Funky, not fried

Getting into the dip-dye hair trend: Celebs like Lauren Conrad love it, but areyour ends up for the color?

The author's cobalt blue dip-dyed tips.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Kat's Meow proprietor Crissy Salazar and stylist Robin Winfrey.
Photo by Caroline Gallay
The author debuts her freshly dyed hair. At once subtle and edgy, dip-dyeing isan easy-to-undo alternative to whole-head color.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Teyana Taylor experiments with blue-tipped tresses
Photo via Right Up Your Aly
Katy Perry takes it closer to the roots earlier this year
Photo via Fashtastic

It all began — or at least came to my attention — when former Hills star and current fashion designer Lauren Conrad posted a how-to of her newly dip-dyed rainbow-colored tresses.

Shortly after, fellow fashionista and actress Kate Bosworth debuted her own dip-dyed 'do, albeit it to a far less receptive response. It could be Hollywood hair influence, or it could have just been my brand new awareness, but suddenly I noticed dip-dyes everywhere. Here in Houston restaurants, over a weekend in Chicago, on celebrities and girls on the street — it appeared a trend was taking off.

I was intrigued, and my Pinterest addiction only made me more itchy for color.

So I headed to Kat's Meow, the girls' salon counterpart to the adjoining Big Kat's barbershop in Midtown, to put my tresses in the hands of stylist Robin Winfrey. I already have a dark brown base, so I asked her for deep cobalt ends, almost black-blue, that would shine in sunlight but stay subtly vibrant in darkness or indoors.

It could be Hollywood hair influence, or it could have just been my brand new awareness, but suddenly I noticed dip-dyes everywhere. Here in Houston restaurants, over a weekend in Chicago, on celebrities and girls on the street — it appeared a trend was taking off.

Winfrey began by bleaching 2.5-inch pieces of my hair in foil, blow drying the packets to accelerate what was only about a 10-minute process. We shampooed the newly bleached tips before applying blue dye from Pravana's Vivid line to the same area and letting it set for 20 minutes.

After rinsing out the blue and applying conditioner to my newly cobalt-colored tips, Winfrey created soft curls with a tapered clip-less curling iron to bring out the nuances of the color. Including a quick trim, the process took around three hours. Winfrey says retouching depends on clients' preferences. Some prefer to watch the color evolve as it fades, while she personally likes to update her fuchsia hair every four to five weeks for optimum vibrance.

I love the look for its subtle edge and the fact that it's easy to undo (just get a hair cut!), but I think I'll be holding onto this look. Subtle enough to blend seamlessly but vivid enough to draw double-takes, it's the perfect way to go a little funky without getting fired, and at around $90 and up, it's less expensive than highlights.

But I want to know what you think of dip-dyed hair. Is it a trend to stay? Is it already overexposed? Is it at least better than feather extensions? Tell us in the comments.

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Stepping up

Texas bootmaker strikes a glossy note with the debut of new patent line

Photo courtesy of Miron Crosby

Miron Crosby reimagines its signature Maggie boot in high-gloss patent leather for a polished update.

Cowboy boots are based in tradition, but Miron Crosby continues to find ways to move the conversation forward. The Dallas-based label’s latest release, the Maggie Patent Collection, debuts a new material to its signature lineup while staying true to the workmanship that built its following.

The brand’s best-selling Maggie boot is now available in a high-gloss patent leather. Although the new finish changes the silhouette's tone, delivering a more fashion-forward take on Western footwear, the boot’s structure remains the same.

“Maggie is such a classic, flattering shape, so even when you introduce something like a patent, it still feels timeless at its core,” co-founder Sarah Means Ward tells CultureMap.

When designing the boot, the sisters were careful not to lean into trends. They focused on letting the material enhance the boot rather than redefine it. “We wanted it to feel elevated and refined instead of overly flashy,” says Ward.

Miron Crosby Maggie Patent New colorways Beurre, Sable, and Transformative Teal bring depth and shine to the Maggie Patent lineup.Photo courtesy of Miron Crosby

Texas has strong roots and ideas about Western wear, and introducing patent leather into a heritage category can come with risks. The sisters approached the new collection with a respect for tradition as their foundation.

“The craftsmanship, the construction, the way the boot fits and feels, those elements are non-negotiable,” Duplantis says. “From there, it’s about evolving the design in a way that still feels authentic.”

The look was first tested in 2019 when Miron Crosby worked with Prabal Gurung on a limited run of patent boots for his runway show. That collaboration allowed Miron Crosby to explore new materials, something the brand has continued to build on. With Maggie Patent, that early concept was refined into a boot designed for daily wear, not just for the runway.

“It showed us that something as unexpected as patent leather can feel completely natural in a Western silhouette when it’s approached thoughtfully,” says co-founder Lizzie Means Duplantis.

The collection is available at their River Oaks boutique, in three colorways: Beurre, Sable, and Transformative Teal, which were influenced by materials seen at the 2025 Lineapelle show in Milan.

“The patent leathers had this incredible richness that made us think about color in a different way,” Ward says.

The sisters chose colors that were naturally approachable. Neutral tones like Beurre and Sable are great for everyday wear, while Transformative Teal offers a statement moment. “Some days (our customer) wants something understated, other days she wants something that stands out,” says Duplantis. “This was about giving her both.”

Photo courtesy of Miron Crosby

Miron Crosby reimagines its signature Maggie boot in high-gloss patent leather for a polished update.

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