While the runways serve up lofty beauty inspiration, most of us don’t have a crack team of stylists getting us out the door each morning. That’s why it’s on the heads of New York, London, Milan and Paris’s busiest fashion girls that real-life hair trends are born. From romantic plaits to polished bobs and tousled pixie cuts, the sidewalks of Manhattan have delivered a crash course in functional, high-impact spring hair.
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September in London was drenched in sunshine, and the city’s most stylish residents turned out in force for London Fashion Week. While New York leaned into sporty references (yes, we’re still thinking about those soccer shorts), London, always fashion month’s wildcard, moved to its own beat. This is the city that birthed punk, shoegaze and Britpop, and this season, its street style and beauty trends paid homage to that unruly lineage. Between neon-lit venues and cobblestones, grunge hair stole the spotlight. From faded dye jobs and intricate gothic plaits to mullets and teased halos reminiscent of The Cure and Siouxsie Sioux, the hair trends we spotted tapped directly into the city’s subcultural roots.
Throughout Fashion Month, we’ll be keeping our eyes on the streets, bringing you the best hair looks for summer from New York, London, Paris and Milan. Read on for the looks from London and New York.
Spring Hair Trends At London Fashion Week
Mullets:
The mullet has been trending for a while, but in London, it felt especially at home. We saw every iteration: grown-out pixies morphing into shaggy half-mullets, razor-cut versions, and softer, more feminine takes. This style was often worn with oversized girly accessories from floral earrings to exaggerated puff sleeves, and we loved it.
Ornamental Plaits:
LFW attendees took braids out of the boho playbook and pushed them into fantasy territory. Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel’s look featured cornrow braids and two sculptural pigtails tied as playful, intricate bows at the back of her head. Elsewhere, plaits doubled as jewellery, with strands threaded through necklaces and charms so they moved with the body.
Slicked Back Halo Hair:
There’s (reportedly) nothing new under the sun, but we saw a distinct silhouette in London. Hair was slicked back tightly at the crown, then either the natural texture was left loose or the mane was teased outward in a soft frizz that framed the head like a halo. Siouxsie Sioux would be proud. We haven’t seen it before on the streets in London. To varying degrees, hair was slicked back or teased in an explosive halo that felt like its own ornament.
Faded Colour:
Dye jobs at LFW weren’t fresh from the salon. Instead of bottle-fresh balayage, the hair was painted in washed-out shades of highlighter pink, blue, scarlet, and copper that looked like they’d been rinsed under club lights a hundred times.
Spring Hair Trends From New York Fashion Week
Ripple Waves
Ultra-long hair styled in soft ripple waves that cascade down the back like a waterfall. Equal parts ethereal and beachy, this mermaid moment is a soft-power hair trend. It’s a dreamy way to make long hair feel intentional rather than grown out, and we’ve seen it on everyone from downtown cool girls to models off-duty. Anthony Nader of RAW Hair salon says the look is ideal for all hair types. “This will plump up even the finest of hair strands and give unruly hair textures more control and definition; it oozes model off-duty vibes while still feeling relaxed.”
There are two ways to achieve this look, one that will suit the lazy girls (us) and another for the perfectionists (…). “The lazy way is to start the look before you go to bed. With 80% damp hair, apply a volumising spray all over and brush through, then divide the hair evenly into four sections and plait the lengths.” In the morning, unravel and viola, your hair will be gloriously rippled. If you can’t stand the idea of sleeping with damp hair, you have options. A triple-barreled curling iron, like the Silver Bullet, City Chic Triple Barrel Curling Iron ($64.95).
The Pixie Cut
And now at the other end of the spectrum. While bobs of all lengths have been trending for over a year, recently we’ve been seeing a shorter crop en vogue. From bixies to pixies, face-framing styles have been trending up necklines in 2025. At New York Fashion Week, stylish attendees demonstrated how easy the trend is to pull off, showcasing soft layers and tousled looks. Jaye Edwards of Edwards & Co salons says the pixie is more wearable than you might think.
“Pixies get a reputation for being a bold move, but in truth they can be incredibly versatile,” he explains. According to Edwards, there’s a pixie cut to flatter every face shape. “If you have a rounder face, keeping length around the crown or side-swept bangs will elongate and balance your features.” For those with stronger jawlines, he suggests softening things up. “Strong jawlines and square shapes look amazing with softer, feathered textures to take the edge off.”
Oval faces, meanwhile, have the most room to play. “If your face is more oval, you can get away with the most classic cropped pixie; it’s like a blank canvas,” Edwards says.
Beyond its adaptability, Edwards highlights one of the cut’s biggest advantages: it’s easy to live with. When it comes to styling, he reaches for a simple matte texturising paste, like the O&M Matte Texture Paste ($42.95), to give the look just the right finish.
The Kick Bob
Blunt, jaw and shoulder grazing bobs with kicked out ends were having a moment on the streets of NYC. The Margot Tenenbaum-esque look is a little retro, a little French, and a very easy way to add some je ne sais quoi to your look. Whether you’re fully committed to the style or are looking to add some polish to a bob in its awkward mid-length phase, this look is a flick of a hair straightener or a hot brush away.
Anthony Nader of RAW says this bob is so much more than an awkward mid-length style. “Embrace this length now and flip out those ends with intention, its very French girl!” he says. How you flip your lengths depends on your hair. If you’re hair is thick and wavy, he recommends a flat iron like the LTN Wide Styler ($125.97) “Flatten out your hair from roots to ends and bevel the last 1-2 inches outwards,” he says. If you’re hair is soft and loses its shape quickly, Nader recommends using a mousse like Oribe, Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse ($56) for extra grip.
Hair Accessories Doing The Work
The devil worked hard, but hair accessories worked harder in New York City. At Copenhagen Fashion Week, we saw streets full of bandanas and head scarves, but at NYFW, it was all about playful clips and oversized scrunchies. Whether you’re keeping your hair up in 30-degree heat or just want to elevate a sleek ponytail, oversized scrunchies, claw clips, and bedazzled barrettes reigned supreme at NYFW. A practical and photogenic hair trend we can get behind. The trick with hair accessories? “Don’t overthink placement,” says Nader. “Your hair accessory should be fun, so pick one or two that reflect your personality.” We find Etsy to be a great place to browse for kitsch and cute pieces.
If you’re hair is slippery, barrettes and bows can pose an issue. When accessorising, it’s best to provide some extra grip. “If you want more grip in your hair, dirty it up a fraction using a dry shampoo,” says Nader. He recommends Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo ($70.55), a cult favourite of beauty editors and backstage hairstylists. “That way your accessories will stay put all day.” Perfection.
Waterfall Plaits
Seen trailing down the bare backs of fashion week attendees, the waterfall plait is summer’s prettiest hair trend. Unlike traditional plaits or Dutch braids, this look feels loose and whimsical — a softer, more romantic nod to Y2K beauty. It’s boho, it’s charming, and yes, it may take a bit of practice. But when it works, it really works. Jaye Edwards says practice makes perfect with this trend. “The trick is to work by feel, not sight. Start with your hair prepped with a little grip,” he says, recommending a texture spray like O&M W-Spray ($42.95), a wax mist that adds separation and buildable texture while taming frizz and flyaways for the soft, shiny waterfall look. “Divide sections cleanly and use a handheld mirror to help you check back as you go.” The tools you need are pretty simple: thin hair elastics, bobby pins and a good hairspray. Edwards says he likes to add a shine spray at the end for extra reflection. He favours Shirley’s Secret, Thick Fix UV Hair Mist ($49.00) for the perfect finish.