Amid the maze that is a backstage room at New York Fashion Week—a swath of models, hot tools and extension cords, and more hairspray than oxygen in the air—there I am, getting the scoop on all the up-and-coming hair trends. As a beauty editor, when I go backstage during New York Fashion Week, I’m chatting with hairstylists, getting a first look at the hair trends before they hit the runway, and connecting the dots to figure out which looks will actually define the season ahead. For spring 2026, that meant soft braids, embellished updos, deep side parts, and more.
While the fashion is always shown a full six months early, hairstyles don’t play by the same rules—anything we’re seeing backstage right now can be worked into your routine immediately. So even if these styles were paired with heavy coats and sky-high boots, they’re just as wearable with your breezy layers and open-toe shoes.
Ahead, the biggest spring hair trends we spotted backstage at New York Fashion Week (yes, they’re actually DIY-friendly) plus exactly how to get the look yourself.
Slept-In Curls
Backstage at Bronx and Banco, wispy, undone waves ruled. The hair almost looked second-day, like you’d curled it the night before and slept on it. This tousled, bedhead look makes sense in an era of heatless curls, too, where deconstructed looks feel more special than a perfected style. One way to achieve this is to add sporadic waves to your natural hair texture for a mismatched feel that won’t blend in together and look like a set of Utah curls (you know the vibe). Your hero product for a look like this is going to be dry shampoo or dry texture spray—both will help give hair movement and volume with a few spritzes.
Halo Braids
I get it: The Alysa Liu halo hair color is a big commitment. But the halo braid? Quick and easy. “We wanted to achieve a powerful and confident hair look that also felt effortless,” says hairstylist Evanie Frausto, who created the above look for the Cult Gaia show. “These halo braids are a statement yet flow at the same time.” And I already see these dominating the upcoming festival season.
Braids are best created on hair with a little bit of grit, so feel free to skip wash day, or just spritz in a dry texture spray to fake it (Frausto used TRESemme A-List Collection Dry Texturizing Spray). He created a true halo by starting the braids at the back of your head and crisscrossing them in the front. But feel free to make this easier on yourself by braiding your front pieces and pulling those back.
Side Swoop
May we finally lay to rest the slander on side parting. At Anna Sui, hairstylist Garren’s take on a romantic updo involved a major bouffant (entirely made of the models’ own hair, mind you) with a side-parted bang. “The inspiration was from the ’20s but also punk and romanticism,” he says. The side part, though, felt like a more modern addition. “It’s like you just tucked your hair behind your ear and your tendrils are falling down,” he explains.
Coquette Updos
“This look is very romantic and Victorian—ornate-looking, even,” says hairstylist Lacy Redway, who created this style for Alice + Olivia: a soft, textured braid loaded with adornments. Some models had their braids pinned up to create a soft updo that Redway also scattered pearls and gems throughout. A big part of this look for Redway was making it a protective style, so she hydrated strands with Amika Soulstruck Nourishing Dry Hair Treatment Mask before heat-styling and braiding. Once your braids are set, go in with your hair jewelry—lucky for us, pearl pins are super easy to order in bulk on Amazon.
Retro Blowouts
While the ’90s blowout isn’t going anywhere, a flippier version is taking hold for spring. At Sandy Liang, models received varying levels of curl to their ends depending on hair length, which makes things easy for us at home, too. A flat iron will be your best friend here, but make sure to layer on heat protectant (huge fan of Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Hair Bandage Balm for keeping ends smooth and protected). On one hand, things could go soft and polished here, à la this longer version, or more dramatic like this rolled-under bob.
Meet the experts:
- Evanie Frausto is a celebrity hairstylist and has worked with A-listers like Bella Hadid, Sabrina Carpenter, and more.
- Garren is a hairstylist who has been working in the beauty industry since the ’70s.
- Lacy Redway is a celebrity hairstylist whose work has appeared on red carpets and runways, as well as in editorials, music videos, and more.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
