Braided Hair Ruled the Spring 2025 Runways

Fashion weeks and runway shows have been around since 1943. And since then, twice a year, we wait with bated breath to see what the industry’s top designers have dared to create and, in turn, discover what we’ll be wearing, loving and suddenly open to trying. But fashion shows set the cultural tone for far more than our attire. This season, across the Big Four (Paris, Milan, New York and London), the uniqueness of braided styles was on full display.

“In the Spring 2025 Missoni show, there were a lot of zigzag prints in the clothes and graphic bold lines that Filippo Grazioli used in the textiles of the collection,” says Jawara, the show’s lead hairstylist and a frequent collaborator with A-listers like Beyoncé, Rihanna and FKA Twigs. “We had an idea to emulate that through the partings in the hair.”

Using GHD and Wella products, Jawara brought his vision to life by creating deep, structural parts throughout the hair. He paired them with delicate cornrows, which, he says, perfectly offset the playful textures and designs on the runway. That’s the thing about braiding hair: the intricate nature of the style makes it a statement in and of itself. But depending on a braid’s size, shape and design, it can transform into something extremely delicate or show-stoppingly ornate.

Take Lacoste as an example of the former. This season’s collection saw the French tenniswear brand celebrate the ease of leisure with bright, billowy silhouettes and relaxed knits. To embody that laid-back look, hairstylist Damien Boissinot kept the models’ hair simple and chic, opting for a slicked-back, fresh-out-of-the-water look. On some of the models with textured hair, he used small, individual cornrows to create a similar effect.

In London for Ahluwalia’s show, hairstylist Issac Poleon also went for a slicked-back look. The collection was inspired by the stories of immigrants who feel the lingering call of their ancestral homes. To honour the concept while maintaining a sense of cohesion among the models, Poleon created tight, small cornrows gathered at the nape of the neck.

This isn’t to say that braiding hair can’t be fun. Syoss brand ambassador Kiyoko Odo proved that in her work with cool-girl brand Chopova Lowena. Models wore long schoolgirl-style pigtails with ornate headpieces and intricate updos featuring braids shaped like butterflies, expanding on the gothic universe the brand so often plays in. Odo also created side-part loose braided bangs and wrapped a ballerina-style bun in braids. Her playful exploration and whimsical approach to these otherwise simple styles show just how much of a tool for creativity braids can be.

Working with designer Ulla Johnson — whose collection was inspired by the art of famed abstract expressionist painter Lee Krasner — renowned celebrity stylist Joey George used Oribe products to create braided styles that drew on the many intricate shapes and colours from Johnson’s collection. “I wanted something that felt a little dreamy and a little abstract,” he says. “I was immediately drawn to these spiral braids.”

George has made a name for himself at fashion weeks in recent years thanks to his efforts and care in styling textured hair into afros and braids. He says that as a white stylist, he has prioritized learning this skill. And perhaps that’s the most exciting thing about the popularity of this style on the runway.

While braids of all kinds are popular in many cultures, at their core they are distinctly and intrinsically Black. Cornrows, for example, can be traced back to 3000 BC and have been pivotal not only as a protective style but also in helping Black people communicate and connect with one another throughout history. To see them being embraced and appreciated as a means of creativity, expression and uniqueness will always be inherently profound.

“I want to incorporate the models’ cultures into what these brands are communicating with their clothes,” says George. “Braids are art. They come from that foundation of sculpture, rhythm and technique.”

This article first appeared in FASHION’s March 2025 issue. Find out more here.