Prada and Stella McCartney embrace messy hair as Instagram follows suit

The fashion world has embraced a new trend in summer 2026, where models walk the runway with messy, bedhead-style hair. Fashion houses such as Prada and Stella McCartney have incorporated this look into their presentations during Milan Fashion Week. This trend, known as "messy hair," "bedhead style," and even "depression hair," is an intentional neglect of hair that appears to be shaped by exhaustion or emotional burnout.

At Prada's show, models sported loosely gathered hair, electrified ends, and dark eye makeup, complemented by sharp suits. Stella McCartney also featured models with loose, uncombed hair, balancing it with tailored suits. Other fashion weeks in London and New York adopted a similar look by using hair that appeared unfinished. High-end labels like Collina Strada and Coach also embraced this style, creating a contradiction between the luxury clothing and the messy hair.

The designer behind Collina Strada explained that the styling helps balance heavily detailed clothing and requires the wearer to adopt a nonchalant attitude. Celebrity hairstylist Guido Palau argued that messy hair does not signify neglect but rather signifies luxury through calculated effortlessness. The trend is a reaction against the clean aesthetic that dominated recent years, a response to the "quiet luxury" movement.

It also carries a nostalgic element, reminiscent of the grunge fashion of the 1990s that popularized unwashed-looking hair and deliberately worn-down clothing. To achieve the current trend, one should treat it as an attitude rather than a hairstyle, avoiding too precise styling and preserving the hair's natural texture with a little volume and movement.