Meet wayvee hair, the newest Australian hair accessories brand on the market.
Launching May 3rd, wayvee is 'for the ones who like to bend the rules,' according to the brand's tagline, and is on a mission to become the epicentre of a curly hair culture that celebrates frizz and encourages self-expression.
Founded by ex-beauty PR and content lead, Bianca Bartolo, wayvee, which has been two years in the making, is bringing sustainable hair accessories to the forefront for curly hair.
BD spoke with Bartolo about the brand launch, how she has used her 10+ years in the beauty industry to create her own brand, and how exactly wayvee is shaking things up when it comes to looking after curly hair.
Bianca Bartolo
Congratulations on the upcoming launch of wayvee hair! Can you introduce us?
wayvee makes ethically produced, sustainable accessories for curly hair. We're here to help curly hair cuties unleash the kind of confidence that comes with embracing your natural state, your natural hair and your naturally weird self as the very best version of you.
How did the idea come about and what gap does the brand fill in the market?
wayvee has been two years in the making but many more in my head. As a curly haired person who's worked in beauty, fashion and ecommerce most of my career, I've tested a lot of products.
Curly is having a moment now, but for many years it was kind of put down. As a result, there haven't been many innovations in the curly hair space.
Any person with curly, frizzy, fluffy or textured hair knows that the key to a good hair day lies in the drying process. If your hair doesn't dry just so, it's kind of back to the drawing board.
I've always used hair towels to dry my hair, but microfibre fabric sucks up way too much moisture. Meaning I always had to add hydration back in with water or heaps of product. The t-shirt method is ok, but again, cotton is quite absorbent and can cause friction which causes damage.
After researching, I discovered that linen was the ticket. It's a natural fibre, highly breathable, absorbs just enough moisture but not too much. Leaving your hair to set perfectly, either by air drying or diffusing.
Plus, it's a very luxurious fabric that gets softer with every wash and doesn't require much water in the harvesting process, unlike bamboo for example. It's sustainable, cute and better for curls. Done.
You've worked for 10+ years in the beauty industry – can you tell us a bit about your work background?
I started out my career working in PR at L'Oréal. I then went on to work in ecommerce for Zalando and luxury fashion at mytheresa, both based in Germany where I lived for six years.
Since coming back home to Melbourne, I've had the pleasure of writing and strategising for iconic names like frank body, frank green, MYER and Movember.
How has your past industry experience helped with launching your own brand?
Having spent so many years helping others communicate their brands has been the best training course for wayvee. I've been able to use that experience in creating brand strategy and crafting messaging.
The best part has been getting to work with some amazing creatives I met along the way, bringing their talent and creative point of view to wayvee has made the brand that much stronger.
wayvee hair has been two years in the making – what has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned through this process?
Hair Towel is made in Melbourne – this was important to me as I wanted to support local economy, makers and textile manufacturers.
What's been surprising to me is how deep that industry goes, how much talent is here in Australia. It still operates on a very in-person, face-to-face model which has been so lovely for me to dive into and a fantastic way to quality control product.
What advice do you wish someone had given you before delving into the world of starting your own brand?
Just do it! Don't wait. You'll never regret having tried something in your life and it's a fantastic way to channel creative energies, apply existing skills and learn new ones.
Where can we find wayvee hair?
You can shop wayvee hair at www.wayvee.com.au, or if you're in Melbourne, head to Delilah hair salon on Lygon St.
We're also on the hunt for wavy folk who want to join the cause and show off their fabulous frizz. Anyone who resonates with this message, we highly encourage to reach out on socials to join our inner circle. Think: product testing, freebies, first dibs on new drops etc. Follow us @wayveehair.
Image source: wayvee hair.
