New year, new hair trends from Wella Professionals

Student hairdressers at Walsall College have discovered “what’s hot in hair in 2026” after taking part in a Wella Colour Inspiration Day.

Wella educator Katie Golding spent time in the college’s Grad Salon showing Level 3 students the hair colour palettes and tones predicted to be in demand throughout this year.

Katie said: ‘I had a fantastic day inspiring the next generation of hairdressers. Wella is always first to lead on the latest trends and also achieving these trends with the most innovative products. Thank you for a great day Walsall College.”

The session included demonstrations of Wella’s Colour Touch products, along with guidance on how to maintain and protect high‑impact colour results.  Students were then encouraged to experiment with the products themselves.

Alana Harrison-Soni carried out a hair colour melt technique, mixing three shades so they would blend and create a more diffused, natural transition.

“This was a chance to learn new techniques and use new hair products while having Katie there to answer any questions we had and give us feedback on our work,” said Alana.

“It was a great day. We can now use these skills when we’re working on clients in the Grad Salon and completing our assessments.”

Student, Sophia Floyd also enjoyed the session.

“Hearing from Katie that high-impact blonde is one of this year’s trends and understanding how to talk about it professionally with clients in future was helpful,” she said.

“Our course is very practical, so there are always opportunities to develop our skills and build confidence in what we do. Even so, learning from someone in the industry who brings a different approach helps you step out of your comfort zone and experience new things.  Because of this, I feel I can do much more.”