With the majority of one’s face covered by a face mask—and practically unrecognizable if you opt to wear a pair of sunglasses—hair has become one of the best, and only, ways to personalise your style and be recognised in a world that is becoming more and more unrecognisable. Unsurprisingly, hair has played a huge part in London Fashion Week this year. Here are our top four styles from the runway.
Poodle Curls
Natural texture and shape were undoubtedly an influence on the styles created for many of the looks this year. Raw finishes and matte textures were at the forefront of the runway, with very little sleek and polished looks on the stage. Natural curls were not only embraced but teased and manipulated to result in puffy cloud-like haloes surrounding your silhouette. Vivienne Westwood gave a campy twist to this look by styling the curls in bunches on long hair, and a softer & more sophisticated version on shorter hair.
Vivienne Westwood SS21 Collection images via Vogue Runway,
Effortlessly Undone
Many designers took a more minimal approach when making a hair statement this season. A slightly tousled and windswept style is a huge look for SS21. The key with this style is knowing the fine line between ‘undone’ and simple messy. When styling this look, you want to avoid the end result looking too frizzy, but also to stay clear of it looking overly styled or polished. Preen by Thornton Bregazzi nailed this look by giving the models an ‘almost straight’ result. Sportmax took a more editorial approach by finishing the look with wet-look gel.
Sportmax SS21 Collection images via Sportmax official site
Bring It All Back
A clear trend used by a shocking number of designers was all the hair being pulled back off the face—usually in a sleek or textured bun. For countless seasons hair has constantly been styled in cascading waves that were pushed forward, giving a beachy textured finish. This is how so many of us have styled our hair for decades. The curtain-like waves acted as a security blanket; However, it’s a different time for hair. With the pandemic playing a huge roll in how we dress, it’s time to reclaim our faces.
Water Waves
Wet Look hair was hugely popular this season. This is a really abstract way to achieve a glossy result without having freshly blow-dried shiny hair. Gareth Pugh’s version of this look had matte lengths and ends contrasting with a wet and glossy root. Mithdrate embellished their sleek buns with large diamond-encrusted hair clips and Yuhan Wang created strong, animated finger waves on long hair by gelling the swirls to the scalp.
With so much of our personality being covered up, it’s really encouraging to see designers emphasise what we have to work with. Hair is the ultimate accessory and it’s an exciting time to absorb some inspiration. SS21 was a giant mood-board of ideas and our hair is the canvas.
Yuhan Wang SS21 Collection
Words by Luke Nolan
Graphics by Frances Scott
