Crimped Hair Returns at NYFW, Reinvented for 2027

Crimped hair walked three major runways at New York Fashion Week, and the stylists behind it treated the technique as precision work rather than a retro revival.

The looks broke sharply with the all-over crimping of the 1980s. Each designer received a different interpretation: subtle crimps hidden inside updos, bends blended with flat-iron waves, and structural crimps placed to trace facial features.

Who created the runway crimps?

At Christian Siriano, hairstylist Lacy Redway built what she called an "enchanted crimp." The style placed crimps strategically through the hair to give a "folklore" feel, according to Redway. She prepped the hair with TRESemmé's A-List Bonding Oil to make it sleek and glossy before setting the crimps.

At Christian Cowan, hairstylist Justine Marjan crimped what she described as rogue pieces within the hair. The bends appeared in updos with crimped front-framing pieces and in low ponytails. To soften the effect, Marjan blended the crimps with irregular flat-iron waves, making a dramatic look more wearable. She finished with the A-List Collection Dry Texturizing Spray to keep the hair looking imperfect.

At Area, hairstylist Joey George took the most architectural route. He added crimps around the eyes and chin to emphasize bone structure and create face-framing accents. The context fit: Area's Spring/Summer 2027 collection used unconventional materials, so unconventional hair followed.

How does this differ from the '80s and '90s versions?

The older crimping eras covered the whole head in uniform waves. The Fashion Week versions worked by placement and restraint. Some crimps sat nearly invisible inside an updo; others, as the source describes them, "blur the line between crimp and hot-tool blunder." The intent is texture used as an accent, not as the entire hairstyle.

Even viewers who owned a crimper in the 1990s can recognize the shift, the source notes: the current styling reads as deliberate and modern rather than nostalgic costume.

What does this mean for Spring/Summer 2027?

The runway does not require full mermaid waves come spring. The stylists' collective approach suggests a lower barrier to entry: a few expertly placed crimps here and there can carry the trend without anyone feeling, as the source puts it, like they were "transported back to the '80s."

For salons and styling brands, three named stylists deploying the technique across three major shows signals a texture trend with commercial traction heading into the Spring/Summer 2027 season.