The red carpet at Cannes this year is under siege - and not from the actresses walking it, but from their curly hair. Thirty years of the relentless dominance of straightened blowouts and glosses, and suddenly in 2026 all the stars are turning up with texture, volume and movement.

Demi Moore showed up with a "wet" effect and XXL curls swept to the side. Gillian Anderson pulled off two different looks: first a huge voluminous curly mane parted to one side; then a high ponytail with preserved texture and loose frames around the face. That's the kind of technical love affair with hair we haven't seen at Cannes in over a decade.

For older actresses playing in the "elegantly mid-40s-50s" range, the solutions are more measured. Andie MacDowell went for a low bun with preserved natural texture. Jane Fonda - a "Morrison" mid-length cut with voluminous sides that controls the hairstyle without killing it. Mélanie Thierry showed that a textured "pixie" with subtle waves works for shorter cuts too.

What does the trend actually mean? That the whole industry that for decades taught women "natural hair is unpresentable" is now selling that same natural texture as a prestige solution. The same salons that charged 80 euros for a straight blowout are now charging 100 for "curl activation". Same approach, new price.

For the Balkan woman, who through generations swings between "I have to straighten it" and "I regret straightening it", this season is a hidden gift. Not for straight blowouts and not for chemical treatments - but for those two-to-three drops of serum every grandmother used to recommend for her "Sunday aesthetic ritual". Curls are beauty without a salon bill. And that's finally back in fashion.