Big hair has officially bounced back. As the fashion set gathers for London Fashion Week, curls have made a triumphant return to centre stage. Curly hair is often treated as messy and something to be tamed, softened or concealed. Texture is re-emerging as a focal point of beauty and identity. Curly hair is back. Big, bold, and unapologetic; natural curls are taking over runways, print, and digital spaces. Celebrities such as Zendaya, Chappell Roan, and Simone Ashley are leading the charge, abandoning uniform styling to let their inherited curls take the spotlight.
For over a decade, minimalism and beige dominated the fashion landscape, from understated interiors to soft makeup, largely driven by social media trends and figures championing the "clean girl" aesthetic. Today, as we pivot sharply away from muted restraint, consumers are demanding the death of beige and grey and a shift towards vibrant maximalism. From bag charms and brooches to bold eye makeup, statement earrings, and dramatic volume, the move is undeniable.
Whispers of eighties culture are also seeing an elevated revival for modern wearers, heavily fuelled by fashion-forward media like The Shards and Stranger Things. For some, it offers nostalgia; for others, an invitation to explore an era when clashing prints, statement curls, and deliberate excess reigned supreme.
This desire to be bold has dominated the runway. Polene has shown oversized, statement-making leather goods; Balenciaga brought back exaggerated shoulder pads and sharp tailoring, while Altuzarra showcased funnel-neck bomber jackets paired with dynamic, clashing prints. Over the next twelve months, fashion will lean entirely into this maximalist ideal: bigger is better, and beauty is following suit. Bold beauty is trending, and our hair demands presence.
Visualising this movement is an exclusive new editorial captured by high-fashion photographer Mateo Gallego and styled by Guilherme Tominaga. The story celebrates movement and high fashion through expressive, natural hair. Belgo-Brazilian model Karen Trezze embodies the look in a little black dress from Lilien, paired with striking makeup that creates a powerful contrast against her dramatic curls.
Styled by former Globo’s Character Concept Artist Ludiana Braz, Karen’s curls are free, voluminous, and rich with history. Her makeup features a soft eye and an impactful dark burgundy lip; a key colour for this winter. The precise lip lining and contour create a visual juxtaposition between freeing texture and controlled beauty. The balance between structured beauty and liberated texture creates an unforgettable, defining moment for the LFW season.
Of course, with big hair comes a haircare routine as unique as the curl itself. Texture requires a custom mix of care, fine-tuned over generations. Yet despite centuries of hair rituals, access to truly tailored products has flatlined until now. To achieve Karen's defined, bouncy curls, the editorial utilised Archetype, a natural haircare brand founded by entrepreneur Vanessa Freitas. Archetype draws on ancestral hair lineage to rewrite the future of hair care. Built on three years of botanical research, the brand analyses centuries-old natural rituals to deliver high-performance care through a tailored system: a natural shampoo foundation followed by customizable boosters designed to address individual hair and scalp needs. Moving from Brazil to Belgium in 2017 as a single mother and wellness practitioner, Vanessa built the brand from her kitchen, driven by her own search for effective solutions. She saw a gap in an oversaturated market. That hair products were failing women. With a respect for ancestral knowledge and a refusal to accept that haircare is comprehensive, she combined modern science with ancient hair care rituals to create a lifestyle brand that is sustainable, considerate and natural. Today, Archetype stands as an unapologetically diverse voice for women who reject generic commerciality and demand products that work.
Ultimately, The Return of the Curl celebrates natural beauty and the reclaimed power of volume. As culture shifts firmly into an era of maximalism, this editorial serves as a reminder to embrace natural texture and step into every room fully empowered.
Editorial Credits
Writer: Gena Aspinall-Martin (@genaaspinall_martin / @thebrandlibrary)
Archetype: @hair_archetype
Brand Founder: Vanessa Freitas @__vanessafreitas
Styling: Lilien Georgia @lilienstore_
Photographer: Mateo Gallego Restrepo (@mateogallego)
Videography and Creative Direction: Guilherme Tominaga (@bytominaga)
Model: Karen Trezze (@trezze.eu) Shaare Agency @shaare_agency
Hair & Makeup: Ludiana Braz (@ludibrazbeaute) & Luciana Carolina @lu.makeuparis
Retoucher: Studio Lanterne @studiolanterne and Valeriia Kobets @kleriiaa