Fragrance house

Wella

Wella traces its origins to 1880, when Franz Ströher established a business in Rothenkirchen, Germany, making and selling hair tulle for wigs. The Wella name was introduced and trademarked in 1924, inspired by the German word for waves. As wigs and hairpieces declined, the Ströher family developed products for permanent waves, moving the business toward professional hair care and styling. Wella later expanded into bleaching, hair coloring and related care products; its 1950 Koleston launch was identified as the first cream hair colorant. Ownership changed in 2003, when Wella AG was acquired by Procter & Gamble, and again in 2016, when Coty acquired P&G’s beauty portfolio, including its professional brands. In 2020, Wella Company became a standalone business, combining Wella Professionals with Clairol, OPI and ghd, among others, under majority ownership by KKR. Its public identity remains focused on hair care, color and styling, with an emphasis on empowering stylists worldwide. In 2022, the independent company agreed to acquire Briogeo.