5 Major Hair Trends To Get Excited About In 2020, According To A Top Stylist

Naomi Campbell, Reese Witherspoon and Demi Moore are just a handful of A-list celebrities who have sat in Frédéric Fekkai’s salon chair, the French hairstylist being responsible for some of the most recognisable hair looks of the 1990s. In 2019, some of the era’s most iconic hair trends came back with a vengeance, with chunky highlights, bedazzled hair clips and velvet headbands among the go-tos for Instagram's cool girls. But with the dawn of a new decade fast approaching, the current sought-after styles are set to undergo a serious shake-up. Ahead, Frédéric gives Refinery29 his predictions of which hair trends are going to go viral.

The Jagged Edge Bob

It's hard to open Instagram without seeing someone proudly sporting a sleek and shiny bob but next year, it looks like the staple cut could get a messy upgrade. "The bob is one of those amazing, timeless haircuts that keeps coming and going, and for 2020 it will stick around but live in a different way," says Frédéric. "From the sharp bob, there will come what I call the 'jagged edge' bob, which has a little bit more raggedness." The key difference? "There's some soft layers on the ends, so it doesn’t look so 'bobby'. I call it the 'attitude' haircut because it moves, and this gives you a little bit of sexiness." 

If you don't want to ditch the blunt cut bob just yet, swap the smoothing spray for something that adds texture to the hair, to fake the effect of a choppy cut.

If you keep your ear to the ground when it comes to trending hair looks, then you might have spotted some pretty stark colour combinations, namely chunky, face-framing streaks. The mounting presence of contrasting colourways is something Frédéric is a big fan of. "The other day a girl came into the salon who had brown hair and we did a rusty orange colour on the pieces framing her face. The hair was all one colour, but then all of a sudden, orange pieces came out of nowhere. It just looked so cool."

When it comes to keeping colour vibrant, Frédéric recommends his new vegan and sustainable line, which is available online at Feelunique and in store and online at Selfridges. If you're a fan of his Pure Collection, you can shop it exclusively in store at Urban Retreat. "Hair colours are going to get much more ballsy," he says. "Think very platinum but with some stripes of colour that almost look like an accident. Maybe we'll even see lipstick colours like variations of pink. It's cool, whimsical, unpredictable and certainly not traditional."

From pearlised hair clips and velvet scrunchies to rhinestone encrusted headbands, the last year has seen a mass market obsession with adding sparkle and luxury to the hair, but according to Frédéric, the trend is set to become more minimal and rustic, even a little bit tough.

"The problem with hair accessories is that you have to be careful that they don't look dowdy," says Frédéric. He suggests "very cool, artisanal, almost homemade accessories" will be the way to keep the look fresh in the new year.

"You need pins, or clips in stainless steel, or aluminium, because then it becomes like jewellery," says Frédéric. "I have seen some that look like shoe buckles, and they're great. You want to make sure it looks modern, contemporary and sophisticated."

For curly hair, 2019 saw the return of the shag and the curly fringe, both of which took the internet by storm. But in the new year, Frédéric suggests that it will be less about viral styles and more about eye-catching colour for those with curly lengths. "People with curly hair no longer need to be held hostage to one particular trend or colour," he told R29.

For those looking to update their curls, Frédéric suggests going for all-over highlights to add depth to the hair. "You can place highlights on some curls, and they then look stunning because the lighter shades give triple or even quadruple dimension to the hair." Stuck for ideas? Mention Pintura to your hairstylist – a new, bespoke highlighting technique for curly hair. Frédéric also let slip that he will be releasing a range of products specifically for thick and curly hair in the new year.

In 2019 we saw a flurry of balayage trends including 3D balayage, balayage mapping and even negative space hair. However, Frédéric suggests that things will go back to basics, with a more natural look taking over. "In the salon we will take a bunch of hair, section it, take only the ends and apply the bleach in a twisting motion. This means the highlight isn’t concentrated, so it almost looks as though you went surfing for a few weeks in extreme heat."

In terms of colour, the hairstylist says that brunettes will be stepping away from harsh blonde in favour of richer, warmer shades, but not your standard chocolate brown brunette. "Highlight colours will be very different. Think cinnamon tones, hazelnut and even tobacco-esque colours." 

If your colour palette is a tad more adventurous, Frédéric also mentions that brights will continue to be big, especially among Gen Z, who are slowly opting for cooler tones. "What we will see a lot of is blue, as well as lavender, pink and especially turquoise."