Are we in the celebrity brand era?

There’s Emma Chamberlain’s coffee. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. Hailey Bieber’s Rhode. Jessica Alba’s Honest Company. Cameron Diaz’s Avaline Wine. And what would be without Kim’s Skims? The list feels endless. 

Of course, while some celeb-preneurs feel aligned and involved with their brands, many don’t. We’ll spare you the exhaustive list, but we can tell you there’s plenty of tequila.

So when Shakira set out to create her hair care brand, Isima, she wasn’t just looking to slap her name on a beauty line. Instead, she wanted to build a brand that honored the complexity and diversity of hair, especially within the Latin community. At the heart of Isima’s mission is a belief that consumers can expect more from their hair products, as well as the design and experience of using them. 

The packaging, designed by Established, reflects a joyful maximalism that feels undeniably Shakira, with a visual identity that embodies the brand’s “más es más” philosophy. 

“In our first presentation to Shakira, we showed options with a single color, options with more muted colors, and options that were much more colorful. It became very quickly evident that Shakira is a lover of as much color as possible,” notes Sam O’Donahue, co-founder of Established. “She immediately took us outside to show us a custom car she had made in which the interior upholstery was a combination of several bold colors. That became the origin of the “mas es mas”  philosophy of the brand and the multi-colored palette.” 

Rather than shy away from boldness, the packaging leans into it with a vibrant, multi-color palette across several SKUs that never feels overwhelming. “Using this much color in a brand can be risky; the white space is a deliberate balance so that it is not too much,” shares O’Donahue. Generous white space was strategically woven in to offset the exuberant colors, creating a sophisticated yet playful look that feels refreshing rather than chaotic.

Shape plays just as crucial a role in Isima’s design language. With a product line dependent on functional pumps, which are often clunky or generic in hair care, the team started by reimagining the pump itself, creating a distinctive rounded-end design that became the core of the brand’s 3D identity. Each bottle and jar was built around this foundation, resulting in sleek, custom forms that feel luxurious and ergonomic in hand.

Color matching proved to be one of the most technically challenging aspects of the project. Different plastics often take on color inconsistently, but the team addressed this issue with a matte overspray finish, ensuring that the vibrancy of the palette remained uniform across all components. The final tactile experience is modern, premium, and approachable.

But it doesn’t stop there; the language was another nuanced design decision. While there was a strong desire to weave Spanish throughout the brand to honor Shakira’s roots and deeply resonate with her Spanish-speaking audience, there was also an eye for global appeal. The balance achieved here reflects a careful consideration of authenticity without limiting the brand’s reach.

“It is absolutely essential when working with a celebrity that they feel completely a part of their own brand. That’s vital. It’s something that bears their name, so they must feel proud of it. However, creating a successful beauty brand isn’t just a case of doing everything the celebrity wants. In many instances, we need to steer them in the right direction so that the consumer and their needs are also met,” expresses O’Donahue. “The product category is a huge factor as well, and that places many demands on the project. Ultimately, it is a delicate balancing act of winning the celebrity’s trust and building something they truly love but that also meets the commercial needs of the brand so that it is a financial success. Having done this so often, we have become very good at navigating these sometimes competing pressures.”

Ultimately, Isima’s packaging represents Shakira in an energetic, inclusive, and celebratory way without losing its scalability or general ability to compete with other brands in-store.