that people invite these pieces into their lives. That responsibility and that trust is what excites me most about what comes next.
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