As the 2026 runways dial up the drama, Björn Axén answers with a disco-soaked campaign directed by Lasse Hallström and fronted by Lena Olin, Emma Wiklund and Maggie Maurer. But does the new Volume series actually deliver lift that lasts?
If the past few years belonged to sleek buns and glassy restraint, this spring is staging a larger-than-life rebellion. At GCDS spring/summer 2026, it was deep side parts pushed skyward. Elie Saab sent out high-gloss, bombshell lengths. Stella McCartney and Versace embraced a slightly chaotic, lived-in lift. Big hair is back: decadent, and just defiant enough.
Björn Axén’s new Volume series arrives squarely in that moment. To launch the six-product lineup, all designed to dial up lift and body, the brand has gone all in.
Directed by Oscar-nominated Lasse Hallström – who was "Delighted to go make something hair-raising” – the accompanying campaign trades sterile "clean girl" bathroom shelves for Studio 54 excess. It opens on model Maggie Maurer, sauntering into frame in sequins with lacquered, voluminous locks. Next, Swedish acting treasure Lena Olin and supermodel Emma Wiklund take to the dance floor with gravity-defying hairdos and an abundance of Disco-era energy.
Setting the Volume campaign in a world inspired by Studio 54 felt instinctive to Johan Hellström, CEO of Björn Axén. "It gave us the freedom to embrace the bold, the playful, and the unapologetically expressive," he says. From the very beginning, Hallström was the obvious choice to direct the campaign, bringing his signature storytelling and emotional authenticity to the project. "And with Lena Olin, we found a presence that carries a rare and undeniable star quality," adds Hellström. "We are truly grateful for this special collaboration."
Photo: Vanessa Tryde for Björn Axén
Photo: Vanessa Tryde for Björn Axén
Photo: Vanessa Tryde for Björn Axén
It’s a clever reframing. Björn Axén has been in the glamour business since 1963, long before big hair returned to trend reports. The brand has long flirted with fashion fantasy too, collaborating with couture names such as Stéphane Rolland on the brand's otherworldly runway shows and adding oomph to celebrity moments, including Lisa Rinna’s fashion week looks.
Campaign aside, volume products live or die in real bathrooms. So I put the full lineup to the test, starting in my own shower.
A necessary detail: I have a lot of hair, but each strand is fine. Classic Scandinavian tresses. This usually means any height at the roots disappears by lunch. But I always dream of wonderful volume, so I spritz and I style until I can't style anymore, causing product overload and (you guessed it) weigh hair down. A deflating process, to be sure.
Used as a full system, Björn Axén’s Volume series is built like scaffolding. The shampoo and conditioner clean and hydrate without leaving hair limp. The Blow Dry Cream adds hold, heat protection and natural fullness to damp lengths, while the Thickening Spray builds visible root lift and gives strands a plumper feel. The Mousse adds structure and long-lasting volume from roots to lengths, and the Texturising Spray seals the deal, keeping things buoyant between washes, too.
Photo: Vanessa Tryde for Björn Axén
Photo: Vanessa Tryde for Björn Axén
On paper, the multi-step routine reads like a recipe for a volume disaster. Layering this many volumising products should, in theory, drag hair down. But what struck me most is how well the formulas cooperate. Even on heavy snowfall days, with my hair tucked under a wool hat, the foundational lift held. Once indoors, a quick flip of the head was enough to revive that va-va-voom volume.
If nothing else, there’s something deeply satisfying about a beauty launch that reads the room. After seasons of restraint, our appetite for glamour is insatiable, and Björn Axén’s Full Volume campaign serves it up with high-octane hair and the kind of vibrant visuals we’ve been craving.
And the best part? It makes that Studio 54-level lift feel plausible on a very ordinary Tuesday.