At Erdem’s Autumn/Winter 2026 show, hair carried a quiet sense of freedom. Instead of rigid styling or overly polished finishes, strands moved naturally with the models as they walked the runway. Wispy tendrils framed faces, curls appeared soft and airy, and smooth styles retained a sense of movement rather than control.
The result felt personal rather than prescriptive. Hair wasn’t forced into a uniform aesthetic; instead, each model’s natural texture guided the final look. According to Hair Lead and KEVIN.MURPHY Global Professional Ambassador Eugene Souleiman, that authenticity was exactly the point.
Backstage at London Fashion Week, Souleiman shared the thinking behind the hair direction and the subtle techniques used to create styles that felt effortless while still carrying the refined edge Erdem is known for.
Natural Texture Takes The Lead
For Souleiman, the starting point for the Erdem show was simple–allow each model’s hair to remain recognisable. “I loved the idea that every girl should look like herself,” Souleiman explains. “It wasn’t about imposing a look — it was about taking her natural texture and pushing it forward.” Rather than creating identical styles, the backstage team worked with what each model naturally brought to the chair. Some wore soft waves that felt slightly undone. Others had smooth hair with a gentle bend and movement. Curls were encouraged to expand and soften rather than be reshaped or controlled. The overall effect was a collection of looks that felt authentic.
Hair That Feels Real
The Erdem collection featured delicate fabrics and sculptural silhouettes that carried a romantic, almost dreamlike quality. Souleiman approached the hair with the idea that it should balance that fantasy with something grounded and relatable. “It needed to feel real, so it didn't feel like it was styled in front of a mirror. It was like hair that women could do themselves; that's what we did.”
At the same time, the hair still needed to carry a sense of atmosphere that complemented the clothes walking the runway. “Because I thought the clothes were unreal and I felt like the hair needed to have this kind of reality to it that was real, but it also needed to have this otherworldly kind of quality that was more textural and more light. So really it was about us styling the hair with a very gentle hand, which is really quite nice because it didn't feel cosmetic, it felt really cool and very personal, but at the same time it was stylised and there was an edge, which I think for me as a hairdresser, that's probably the hardest thing to do. There was a real feeling behind it that was very personal.” To style hair that feels real, Souleiman put his finishing details on the show by enhancing little imperfections. “The finishing touch was intentional imperfection. I always like there to be something in the hair that isn’t too perfect.” He adds.
Creating Movement Backstage
Many of the garments in the Erdem collection featured soft pleats, lace and feathered textures that floated as the models walked. Souleiman wanted the hair to echo that same lightness and movement rather than feel structured or rigid. To achieve this, the styling process remained minimal. Hair was freshly washed and allowed to air dry so that each model’s natural texture remained visible. Before styling began, strands were lightly misted with water to reactivate movement.
From there, ANTI.GRAVITY was applied from a distance. Spraying the product lightly allowed it to settle gently across the surface of the hair, creating hold without visible stiffness. The technique enhanced the natural behaviour of each hair type–curls expanded slightly, straight hair appeared sharper, and any pulled-back styles retained softness instead of looking overly constructed.
Soft Lift and Texture
When additional structure was needed, Souleiman added a small dusting of POWDER.PUFF at the roots. This powder created subtle grip and lift, adding a soft haze of texture that kept the hair feeling light and slightly undone rather than overly polished. It also helped maintain volume under runway lighting without disrupting the relaxed character of the styles.
Why This Hair Feels So On Point
What made the hair at Erdem stand out this season was its freedom and restraint. Instead of dramatic shapes or highly styled finishes, the focus remained on texture, individuality and movement. That approach mirrors a shift happening across fashion and beauty right now. Clients are increasingly looking for styles that feel polished but still believable—hair that reflects their natural texture rather than masking it. At Erdem, that translated into a collection of looks that felt elegant yet approachable. Waves were imperfect, curls airy, and smooth styles carried just enough softness to avoid feeling rigid.
Images Courtesy of KEVIN.MURPHY
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