Tracing the No-Commitment Blonde Phenomenon: How a Runway Moment Became an Instagram Hit

Over the weekend, Irina Shayk convinced her 5.3 million Instagram followers that she had taken the peroxide plunge with a freshly bleached head of shoulder-grazing waves—only to give up the ruse with a few more snaps of her trademark long chocolate mane intact.

She’s not the only consummate brunette to have fun as a blonde with the help of a wig: Just last week, Kaia Gerber showed off a faux flaxen bob that made the case for taking a radical makeover for a 24-hour test-drive before committing to the real deal. After all, a double-process dye job takes its toll on the healthiest head of hair, which might explain why Kim Kardashian West recently chose trompe l’oeil trickery for her second platinum stint.

Practical matters aside, the sudden allure of a temporary hair color transformation can be traced back to the Fall Balmain show, where hairstylist Sam McKnight recast models like Kendall Jenner and Alessandra Ambrosio as icy-haired bombshells—and in turn sent Gigi Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley down the runway in dark wigs. The message was clear: Take a risk! Get out of your beauty comfort zone! If only for a day.

Above, a look at how a runway moment became an Instagram hit.

 

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