Noughties trends make striking comeback at London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week’s autumn/winter 2026 shows heralded a striking return to high-shine, pin-straight hairstyles, signalling a decisive shift back to noughties-inspired aesthetics. After seasons dominated by voluminous blow-dries and bohemian textures, a sleeker, more controlled look took centre stage, with hair pressed to a precise, sharp finish across multiple runways.

This dramatic change was particularly evident at Chet Lo, where lead stylist Anna Cofone, global creative advocate for Authentic Beauty Concept, crafted what she termed "glass straight" hair. This immaculate style was designed to complement the designer’s sculptural, high-impact silhouettes. Backstage, teams meticulously sectioned hair with surgical precision, using fine-tooth combs to create razor-sharp centre partings. Straighteners then glided over each panel until the hair reflected light like liquid, devoid of any bend, fluff, or excess movement.

Cofone explained the inspiration behind the look to the Press Association, stating: "The inspiration for the look is pulling from south-east Asian identity, drawing from the iconic head-dresses of the Peking opera. In opera they use ostrich feathers as an extension of the performance […] so we wanted to bring that into the hair. You’ll see these beautiful moments where they have ostrich feathers and we wanted to do it in a simple modern way – the hair is glass straight." This cultural reference was translated through sculptural feather placements that extended horizontally, creating an almost aerodynamic effect.

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What elevated the look from theatrical to modern was its immaculate foundation: ultra-flat, mirror-like strands, either tucked neatly behind the ears or falling bluntly against the jawline. Finishing sprays amplified the shine, giving the hair an almost vinyl sheen under the lights. Cofone believes this resurgence of straight hair reflects a broader beauty trend. "I think we’ll see [straight hair] quite a lot this coming season as we’ve had a lot of big hair and a lot of movement, texture so I love the idea of glass straight coming back in," she added.

Following seasons of soft waves, natural curls, and voluminous eighties blow-dries, autumn/winter 2026 suggests a distinct swing towards structure. The noughties’ flat-iron culture and poker-straight lengths have been refined into something more architectural. On the runway, the effect was dramatic; centre-parted bobs were cut blunt and severe, their symmetry underscored by feathers piercing outwards from behind the ears. This hyper-sleek texture created a compelling tension against Chet Lo’s spiked knitwear and sheer layers.

Precision also defined Paul Costelloe’s autumn/winter 2026 show. While Chet Lo’s interpretation was graphic and directional, Costelloe’s was controlled and classical. Toni and Guy global creative director Cos Sakkas led the hair team, crafting a look that mirrored the Irish designer’s powerful tailoring. Hair was smoothed to a high-shine finish before being drawn into a low, sculpted chignon at the nape. A crisp centre parting reinforced the sharp lines of Costelloe’s suiting, with shine again being paramount, creating an almost lacquered surface that complemented the collection’s structured coats.

Costelloe’s aesthetic leaned towards power dressing, while Brazilian-born designer Karoline Vitto’s autumn/winter 2026 runway demonstrated how sleek hair could also frame sensuality. Models wore slicked-back styles that hugged the scalp, their clean finish emphasising bone structure and allowing the brand’s signature cut-outs and draped silhouettes to take centre stage. The hair’s shine mirrored the fluidity of the fabrics, reinforcing the body-conscious nature of the designs.

Previous seasons celebrated individuality through natural movement and airy volume, exemplified by Chloe’s seminal autumn/winter 2024 show, which ignited the bohemian-wave hair trend. However, hair is now sharpening clothing rather than competing with it. The severity of a centre part, the gloss of flattened strands, and the discipline of a low bun are all details that elevate, rather than overwhelm, a look.

This trend aligns with the predictable 20-year cycle, reimagining the early 2000s obsession with straighteners through a high-fashion lens. Shine, in particular, is emerging as the defining beauty trend. Following the rise of "glass skin," we now have "glass hair." Whether worn loose and blade-straight as at Chet Lo, coiled into a controlled chignon at Paul Costelloe, or slicked neatly back at Karoline Vitto, gloss is the unifying factor. London Fashion Week’s backstage beauty scene made one thing unequivocally clear this season: the era of glass, straight hair is officially back.