At Paris Fashion Week SS26, globally renowned colour, care and styling brand, Schwarzkopf, reaffirmed its place at the heart of fashion’s most directional moments.
Partnering with leading session stylists Anthony Turner, Pablo Kuemin and Claire Grech, the brand brought five distinct yet interconnected hair stories to life across the runways of Acne Studios, Anne Demeulemeester, Giambattista Valli, Vivienne Westwood and Paloma Wool. Each look embodied a dialogue between precision and freedom, discipline and emotion – from Turner’s sculptural athleticism at Acne and windswept romanticism at Ann Demeulemeester, to Kuemin’s sculptural elegance for Giambattista Valli and undone, sun-drenched polish at Paloma Wool, to finally Grech’s unapologetically individual, punk-inflicted textures for Vivienne Westwood. United by Schwarzkopf’s Session Label range, the shows celebrated hair as both craft and character – a modern reflection of confidence, creativity and couture-level hair artistry.
Acne Studios
Schwarzkopf partners with hair lead, Anthony Turner for Acne Studios SS26 in Paris where precision meets softness and structure meets spontaneity.
For the Acne Studios SS26 show, internationally acclaimed session stylist Anthony Turner brought the designer’s sharp yet sensual aesthetic to life through the hair, using globally renowned colour, care and styling brand Schwarzkopf. Inspired by two of the most influential photographers of the late 20th century - Herb Ritts and Robert Mapplethorpe – Turner directed looks that were both sculptural and refined, yet carried a raw, effortless edge.
Hair was inspired by a muse of these photographers’ style. Backstage, Hair Lead Anthony Turner explained, “She’s athletic and unapologetically confident. A woman unafraid of stepping into men’s tailoring, unafraid to push her hair into new, rebellious territories. The sleek braid delivers the athleticism, while the fringe strikes a note of defiance. Together, it’s a portrait of power: a strong, fearless woman who owns every part of herself. Working with Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label range gave me the precision, hold and fluidity I needed to bring that vision to life.”
The hair was treated as an extension of the collection’s narrative – clean, architectural silhouettes with streaks of rebellion, creating modern tension between control and freedom.
Get the look
- Prep: Mist Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Thickener through damp hair to build a lasting foundation with subtle root lift.
- Style: Work Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Mousse into roots and mid-lengths, then blow-dry with tension for a voluminous yet controlled base. Smooth and refine lengths, sculpting into braids or leaving softly textured waves, depending on the model’s look.
- Finish: Lock the silhouette with a fine mist of Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Flexible for weightless control. Apply a touch of Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Serum through the ends for polish, light reflection and fluid movement.
Hero products
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Thickener, £17.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Mousse, £20.25
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Flexible, £17.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Serum, £20.25
Giambattista Valli
Schwarzkopf partners with hair lead, Pablo Kuemin for Giambattista Valli SS26 in Paris, showcasing sculptural timeless elegance and strength.
For the Giambattista Valli SS26 show, internationally acclaimed session stylist Pablo Kuemin brought the designer’s vision to life through the hair, using globally renowned colour, care and styling brand Schwarzkopf.
Drawing inspiration from the timeless Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, Keumin created sleek yet fluid hair, the result was a sculptural silhouette that merged classical beauty with modern edge. With 17th century shapes and cuts through the Valli’s collection, the hair look balanced discipline and fluidity, capturing the duality at the heart of this Spring/Summer 26 vision.
Pablo Kuemin, Hair Lead said: “The idea was to give the girls strength and edge while still referencing softness. The challenge was to create hair that felt tougher, less traditionally feminine, but still undeniably beautiful. The slick finish creates discipline, while the waves add movement and grace. The result: a polished, modern take on classical beauty – strong, refined and quintessentially Giambattista Valli. Hair was slicked back close to the scalp using Session Label The Jelly to build a hardened glossy silhouette that framed the face and suggested the elegance of a turban inspired by the oil painting. At the back, sculpted delicate finger waves were locked in with Session Label The Flexible and finished with Session Label The Coat for shine – a nod to fabric caught in the wind, subtle yet commanding.”
Get the look
- Prep: A discreet micro-braid was created at the nape to act as an anchor. Hair was evenly misted and slicked back with Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label:The Jelly, section by section, for a high-shine, sculpted base.
- Style: At around 60% dry, a sharp side part was defined while the hair remained pliable. The back was shaped into delicate S-curves, secured with clips and locked in place using Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label:The Flexible.
- Finish: Ends were rolled into a compact tuck at the nape. The look was sealed with Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Coat for polished shine and refined flyaway control.
Hero products
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Jelly, £20.25
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Flexible, £17.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Coat, £20.25
Vivienne Westwood
Schwarzkopf partners with hair lead, Claire Grech for Vivienne Westwood SS26 in Paris, creating iconic London hair looks with punk vibes, roller sets and character.
For the Vivienne Westwood SS26 show, session stylist Claire Grech brought the designer’s vision to life through the hair, using globally renowned colour, care and styling brand Schwarzkopf. The inspiration was characters, with a variety of hair looks throughout the show, all celebrating London and the diversity of Londoners’ everyday hairstyles. With diverse looks across the cast, Grech embraced the character, colour and texture of some of the models, while others were given more voluminous, textured styles with a punk edge. Featuring frizzy, clamped braids, big volume and roller sets filled with body and hold, evoking a night-out feel.
Using Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label range, Grech shared backstage: “It’s all about individuality. As an iconic London brand, it’s celebrating these iconic London characters through cool textures that remind me of 80s punk and messed-up blow-dry looks. For each look, we created the foundation using Session Label’s The Mousse and The Thickener, then blow-dried the product in to get loads of hold and body. We finished with The Strong and The Texturizer for that grit and hold afterwards, just to keep everything in place.”
Get the look
- Prep: Apply Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Mousse and The Thickener, blow-dried the products in for volume and hold and as the foundations for styling.
- Style: Use Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Strong Hairspray for long-lasting hold.
- Finish: Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Texturizer for grit and further hold.
Hero products
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Mousse, £17.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Thickener, £17.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session The Strong Hairspray, £18.55
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Thickener, £17.85
Ann Demeulemeester
Schwarzkopf partners with hair lead, Anthony Turner for Ann Demeulemeester SS26 in Paris, creating windswept and romantic hair through to mosh pit drenched.
For the Ann Demeulemeester SS26 show, internationally acclaimed session stylist Anthony Turner brought the designer’s romantic and bohemian hair vision to life using globally renowned colour, care, and styling brand Schwarzkopf. Inspired by period silhouettes, the hair journey transported audiences from the soft romance of Austen-era looks to contemporary, sweat-drenched styles - from a basketball court to a mosh-pit gig.
Turner explained: “It begins with two Jane Austen characters who have fallen in love, then moves to a basketball game and onto a gig. It starts very romantic, then progresses - getting a bit sweatier and sexier at the basketball game - and finally becomes fully drenched from the mosh pit. It’s very rock ’n’ roll.”
The hair carried an emotional quality, enhancing texture and storytelling using Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label range:
“The Paste and The Texturizer were the hero products - they gave me the romance but also the drenched look. Working with Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label gave me the precision, hold, and fluidity I needed to bring that vision to life.”
Get the looks
- Romantic Period Characters: Using Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label: The Thickener, matte the hair down and partially prime before going back through with Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label: The Salt spray using your fingers. Avoid brushes or combs, that makes the look too cosmetic and manicured. This should still feel lived-in and natural.
- Basketball Chic: Apply Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label: The Thickener and The Salt, then dry in. Next, work a small amount of The Paste into the roots and around the hairline to create a dewy, slightly sticky texture, adding warmth and sex appeal.
- Mosh Pit Goth: Work Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label: The Paste throughout the hair in sections, dragging it through from root to tip. This creates a cool, smashed-down, separated look: raw, edgy, and perfectly mosh-pit goth.
- Finish: Secure any headpieces with a few pins, pull out some soft sections of hair for texture, and set the look with Schwarzkopf Professional’s Session Label: The Strong hairspray.
Hero products
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Thickener, £17.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Salt, £14.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Paste, £16.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Strong Hairspray, £18.55
Paloma Wool
Schwarzkopf partners with hair lead, Pablo Kuemin for Paloma Wool SS26 in Paris, showcasing undone holiday salon blow-dries.
For the Paloma Wool SS26 show, internationally acclaimed session stylist Pablo Kuemin brought the designer’s vision to life through the hair using globally renowned colour, care and styling brand Schwarzkopf.
Kuemin shared that the inspiration came from: “The woman who seemingly has it all. She has the high-flying job, the husband, and three children. She is off on holiday, beginning with the perfect salon blow-out. A few days into her holiday, her hair becomes unkempt - resembling a ‘morning-after’ vibe following a romantic evening with her husband,” Kuemin explained backstage at the show.
The salon blow-dry is becoming undone, with barrels and clips in place. The blowout shape remains, but now with roughness and imperfections. The hero products to achieve this aesthetic are from the Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label Range: with The Mousse applied section by section at the roots to create salon-level volume during the blow-dry, followed by The Flexible Hairspray to fix the curls and finally, The Texturizer is added for rough, lived-in touch-ups.
Polished yet imperfect, sophisticated yet carefree.
Get the look
- Prep: Prepping the hair with Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Mousse, root to tip, section by section
- Style: A voluminous salon-style blow-out using Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Flexible hairspray for holding the curls
- Finish: Roughen and toughen the look with Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label: The Texturizer for “the morning after” undone finish
Hero products
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Mousse 200ml, £17.85
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Flexible 500ml, £18.55
- Schwarzkopf Professional Session Label The Texturizer 300ml, £16.85