The 60’s Beehive is back this autumn with an ultra-modern beauty twist
What if the boldest hairstyle of autumn 2026 was also the oldest? The 60’s Beehive is asserting itself this season as the hair trend you cannot afford to miss, championed by celebrities including Zendaya, Gigi Hadid and Dua Lipa. Here is everything you need to know to pull it off without a single false note.
From sixties icons to today’s celebrities: the Beehive across the decades
Some hairstyles leave such a mark on an era that they never truly disappear. The 60’s Beehive is the perfect example. Created in 1960 by American hairdresser Margaret Vinci Heldt, it takes its name from its domed silhouette, which recalls a small hive perched at the crown of the head. Its unapologetic height was a radical departure from the more restrained styles of the previous decade, and it became one of the most powerful hair symbols of the sixties.
At the time, the biggest figures in popular culture made it their own. Dusty Springfield wore it with her long blonde locks, while Ronnie Spector turned it into a visual signature inseparable from the Ronettes’ style. Audrey Hepburn offered a sophisticated take in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Brigitte Bardot popularised voluminous styles in France that belonged to the same aesthetic universe. Later, Amy Winehouse brought it back in an XXL, almost sculptural version.
In 2026, the trend is enjoying a new lease of life. Personalities including Sienna Spiro, Lily Allen, Zendaya, Gigi Hadid and Dua Lipa each offer their own interpretation, somewhere between retro homage and contemporary reinvention. The cult hairstyle of the sixties proves, once again, that it knows how to reinvent itself without losing its identity.
How to build a Beehive: technique at the heart of the volume
The 60’s Beehive relies on a very specific method. Construction begins with generous backcombing, which creates the spectacular volume that defines the look. The strands are then smoothed on the surface and set to preserve that characteristic airy architecture. It is precisely this contrast between the worked inner mass and the polished outer finish that gives the hairstyle its instantly recognisable silhouette.
The final result depends on the level of precision applied at each stage. More intense backcombing produces maximum height and a highly structured effect, faithful to the spirit of the 1960s. Lighter backcombing, on the other hand, is enough to evoke the silhouette without reproducing the full architecture. It is exactly this calibration that allows the style to be adapted to very different contexts.
The 60’s Beehive: how to make it your own this autumn
Embracing the 60’s Beehive in 2026 does not mean recreating the exuberance of the 1960s to the letter. A new generation is taking its codes and adapting them to a more contemporary idea of beauty. Sienna Spiro plays with height and volume in a spectacular approach, while Lily Allen offers more retro, unapologetically vintage interpretations. Zendaya, for her part, pairs it with a soft-toned headband for a result that blends sixties aesthetics with today’s beauty codes.
The key to avoiding a fancy-dress effect lies in restraint. A few extra centimetres of height at the crown are enough to evoke the iconic hairstyle’s silhouette without reproducing its entire structure. Worn down, as a half-up style or incorporated into an updo, it adapts to a wide range of looks. The central idea is to keep volume as the defining element, while allowing the lengths to remain more fluid and the texture lightly worked.
- Backcomb generously to create the base volume
- Smooth the surface for a structured, polished finish
- Calibrate the height to suit the desired effect, from subtle to spectacular
- Adapt the style as a half-up, an updo or worn loose
- Add a soft-toned headband for a contemporary touch, à la Zendaya
A comeback with a deeper resonance
This revival of the 60’s Beehive arrives at an emotionally charged moment. The recent passing of Dolly Parton, an icon whose aura remains deeply tied to the aesthetic of the great divas of that decade, gives this comeback a particular poignancy. The visual legacy of the sixties continues to feed contemporary beauty, and the Beehive is one of its most powerful vehicles.
Because beyond the technique, this hairstyle carries a strong symbolic weight. It embodies an era when volume and height became statements of style in their own right. In 2026, that legacy remains intact, carried forward by a new generation embracing it with as much freedom as audacity. The iconic 60’s hairstyle is clearly far from finished making its mark.
