Sriracha Reds and Micro Fringes: ROAR's Autumn/Winter Hair Trends for 2026
Red comes back every fall. What changes is the red.
For 2026, Brian Leo McCallum is backing one borrowed from the condiment shelf. The founder and color director of ROAR Hair & Beauty, the Glasgow salon group he opened in 2017, has put Sriracha red at the front of his seasonal forecast: hot and saturated on the surface, softer and browner underneath. It sits alongside three more ideas, two color and two cut. Together, the autumn/winter hair trends McCallum expects for 2026 favor hair that rewards a second look.
Sriracha reds lead the autumn hair color trends
Red opens the autumn/winter hair trend list for a practical reason. It puts warmth back into the complexion just as the daylight goes, which is why the shade returns to the color bar every year at this point in the calendar.
What separates Sriracha red is the undertone. The surface tone is vivid, almost aggressive. Underneath it, though, sits a sun-kissed brown that keeps the result from reading flat.
That undertone is also what makes the shade adaptable. Woven through a darker base, it builds dimension, depth, and shine without asking for a full commitment. Taken all over, or placed in panels, it becomes the loudest thing in the room.
Moody gothic plums add depth and shine
The second color in ROAR’s autumn/winter hair trends stays rich and pushes it moodier. Deep gothic plum reads bold, striking, and high fashion, and on brunettes it works as a playful update rather than a departure.
Shine is the real argument. These tones sit close to a brunette base, so the result lands as a lift in gloss and richness. For that reason the shade covers two very different clients: the ones who treat color as a creative outlet, and the ones who want something commercial and subtle enough for Monday morning.
Airy bobs get lighter and choppier
The cut side of the autumn/winter hair trend forecast is quieter, though no less technical. Bobs have held the top of the charts for several seasons, and for 2026 McCallum expects them to turn airier.
The finish is choppier and more textured, with ends that look deliberately grown out. It should feel lightweight and close to effortless. It isn’t: soft layers underneath do the work of volume and movement.
Micro fringes, or baby bangs
The fringe of the season is a short one. McCallum points to the micro fringe, cut ultra-short and sitting high on the forehead, roughly two inches above the eyebrows.
There are two ways to wear it. A precise, blunt line gives the most striking version. A choppier, more textured cut turns the same idea quirkier.
Maintenance is the trade-off. A fringe cut that short grows out visibly within weeks, so clients will need to book regular appointments to hold the shape. That said, the choppy version has a second life once it drifts past its best length, when it softens into something wispier and more whimsical.
Hair: ROAR Hair & Beauty Team. Photography: Richard Miles and Aga Bansk. Makeup: Lauren Mathis and Bethany King.
