LoveShackFancy’s SS26 backstage look pairs oversized-barrel curls and Batiste dry shampoo for soft, undone waves with effortless lived-in texture.
I’ll be honest—when I slipped backstage at LoveShackFancy’s Spring/Summer 2026 show during New York Fashion Week, I expected the usual explosion of bows and ribbons. What I got instead felt like stepping into a 1990s Ralph Lauren campaign. There was a sense of retro Americana, idyllic ranch energy, and the softest waves I’ve ever seen in person. I kid you not, my own hair has been chasing that look ever since.
The venue was Nine Orchard, and lead hairstylist Brent Lawler had one very specific vision. He told me he pictured 'our girl in Montana with a wild horse.' It sounds dreamy, and then... it all clicked. The hair wasn’t supposed to feel like a curling iron had been anywhere near it. It was meant to feel undone, effortless, and beautifully textured. Let’s just say the assignment was understood.
To create that effect, Lawler didn’t reach for tight barrels and precision spirals. Instead, he grabbed Batiste Original Dry Shampoo first. Each time a model sat in his chair, he refreshed her hair with a spritz to get a blank canvas. During fashion week, models can sit through five shows before they reach a chair, so that little reset is everything. He called it his 'ultimate fashion week hack,' and I believe him.
Then came the tool I genuinely didn’t expect: an oversized curling wand. Lawler used a mix of Bio Ionic 1.75-inch and 2-inch barrels. He placed the wand where each model’s hair would naturally bend, so there were no ringlets and no 'bathroom-for-hours' energy. The result was a flat curl with straighter ends. It was less beachy, more lived-in, and somehow cooler and fresher at the same time.
After the initial curl, he sprayed Batiste Original at the roots and through the mid-lengths. That gave the hair volume, body, and texture without making it feel stiff. He then brushed through the waves for that perfectly imperfect finish. Small, piece-y braids were added here and there and secured with clear Goody Polybands. They were tiny enough to feel spontaneous, like a girl who had been out riding all morning and tied her hair back without thinking.
Here’s the exact rhythm I watched backstage:
| Step | What Brent Lawler Did |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sprayed Batiste Original Dry Shampoo for a fresh canvas |
| 2 | Curled with 1.75-inch or 2-inch wand, following natural bend |
| 3 | Left ends straight for a flat, not ringlet, finish |
| 4 | Added Batiste at roots and mid-lengths for volume |
| 5 | Brushed through for lived-in softness |
| 6 | Added small piecy braids with clear Goody Polybands |
If you’re nervous about spraying dry shampoo near your part, take a breath. Lawler said the powdery finish only happens when you apply it directly to the part. His trick is to lift the top layer of hair and spray underneath. You can still target the crown, but you’re attacking from between the layers, not from the top. Then you massage it in. The whole thing becomes what he calls 'perfect cool girl texture.'
For me, that phrase sums up the entire LoveShackFancy girl. She’s romantic, yes. She loves life and isn’t afraid to go out and have fun. But this season she felt a touch more grown up. The clothes were full of lace, vintage details, cowboy hints, and American western references. If the curls had been too tight, the look would have tipped into old-fashioned territory. Lawler didn’t want that. He wanted the LoveShackFancy girl to still be a cool girl, and honestly? She is.
By the time the first model walked, I was already scrolling through my own haircare shelf in my head. The lesson wasn’t about buying more tools or mastering a complicated technique. It was about respecting what your hair naturally wants to do. A big barrel, a little dry shampoo, and a gentle brush through can turn a stressed-out, overworked head of hair into something that looks like it just ran through a meadow with a wild horse. No tight spirals, no fuss. Just softness, air, and a little bit of Americana.
Even now, months later, I still reach for Batiste first when my hair feels tired. That backstage moment reminded me that fashion week hair doesn’t have to be unattainable. Sometimes it just needs a blank canvas, a big wand, and the confidence to leave the ends alone. 🌾🐎✨