Hair Tapestries Are Taking Over the Internet

And revitalizing the loom in the process.

Hairstyle, Colorfulness, Brown hair, Rectangle, Blond, Hair coloring, Long hair, Makeover, Feathered hair,
(Image credit: Design by Katja Cho)

Ladies, it's time to dust of the 'ol '90s Rainbow Loom—thread-woven hair is officially a thing again, but with a chic new update. 

Riffing off the rainbow and cool-girl texture trends that have emerged from festival street style, Bleach London, the salon behind the vivid shades and ultra-modern 'dos of every Brit-It girl, is now offering hair tapestry, a signature service that's taken off on Instagram since it first hit the internet last year.

Turning your strands into a needlepoint canvas, thread is woven through a block of hair using a tapestry loom, creating colorful, intricate patterns. The hairstylist behind the look is Alex Brownsell, pioneer of many out-of-the-box hair trends such as dip dye—an idea conjured up on a fashion shoot after Brownsell was inspired by traditional Andrean tapestry from Argentina. 

For festivalgoers fatigued by flower crowns and politically-incorrect headdresses, hair tapestry is a decidedly fresh alternative. It boasts so much appeal, in fact, Bleach London has been hitting music festivals with Hairy Tepee outposts where women can get a quick tapestry treatment in between sets. Bonus points for the fact that it will almost definitely hold up for your head-banging session during Florence + the Machine.

While achieving the look requires some needlework mastery, you too can give it a try with colorful thread, needle, and a tapestry loom. For a tutorial, check out Dirty Looks' step-by-step instruction and for inspo, check out some of our favorite takes on the trend, below:

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Lauren Valenti
Beauty Editor

Lauren is the former beauty editor at Marie Claire. She love to while away the hours at coffee shops, hunt for vintage clothes, and bask in the rough-and-tumble beauty of NYC. She firmly believes that solitude can be a luxury if you’ve got the right soundtrack—that being the Rolling Stones, of course.