Robert Powls, the co-founder of hair tools brand GHD and founder of Cloud Nine Hair, has died at the age of 79.
Powls was a “once-in-a-generation innovator who changed how women styled their hair – forever,” said Cloud Nine Hair in a post on Instagram announcing his death.
He co-founded GHD – short for ‘good hair day’ – with Martin Penny and Gary Douglas.
Launched in 2001, the company’s straightener-curler hybrid tool took the beauty world by storm and the term ‘GHD’ became shorthand for straightening hair.
Powls went on to found professional hair tools brand Cloud Nine Hair in 2009.
“He began in the salon, listening,” said Cloud Nine Hair in the Instagram post, paying tribute to its founder.
“He understood something others didn’t: hair isn’t just about how it looks, but how it makes you feel – confidence, identity, freedom.
“Driven by that belief, Robert travelled the world in search of a better solution.
“In Seoul, South Korea, he helped pioneer groundbreaking ceramic technology that transformed performance and created an entirely new category.
“First with GHD, then with Cloud Nine, Robert gave women the power to style their hair on their own terms – to experiment, to express themselves, to be in control.
“A perfectionist to the end, he remained deeply involved in every product we created.
“His thinking, his standards, his DNA run through everything we do.
“His legacy isn’t just what he built. It’s the freedom he gave millions.”
Jeroen Temmerman, CEO of GHD, said: "Robert’s impact on this industry is immeasurable.
"His creativity and leadership shaped the craft for generations, and his legacy lives on in every salon and every stylist he inspired.
"At GHD we send our deepest condolences to his family and all who knew him."