The Zoltan Texture Review
Spring/Summer 2026
- The look: Smooth and glossy.
- Who it suits: Wavy hair (↓DOWN), frizzy hair (↓DOWN), curly hair (↓DOWN).
- How long it lasts: Done once, it carries you through the summer, into autumn.
- For men: For the blokes it’s smooth and controlled — shine without a tub of product.
- What’s in: Smooth and glossy. What’s not: Backcombed beehive volume.
Every season I keep notes. What my clients ask for in the chair on Maddox Street. What I see when I’m out in Soho and Shoreditch. What the catwalks in London, Milan and New York are trying to sell us.
Then I put it together. Some of it is fashion. Most of it is hair that has to survive London.
This is The Zoltan Texture Review — my notes for summer 2026.
“Smooth, swinging, real shine — not hairspray shine. That’s what London will want this summer.”
My look for summer: smooth and glossy.
This summer belongs to shine. Not the stiff, sprayed kind — smooth, swinging hair that moves and catches the light. If you take one thing from this review, take this.
“Summer is about hair that moves. Smooth, swinging, shining — real shine, not hairspray shine. Everyone wants the frizz gone — and nobody should have to iron it every morning to get there.”
How you get there depends on where your hair starts:
- Wavy hairDOWN
A Semi smooths the wave out and leaves the shine in. You still look like you — just better behaved.
- Frizzy hairDOWN
Semi or Demi — I decide on the day, once I’ve seen your hair. Either way, the frizz goes and the swing stays.
- Curly hairDOWN
A Permanent takes 80% or more of the curl out. Nothing is 100% — but this is as close as it gets.
Done once, it carries you through the summer, into autumn.
What’s in. What’s not.
What’s in
- Smooth and glossy
- Real shine, not hairspray shine
- Hair that swings and moves
- Frizz gone — without the 7am straightener
- Curl smoothed, or left to be curl
What’s not
- Backcombed beehive volume
- Shellacked wet look at 9am
- Crimp-straight-crimp
- Hairspray shine
- Frizz
And the blokes.
For the blokes it’s smooth and controlled — shine without a tub of product.
I don’t cut men’s hair — I do the texture.
Inspirations this season.
The catwalk, the famous heads, the street — what caught my eye, read as texture.
Nine shows. My pick.
Read as texture. Runway images are never copied.
London
- DOWNLondon · Sept 2025
Roksanda
Hair by Anna Cofone for Authentic Beauty Concept
- Smooth
- High gloss
- Sleek
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.INGloss is in. Glue isn’t — a ↓DOWN gives you the shine without the helmet.
- UPLondon · Sept 2025
Erdem
Hair by Fara Homidi & Anna Cofone
- Wave
- Lived-in
- Undone
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.INThese are lived-in waves made on purpose. That’s an ↑UP — not three days without a wash.
- UPLondon · Sept 2025
Emilia Wickstead
Hair by Soichi Inagaki for Bumble and bumble
- Own curl
- Enhanced
- Natural
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.INIt’s your own curl, just behaving — and that, really, is the whole job.
Milan
- DOWNMilan · Sept 2025
Prada
Hair by Guido Palau
- Slicked flat
- Smooth
- ’90s
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.INIf it won’t lie flat on its own, that’s a ↓DOWN — not a tin of gel.
- DOWNMilan · Sept 2025
Fendi
Hair by Guido Palau
- Wet look
- Sleek
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.OUTA wet look with a deep part is lovely on a catwalk. On Regent Street, it’s just wet.
- UPMilan · Sept 2025
Roberto Cavalli
Hair: not credited
- Curl
- Loose wave
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.INIt’s big, soft and a little undone. Most of London needs an ↑UP to get there.
New York
- UPNew York · 11–16 Sept 2025
Altuzarra
Hair by James Pecis for Blu&Green
- Brushed-out curl
- ’80s volume
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.INThe ’80s are back at the root. I’ll give you the volume — not the 1987 perm.
- DOWNNew York · 11–16 Sept 2025
Sandy Liang
Hair by Evanie Frausto for Uberliss
- Smooth blowout
- Ringlets
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.INA smooth blow-dry with curly pieces at the face is the clever girl’s cheat, and I’m all for it.
- UPNew York · 11–16 Sept 2025
Anna Sui
Hair by Garren for R+Co BLEU
- Soft wave
- Undone
Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.OUTSoft waves set into rolls look beautiful on a catwalk. In real life, the set lasts until the Tube doors close.
Who changed their hair.
Worldwide, read for London — texture only. Who changed, and what it would take in my chair.
- Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.Jan 2026
Hailey Bieber
Back to smooth, polished swing
DOWN That swing comes from a Demi, not from a straightener at seven in the morning.
- Jan 2026
Lizzo
Smooth to short, springy curl
UP This is curl that springs. If yours won’t, a Wavement will.
- Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.June 2025 · British Vogue
Dua Lipa
Sleek, straight, jet-black shine
DOWN This is glassy straight. On anything but poker-straight hair, that takes a Demi.
- Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.2026 · BAFTAs
The Princess of Wales
Usually smooth; here, full-bodied curls close to her natural texture
UP This is full curl with real body. If yours drops by lunchtime, a Wavement will hold it.
What London actually wears.
London’s streets are going sleek. Expect wet-look shine, super-sleek flicked ends and smooth blow-dries, with the volume saved for curl. This time, polish wins over waves.
The men. Texture only.
- Official postLoads from Instagram. Their terms and cookies apply from then.Catwalk · Milan · June 2025
Qasimi
Rough, uneven, uncombed texture
IN. It’s messy on purpose, and that needs texture in the hair — not a tub of clay. That’s an ↑UP.
- Street · London 2026
Waves and curly tops
Mid-length waves, natural curl on top
IN. Straight hair can’t do this on its own — that’s an ↑UP.
- Street · London 2026
Smooth and controlled
Sleek, smooth top with a clean finish
IN for thick, frizzy hair. A light ↓DOWN, and it still looks like hair.
I want movement on top, never flat — a soft wave or curl body that looks like it grew that way, which is an ↑UP. If there’s too much frizz or curl, I take it down gently with a ↓DOWN.
You asked. I answer.
What is the hair trend for summer 2026 in London?
It’s smooth and glossy — real shine, not hairspray shine. It’s the one look I’m calling for London this summer.
How do I get smooth, glossy hair if mine is wavy?
A Semi smooths the wave and leaves the shine in. That’s a ↓DOWN.
My hair is frizzy. What works?
A Semi or a Demi — and I decide which on the day, once I’ve seen your hair.
Can curly hair go smooth and glossy?
Yes — a Permanent takes 80%+ of the curl out. Nothing is 100%.
How long does it last?
Done once, it carries you through the summer, into autumn.
Is a Semi the same as a keratin?
Keratin is not a treatment — it’s a word for every kind of smoothing. In my system, what people call a keratin is a Semi or a Demi.
Who decides which treatment I get?
I do, on the day, once I’ve seen your hair.
What’s the look for men this summer?
This summer it’s smooth and controlled — shine without a tub of product. Thick or frizzy hair gets a light Semi (↓DOWN); flat hair gets a soft Wavement for lift (↑UP). I don’t cut men’s hair — I do the texture.
How do I book?
Start with a consultation: online £9.95, or in person £74.95 on Maddox Street, Mayfair.
Not sure what your hair can do?
Online consultation £9.95 · in person £74.95. Nothing is 100% — I'll tell you what is.
Book a consultationDrawings: original, house style. Runway and street images are never copied.