NYC hair salon: We had it ‘confirmed’ that Princess Kate wears our extensions

Page Six had a fun piece this week: “Meet the hair extension expert behind Kate Middleton, Gigi Hadid and Alix Earle’s luscious locks.” Page Six knew exactly what they were doing by putting Kate’s name in the headline. The profile/spon-con is for RPZL, a NYC salon which is basically this year’s It Hair Salon. Founder Lisa Richards claims Gigi, Waity, Paris Hilton and Princess Beatrice are all clients. While I will always believe that the Princess of Wales has an extensive collection of wigs, falls and extensions, I don’t buy that Kate is a regular client at a NYC hair salon, nor do I believe that clever American hair stylists fly over to the UK to work on Kate’s hair. Given the sorry state of Kate’s hairpieces last year, I doubt she had quality professionals working on her wiglets.

When royals, supermodels and “It” girls want Rapunzel-level locks, they head to RPZL. From founder Lisa Richards’ NYC salon at 45 Rockefeller Plaza, the RPZL team boosts clients’ blowouts with her best-in-class hair extensions, which range in price from $695 to $1,700 — and count Gigi Hadid, Paris Hilton and Kate Middleton among their most high-profile clients.

Richards has had it “confirmed” that the Princess of Wales has worn her brand’s extensions, although it’s not known when; Princess Beatrice, meanwhile, wore one of RPZL’s padded headbands in a photo announcing her second pregnancy this week.

A rep for the Princess of Wales was unavailable for comment.

Gigi Hadid’s a RPZL regular, having worn Richards’ extensions at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March as well as the 2023 Met Gala, while Madelyn Cline wore them to the US Open last month. Other notable clients include Charli D’Amelio, Katie Holmes, Vanessa Hudgens, Lindsey Vonn, Poppy Delevingne and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit star Brooks Nader.

The mane maestro tells us there’s been a boom in women seeking more volume in their locks after experiencing hair loss due to aging and the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. And while clients can have their extra hair installed at her salon, Richards also now sells clip-in extensions, clip-on ponytails and even braided headbands on her website.

“We source our hair ethically,” Richards says. “We’re the only place you can walk in and get same-day extensions in the world. It’s so cool you can walk in and walk out with keratin bond or tape extensions or a pony.”

[From Page Six]

I believe every other name here has probably been a client or is still a client. I guess it’s possible that Kate is getting ritzy hair extensions shipped over to the UK, although that’s a wild thing to claim to Page Six! I guess Lisa Richards probably figures that Kate won’t bother to deny it. Little does she know, that’s one of the few things Kensington Palace bothers to correct: reports of Botox and reports of extensions. Anyway, if I was a top-notch hair salon, I wouldn’t want my brand associated with Kate’s janky hairpieces and Loretta Lynn wigs, but that’s just me.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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56 Responses to “NYC hair salon: We had it ‘confirmed’ that Princess Kate wears our extensions”

  1. Inge says:

    Remember the visible hair extension KP claimed was a childhood scar?

    I think they might use these extensions at her local salon.

  2. aquarius64 says:

    What does this woman want a royal warrant?

  3. Jais says:

    I’ve seen people getting extensions in the hair salon and it looks like an extensive process, like hours long. So I’m guessing the application and then the maintenance of the extensions is pretty important. I’m guessing? But either way, I don’t believe this story.

    • Pinkosaurus says:

      You know, I think I believe this story because this woman has such a prestigious list of clients, why throw the PoW in there if it’s not true? Kate’s hair has looked janky for a while so I I’m guessing that her wiglets are high cost and high quality, but she’s ordering from the US with no one in Britain to maintain and style them properly.

      • Jais says:

        Okay, that part could be true. Just ordering them from the store could be real. Who knows?

      • Smart&Messy says:

        I agree, she doesn’t need to lie about a celebrity client when she has a dozen others and is lready considered an it salon. Especially because Kate is a less followed and influential celebrity in the US and especially in NY circles than Gigi, Paris or even a Real Housewife. The latter have way more selling power for a local hair salon. So I think it’s true and she wanted to drop her name to let celebs in other countries know that they can order her stuff.

      • Becks1 says:

        My guess is if this is true, she either wore them a while ago (and was making semi-regular trips to NYC, I mean she certainly has the time for it) or they were shipped to her and she had someone in the UK……um, apply them? insert them? I dont know the terminology LOL.

        It just seems very random to throw in Kate if she was never actually a client.

      • Christine says:

        I agree with this.

    • Berkeleyfarm says:

      My hairdresser does them (not for me) and says it really is quite a process.

  4. Tessa says:

    This will upset some of her ardent fans. One suggested she never wears makeup on comments section for DM

    • Chloe says:

      That is hilarious because you could paint a wall with the amount of foundation waity wears.

    • Proud Mary says:

      That’s hilarious. One of them posted a comment here after her cancer announcement video, to say that she wasn’t wearing any makeup and therefore, proof she had cancer. First of all, the idea she wasn’t wearing makeup is so silly. Several of us reminded the poster that, if the plan was to make her look sick, there’s lots of makeup for that too. Kate appearing in public without makeup. I don’t think that woman highly self-conscious even woman goes to bed without makeup on.

    • Pink tutu says:

      What do they think about her obvious plastic surgery? She had an eye lift or brow lift years ago. Look at those crazy witch brows.

    • Becks1 says:

      Those are the kinds of fans that do Kate no favors. Yes, she wears makeup. Yes, she has hair extensions/wiglet/maybe a full on wig sometimes. Why lie about it? Its okay to admit that she’s just a normal person who uses “extras” to look better in her public role.

      I mean the makeup thing is so laughable….she clearly wears makeup, as do lots and lots of women. Are we supposed to think that eyeliner is natural??

      • Cali says:

        Only on JD Vance…

      • WHAT says:

        Harry tattoo parlor

        Now Kate gets hair extensions so she can be an IT girl

        Please let me go find the barf bag

      • Nic919 says:

        Most of the others named by the hairstylist won’t even care because it’s normal to admit to use extensions. Not for Kate. She made her very first press release a denial of hair extensions despite the super visible edge that we never saw again. And they lied pretending it was a childhood scar of course with no details about the incident.

        So this is going to get into Kim Jong Un territory with her continued denials about any extensions, or botox because they want to pretend that Kate will never age.

      • Becks1 says:

        @nic919 exactly and its sad because if she stays in her current position, she’s going to age. What, is she going to use botox and extensions indefinitely so that she looks 40 at 80? that doesn’t work, you end up looking like a caricature.

        One of the appeals of QEII in my opinion was that she did age naturally, and I think it made people relate to her – people her age or thereabouts were aging with her, and younger people saw their own aging family members in her. She always reminded me of my grandmother and I’m sure that was true for many Brits (which I am not obviously) and so losing her had that feel of losing a grandmother in a distant way.

        People aren’t going to feel that with Kate.

    • Berkeleyfarm says:

      Yeah I see that sort of level of deliberate ignorance in royal forums. (Who at least aren’t claiming she’s not wearing makeup.) The same people who comment so minutely on hair would be shocked, SHOCKED to learn that the ladies use wigs/extensions for regular work. My unwritten thought is “well, honey, if there weren’t nasty minded people making bitchy comments, women in public life wouldn’t have to resort to this stuff”.

      (The exception seems to be that It Is Known that the Swedish royal hairdressers use pieces for gala occasions, but since they also use hair jewelry and set off the tiaras well, they get a lot of praise for it.)

  5. Digital Unicorn says:

    its possible that her hair stylists are buying the extensions from this salon and then shoving them on themselves which explains a lot.

    Due to the menopause I’m starting to lose hair but I have a great stylist who is cutting/styling it in a way that is better for my hair and makes it look thicker. Either Kate isn’t paying top dollar for a goos stylist or Ma is doing her hair for her.

    • Pink tutu says:

      Since menopause I’ve realized most older actresses with luscious hair have mostly fake hair. It’s hard for regular people to feel good when you’re always compared against people who probably spend thousands on hair and hair pieces and wigs. I don’t have much hair, and it affects me mentally at times. But adding fake hair would look crazy when it’s short /thin for years.

      • Myself says:

        I love the way they’ve been styling/handling Jean Smart’s hair in Hacks. They show her “real” hair as fairly short (looks lovely, but) when she’s performing or in the public eye, she’s wearing longer and styled hairpieces (I’m not sure if they’re wigs or other; not my area of expertise) just as a matter of fact – it’s part of her routine when she’s getting ready. (of course, I also just plain adore Jean Smart….)

    • Jay says:

      I think in Hollywood, it would be easier to count the actors and celebrities who don’t use any hairpieces or extensions of some kind! It’s not just vanity, it’s also helpful in filming a series or movie to keep the style consistent.

      I would do it, too, if I had a role in the public eye or was going to be facing cameras every day! At the very least I’d have a professional makeup artist on call.

  6. Nanea says:

    As a business, I wouldn’t want to be associated with hovering wig(let)s or badly blended bundles.

    But if RPZL feel like going out there, it’s on them to deal with the delulu Derangers.

    • Smart&Messy says:

      Some of them truly looked like they were hovering a centimeter above her real hair.
      The collection of photos here reminded me how unwell she looked last fall and that her “hair” was consistently styled to cover her temple and part of her eyebrows.

      • Ennie says:

        To cover those botoxed to tne nines eyebrows, especially that left brow that keeps wanting to retire.
        Those brows were botoxed probably as a minilift for her flaccid upper lids. My mom had those, they covered her upper movable lid.
        This lady is trapped into wanting anti aging stuff, and having to look as if she was born that way.

    • Dee(2) says:

      I have personally never understood how she could go outside with her hair looking as bad as it did a lot last year. She has so much wealth that she has access to even if it’s not her own, that her coming out looking like she put a Party City wig on top of her head never made any sense to me. You could right now type in extensions, lace front, v part installation on YouTube and have a thousand videos come up of men and women installing wigs and extensions in their hair in 30 minutes or less. So if I was this business I would not want the end result that she shows up in public with to be associated with me.

      • Smart&Messy says:

        My conclusion about last fall is that she not only tried to pass off wigs and hair pieces as her own hair, but style them in a particular way to cover something on her head or face. The long thick bangs/wings looked terrible styled to fall into her face, especially with the back being so long. Was it a scar, other skin issue or the lack of her natural hairline?

      • Interested Gawker says:

        I believe she wanted ‘her fans’ to worry for her but they are all so primed to defend anything she does as perfect she watched critics point out the bad wigs, plasters and holding her stomach with increasing concern and bafflement while KP bots insisted we were all horrible judgmental people, she played with her kids and got hurt, maybe she’s pregnant again, rinse and repeat. Kate wanted a ‘we love Meghan-esque’ groundswell of support without actually disclosing what was going on with her and got ‘vigorous defense’ instead that ultimately helped William, not her. I do think her acting out at the South Korean state visit was frustration over not having that moment occur.

  7. sevenblue says:

    Maybe the person doing her hair is sourcing them from this hair salon, but I am sure they would make them sign NDA or smt. I don’t think, they would be allowed to use Kate’s name for publicity.

  8. kirk says:

    I hate those padded headbands Princess Beatrice wears. IIRC women in Brit-royal type environments have to adhere to dress code that requires they wear some kind of hat or headpiece. I also hate those teensy little hats that are perched on top of a bouffant hairdo. Like that ugly thing Kitty was wearing at Commonwealth Service in 2020 when she was glowering at Meghan. Ugh.

    • Jaded says:

      They’re called fascinators. I don’t know why, there’s nothing fascinating about them other than “it fascinates me that someone would willing wear something so silly”.

  9. Hypocrisy says:

    There is nothing wrong with wearing extensions or wigs, I don’t understand why you would hide that. Seems like a non issue or at least it should be. I have had hair loss issues on and off throughout my life I’m all for extensions and wigs🤷🏼‍♀️

    • Proud Mary says:

      There’s also nothing wrong with wearing Botox. But KP has issued a statement refuting that claim I personally have zero issue with anyone doing what they can to enhance their appearance. But it’s the whole idea that Kate is not a “mere mortal,” that’s the problem. She can undergo cancer treatment and come out looking better than she did before the cancer announcement. She can give birth, and moments later, trips down the Lindo wing in heels and makeup, like she’s on a runway. She disappears for 3 months, and returns to public life looking like she used a surrogate. Her fans love that image of her. That’s a lot to live up to.

    • Honey says:

      Agree with nothing wrong with wearing extensions — many, many male and female celebrities do. Even Meghan, I suspect. Who cares?

      • Interested Gawker says:

        Princess Catherine will care.
        Kate famously denies her use of them and her bots on SM are primed to jump in defense of her natural hair not needing augmentation. William knows this piece will irritate her. How they expect them to reign together is a mystery. William wants to malign her and keep her from having any popularity of her own which in turn shoots himself in the foot because his queen’s popularity is an extension of his reign.

    • Jais says:

      There’s definitely not a problem with extensions or hair pieces. For me, it’s the fact that KP has gone on the record, something they swear they never do, but no, they’ve gone on the record in the past to say she didn’t have hair extensions or Botox. Fine, okay, whatever. It was apparently important enough for them to refute that on the record. And yet, they absolutely couldn’t go on the record to deny that Meghan made Kate cry. They never had to say it was actually Kate who made a stressed out bride cry. All they had to do was go on the record and say it wasn’t true that Meghan did. But nope, instead they said oh no we can’t do that. And yet they could do it for hair extensions and Botox? GMAFB. Of course, let’s be real, they couldn’t deny a story that they themselves had planted. But either way, it’s just a fact that KP will complain and explain on record about anything having to do with Kate’s appearance but then turn around and pretend like their hands are tied when it comes to actual lies about Meghan. That’s just not kind behavior, sure as anything it ain’t demure.

      • Nic919 says:

        This is it. She took the time to have her press secretary explicitly deny the use of hair extensions and botox, which is obviously false, but remains silent to this day about the false crying story.

  10. chatter says:

    I’d be more impressed if Kate would stop with all the hair stuff, get a new style completely.
    Seems her hair and fashions are constant topics of press.
    Set a new fashion style, go natural. And much shorter for a change.

    • Smart&Messy says:

      She would make headlines for days with a shoulder length flat ironed hairstyle. But I don’t think she will ever do that. Unless Meghan does something drastic with her hair, you know.

    • Interested Gawker says:

      MaMidds missed a trick with that. They could have pivoted to a shorter hairstyle when Kate went to Trooping and cemented the ‘she must have had cancer’ business. I wonder if that was possible with Kate’s facial issues though…

  11. Lynwall says:

    Sorry but I am not sure why a company would want to claim Kate’s extensions.

  12. manda says:

    “We’re the only place you can walk in and get same-day extensions in the world.” What does this mean? That they take walk-ins and you don’t need an appointment? Bc my salon can give you extensions in one appointment, I feel like any salon that offers extensions can? Is it really a flex that you don’t need an appointment? (Which I doubt….) I know this is a minor detail, but I am confused

    • Becks1 says:

      I’m interpreting it as, they have so many extensions in stock that you can just walk in and pick something out and have it…..installed….that same day, and it will look good enough even if you’re Gigi Hadid?

  13. Audrey says:

    Are we telling tales out of school? Love it ! Good for the goose, good for the gander.

  14. Interested Gawker says:

    Being Page Six I feel this is half a ‘tell people she has hairpieces to push back on her hair looking too good for being a cancer patient’ and half ‘oh my, friends at surprised Kate isn’t wearing Big Blue’ stirring from William with a dash of ‘attach WanK to NYC even though Harry already left days ago’. Extensions are one of the most notorious claims Kate specifically denied. It feels like William’s camp skewering her for making that video.

  15. Eurydice says:

    It could be that Kate got these extensions once several years ago. As for brand association, the mainstream press tends to publish the most flattering photos and I don’t think most people scrutinize Kate’s hair as much and as often as we do. Kate’s claim to fame is long hair and I think those who don’t watch the royals leave it at that.

    • Becks1 says:

      True -I think most people when they think of her hair think of her engagement photocall, her wedding, and maybe one or two other major events like a Trooping or something, if that.

  16. Lizzbert says:

    Don’t you dare besmirch Loretta Lynn!

  17. Miss Scarlett says:

    I read this as she buys their extensions (and is therefore technically a client), but she’s having them shipped to the UK and then her person puts them in.

  18. Gabby says:

    I wouldn’t want my name or business on anything associated with Waity, but to each her own.
    Now she can get to work creating beard wiglets (biglets?) for William.

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