The industry used to be obsessed with the flat iron. For decades, if you walked into a casting with a 3C coil or a 4B cloud of hair, the stylist would reach for the ceramic plates before you could even say hello. It was exhausting. Honestly, it was boring. But things shifted. If you look at the runways in Paris or New York today, the texture is the point. Models with curly hair aren't just a "diversity checkbox" anymore; they are the blueprint for the new era of high fashion.
The Era of the "Natural" Supermodel
We have to talk about Imaan Hammam. She is basically the gold standard here. Hammam, who is of Moroccan and Egyptian descent, has been very vocal about how her hair is a massive part of her identity. In the past, a girl like her might have been told to "slick it back" to look more "refined." Now? Her curls are the centerpiece of Chanel campaigns and Vogue covers. It’s a total 180 from the early 2000s when "refined" was just code for "straight."
Then there’s Mica Argañaraz. The Argentinian model became a sensation largely because of her shaggy, curly mullet. It launched a thousand haircuts. It wasn't just about being pretty; it was about having a vibe. That’s the big difference. Curly hair offers a structural element to a photograph that straight hair just can’t touch. It interacts with light differently. It creates shadows. It occupies space.
Why the Industry Hated Curls (And Why That Was Wrong)
Why did it take so long? Laziness, mostly.
Backstage at a fashion show is chaos. You've got thirty models and maybe six stylists. Straight hair is predictable. You can bang out a "sleek look" in twenty minutes. Curly hair, on the other hand, is a science. You need to know about porosity. You need to know the difference between a cream and a gel. You can't just brush it out and hope for the best, or you end up with a frizzy mess that looks like a mistake rather than a choice.
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Many veteran stylists simply weren't trained on textured hair. They didn't know how to handle it. This led to years of models with curly hair showing up to sets with their own "emergency kits" hidden in their bags. They’d do their own hair in the bathroom because they didn't trust the "pros" not to ruin their pattern. It’s wild when you think about it—top-tier models doing their own styling for multi-million dollar brands because of a knowledge gap.
The Rise of the Texture Specialist
Things changed when the "Instagram generation" of stylists took over. People like Jawara Wauchope and Vernon François started demanding that texture be treated with respect. They didn't see curls as a problem to be solved, but as a medium to be sculpted.
- Mona Tougaard: Her curls are often kept in their natural, tight formation, proving that "high fashion" doesn't have to mean "altered."
- Dilone: She’s famous for that short, curly crop that completely redefined what a "commercial" face looks like.
- Lineisy Montero: When she hit the Prada runway with her natural afro back in 2015, it was a legitimate "where were you" moment for the industry.
The Technical Reality of Working With Texture
Let’s get into the weeds for a second. If you’re a model, your hair is under constant assault. Heat, hairspray, tight braids, extensions—it’s a lot. For models with curly hair, the stakes are higher because curly hair is naturally drier. The cuticle doesn't lay flat like straight hair, so moisture escapes constantly.
When a brand hires a curly model, they are also buying into a specific maintenance routine. It’s not just "wake up and go." It involves deep conditioning treatments, "plopping" with microfiber towels, and very specific diffusing techniques. A lot of models now have "hair riders" in their contracts. They specify that stylists cannot use certain high-heat tools or specific types of silicones that cause buildup. It’s about protecting the asset.
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The Misconception of "Unkempt"
One of the biggest hurdles was the "professionalism" myth. For a long time, there was this unspoken rule that "neat" meant "flat." Curly hair was seen as "wild" or "bohemian." This is obviously nonsense. If you look at Frederikke Sofie, her golden curls look incredibly regal. They don't look messy; they look like a Renaissance painting. The industry is finally realizing that volume isn't the same thing as disarray.
Diversity Beyond Just "The Look"
It’s not just about aesthetics. It’s about money. Brands realized that people with curly hair actually want to buy clothes from people who look like them. Revolutionary, right?
The "Natural Hair Movement" wasn't just a social media trend; it was a massive shift in consumer behavior. When people stopped relaxing their hair at home, they stopped wanting to see relaxed hair in magazines. Models like Adwoa Aboah and Slick Woods (though often sporting buzzed looks) opened the door for a more "authentic" representation of texture that includes everything from tight coils to loose waves.
The shift toward models with curly hair has also forced the beauty industry to catch up. We went from having one "curl cream" on the shelf to entire aisles dedicated to the Curly Girl Method. Models are the ones field-testing these products in the most extreme conditions—under hot studio lights and in humid outdoor shoots.
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How to Get the "Model Curl" Look at Home
If you’re looking at these models and wondering why your curls don't look like that, the answer is usually a combination of professional diffusing and very expensive Leave-In conditioners. But you can get close.
Most models swear by the "scrunch to crunch" method. You apply a gel to soaking wet hair, let it dry into a hard cast, and then "break" that cast with a tiny bit of hair oil once it’s 100% dry. This seals in the moisture and prevents the frizz that usually happens when you touch your hair while it’s drying. Also, stop using regular towels. Seriously. Use an old T-shirt. The loops in a standard towel act like tiny hooks that rip your curl pattern apart.
The Future of Texture in Fashion
We’re moving toward a place where "curly" isn't a category. It's just hair. We are seeing more and more models with curly hair in luxury campaigns for brands like Celine, Saint Laurent, and Loewe, where the focus is on the clothes, and the hair is just... their hair.
The next step is better education in hair schools. We need every stylist who graduates to be as comfortable with a 4C coil as they are with a 1A strand. Until that happens, the burden still falls on the models to advocate for themselves. But with the power these models now have on social media, they aren't afraid to speak up.
Actionable Steps for Managing Texture
If you're inspired by the current crop of models and want to embrace your natural texture, start with these specific shifts:
- Audit your ingredients: Get rid of shampoos with harsh sulfates (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). They are basically dish soap and will kill your curl definition.
- The "Cold Rinse" trick: Models often rinse their conditioner out with freezing cold water. It sucks, but it closes the cuticle and adds a ton of shine.
- Invest in a Silk Pillowcase: Cotton sucks the moisture out of your hair while you sleep. Silk or satin lets your curls slide around without tangling or drying out.
- Find a "Deiva" or "Rezo" certified stylist: Don't go to a random salon. Look for people specifically trained in cutting curly hair while it's dry. Cutting curly hair wet is a recipe for the "triangle head" look because curls shrink differently when they dry.
- Less is More: Most models actually wash their hair less frequently than you’d think. "Co-washing" (washing with just conditioner) helps maintain the natural oils that curly hair desperately needs to stay bouncy.
The fashion world is finally waking up to the fact that beauty isn't a monolith. Models with curly hair aren't a trend; they are a long-overdue correction to a system that tried to flatten everyone out for too long. Embrace the frizz, lean into the volume, and stop trying to make your hair do something it wasn't born to do.