By: Chami Levy

Every business begins somewhere.

Some begin with an idea. Some begin with a product.

CIARA began with a conversation.

Before there was a showroom, a collection, or even a name, there were conversations – around kitchen tables, after weddings, in living rooms, over coffee, and during everyday moments with women from different stages of life.

What emerged was not one dramatic story, but a pattern they could not ignore.

Women were searching for wigs made from fine virgin hair – pieces that looked natural, felt comfortable, and could become part of their everyday lives. They wanted craftsmanship and style, but they also wanted something that felt thoughtful and attainable.

When Meir and Dina Zarchi’s son became engaged, those conversations became even more frequent. As wedding plans unfolded, discussions about sheitels naturally followed. The more they listened – to kallahs, mothers, friends, relatives, shluchos, and teachers – the more they realized they were hearing a concern shared by many.

Neither of them came from the sheitel industry.

But their backgrounds had prepared them for something important: recognizing a need and searching for a meaningful response.

Meir had spent his life approaching challenges with creativity, curiosity, and a drive to build solutions. Dina’s path took her in a different direction. After years devoted to raising her family, she joined JLI’s Wellness Institute, working with schools and organizations to expand access to mental health education for teenagers and the adults who support them.

Different journeys, but the same instinct: when people share a genuine need, listen first – and then find a way to help.

This felt like one of those moments.

The conversations were not simply about fashion. They reflected something deeper: a desire among many women for a sheitel they could feel confident wearing while also being mindful of the financial responsibilities of family life.

Before moving forward, they sought the Rebbe’s blessing and guidance, as they had done with other significant decisions in their lives. With that direction, they began learning an industry that was entirely new to them.

For eighteen months, they immersed themselves in every aspect of the sheitel world.

Their journey took them across continents – from Asia to Israel – following every step of the process. They studied how premium virgin hair is sourced and selected, explored construction methods, evaluated manufacturers, reviewed countless samples, refined colors and textures, adjusted densities, and focused on the details that transform a sheitel from something attractive into something truly exceptional.

This was never about simply creating another sheitel line.

It was about understanding what women truly needed.

By the time CIARA quietly opened its doors in Crown Heights in April 2026, thousands of decisions had already shaped the company – each one guided by a simple question:

What would allow a woman to feel her most confident, beautiful, comfortable, and natural?

That philosophy extends beyond the sheitel itself.

Visit the showroom on a typical afternoon, and you may find Dina beside a client, not behind a desk. One appointment may involve customizing a hairline until it blends seamlessly. Another may involve comparing shades, textures, and styles. Another may simply involve listening as a young kallah describes how she hopes to feel when she looks in the mirror after her wedding.

There is no rushing the process.

Every woman arrives with her own story, her own expectations, and her own vision. Each appointment is approached with patience, honesty, and care.

CIARA was created for women who fulfill the mitzvah of covering their hair after marriage and want a sheitel that allows them to feel confident, comfortable, and beautiful while honoring that mitzvah.

The name CIARA, rooted in the Hebrew word for “hair,” reflects that vision. CIARA was never simply about just creating beautiful wigs. It was about creating sheitels that enable women to feel like themselves.

That same vision shaped CIARA’s most important decisions: pricing.

The goal was never to create the least expensive sheitel available. Affordable options serve an important purpose for many women, and every woman’s needs are different.

CIARA was created to fill a different space.

The challenge was not simply creating a cheaper sheitel. Lower prices can always be achieved by compromising somewhere. The real challenge was creating a sheitel without compromising the things women notice most – the quality of the hair, the craftsmanship of the construction, the movement, and the feeling when they put it on.

CIARA set out to bring together premium virgin hair, thoughtful construction, current styles, and exceptional workmanship – while making that level of quality available to more women.

Luxury without unnecessary barriers.

The Rebbe spoke often about the beauty and significance of the mitzvah of kisuy rosh. For those behind CIARA, it became important to help ensure that financial limitations would not become the reason a woman felt she could not experience this mitzvah in the way she hoped.

Their contribution cannot solve every challenge facing the community.

But it can create another option.

Because at the end of the day, CIARA is not defined only by the sheitels hanging in its showroom.

It is defined by the woman who walks through the door.

The kallah experiencing her first sheitel appointment.

The mother who has spent years putting everyone else first and is finally choosing something beautiful for herself.

The woman searching for a sheitel that reflects her style while honoring a mitzvah that is deeply personal.

A sheitel is not just something a woman wears. It becomes part of how she feels, how she presents herself, and how she experiences a mitzvah that accompanies her every day.

That is what CIARA set out to build: a place where craftsmanship, style, and personal attention come together in a way that feels welcoming and accessible.

After eighteen months of listening, researching, and refining every detail, CIARA opened its doors in Crown Heights.

Now, the invitation is simple:

Come experience it for yourself.

www.ciarawigs.com – Instagram ciara_wigs