Braided Bangs, Topiary Afros & Other Cool Natural & Protective Styles To Try ASAP

Come fashion month, we frequently see runway beauty reimagined in ways both modest and opulent, from nail art to eyeshadow blends. It's the same for the best natural hairstyles, too. The grand widths of texture, the ornate braiding patterns, the intricate sculpture-like builds of curls, and the drama that we see coming down the runway is just as attainable in real life, too.

“I think you'll see braiding taken to the next level," James Pecis, Oribe Global Ambassador had told TZR ahead of this season. "The last few seasons, we had more and more cornrows going straight back and a little bit of playing with alternatives. I think this season, you will see a strong braid game. Our team started to sneak in alternative designs toward the end of last season just because we started to get bored with straight-back designs.”

Pecis was right. In New York, retro hair trends got a textured upgrade, with box braid tendrils and baroque cornrow patterns galore — all inciting feelings of nostalgia from long days in braiding chairs.

So ahead, check out six natural hair trends seen at Fashion Week that you'll be ready to give a try — if you haven't already, of course.

Natural Hairstyle: Diffused Short Afros

There was no shortage of cropped looks on the runway. But this season, those short 'dos got some extra volume with the help of diffusers. Take Jawara, Global Styling Ambassador for Dyson Hair, who inflated curly looks on models for Laquan Smith with the Dyson Supersonic Diffuser.

Christopher John Rogers, Fall/Winter 2020

Laquan Smith, Fall/Winter 2020

Natural Hairstyle: Protective Tendrils

Flyaways are more fun when braids are in involved. At Laquan Smith and at Chromat, braided ponytails were accented with a few pieces falling toward the front. "We're doing some cornrows with cornrow bangs," Jawara tells TZR. "We're basically merging looks together."

Laquan Smith, Fall/Winter 2020

Chromat, Fall/Winter 2020

Natural Hairstyle: Vintage Cuts

Disco, but make it runway. The blunt chops of texture seen at Christopher John Rogers, created by Naeemah Lafond, Global Artistic Director for Amika, were at no shortage of length or width. “It was really about creating shapes,” Amika LaFond says, citing topiary art. “So with some girls, we’re adding wigs and fake hair to create a more structural look.”

Christopher John Rogers, Fall/Winter 2020

Christopher John Rogers, Fall/Winter 2020

Natural Hairstyle: Braided Crowns

The decorative braids that fed into voluminous puffs took a serious note from the late '90s and early 2000s. Justine Marjan, celebrity hairstylist and TRESemmé ambassador, idealized the youthful yet artistic look.

Chromat, Fall/Winter 2020

Chromat, Fall/Winter 2020

Natural Hairstyle: Braid Scarves

Who needs cashmere when you have kanekalon? Jawara wrapped long box braids across each other, securing in the back for a neck draping of hair that will surely withstand the cold temperatures.

Area, Fall/Winter 2020

Natural Hairstyle: Cropped Bangs

Imperfect and even uneven bangs are coming back. Rather than sweeping the brow, bangs this year perched high on the forehead for a Donna Summer-inspired appeal.

Alice + Olivia, Fall/Winter 2020

Laquan Smith, Fall/Winter 2020