BEAUTY TREND

 

Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Hairstyle Trends
From messy to dressy, from natural-looking tresses and playful braids to classic, chic ponytails and elegant updos, here are the latest fall/winter 2011-2012 hairstyle trends. Take a peek at these uber-voguish hairstyles straight from the runway and get ready to master this season's hottest trends. 

For fall/winter 2011-2012, catwalks were filled with an array of beautiful hairstyles. From natural and effortlessly gorgeous to wet and sleek, there is a style for everyone, regardless your hair type and length. Embrace easy fall styling with free-flowing natural locks, ponytails, braids and messy buns. If you want to reinvent your hair and have fun this season, recreate the latest trends, fresh from the runways.

Nearly everywhere! Chloé, Anna Sui, D&G, Moschino Cheap & Chic, Blumarine and Versace were some of the designers that have chosen to draw the line in the center. This type of parting is extremely flattering as it elongates the face, making it look thinner. Besides, glossy, shiny and smooth locks are back again. For a hot new retro chic look as seen at Nina Ricci simply create a half-up hairstyle and backcomb the hair at the crown of the head. In order to add a masculine touch, try the rock candy tupé spotted at Max Mara.

How cute and versatile is a ponytail? This simple and quick to achieve hairstyle is also utterly feminine and elegant. Besides, it is unbelievably practical, it can be worn day or night and it is the best choice if you don't want to look like you have tried too hard and spent hours getting ready. Philosophy and Prada brought us the relaxed and easy to do yourself pony, secured low at the nape of the neck.

On the other hand, at Max Azria and Gucci the models sported super sexy, smooth and elegant ponytails. The secret to get this look is to take a lock of hair from the flowing section of the pony and wrap it around its base. Sophisticated and polished were the ponytails seen at Valentino and Lela Rose that work amazing for evening events. At Lela Rose, the red-carpet worthy hairstyle had something of the old Hollywood glamour with those soft waves. 

Philosophy
Prada

Valentino
Lela Rose

Max Azria
Gucci

A bun is the ultimate go-to style for a quick hair fix. If you want to feel ladylike, this is the perfect 'do for you. From loose, (Dolce & Gabbana) and messy knots to chic chignons (Rochas) and glamorous twists, the fall/winter 2011-2012 season seems to be all about . For a Chanel knot, start by parting your hair to the side and make a loose pony. Next, roll up and pin in place below the ear.

Old Hollywood was also spotted in the Badgley Mischka collection. In fact, the 1940s and 1950s, as well as classic films such as 'All About Eve' and 'The Women' were the designer's main sources of inspiration. Therefore, hairstyles followed the same note of classiness and drama, a deep side parting with hair twisted on both sides combined together at the back in a simple bun.

At Luca Luca and Carolina Herrera buns were sexy and refined. Absolutely adorable are the sophisticated looks that have a dressed and polished aspect. First, it was the circular bun with French pins placed into the sides at Luca Luca. Then, it was the chic horizontal bun at Herrera with a sleek, low part and hair swept across the side of the face and folded back.

Chanel
Sonia Rykiel

Dolce & Gabbana
Badgley Mischka

Luca Luca
Carolina Herrera

Rochas
Michael Kors

Braided hairstyles are making a strong comeback for fall/winter 2011-2012. One of the best things about braids is their amazing versatility and the possibility to tailor them in order to suit any occasion. Be creative and try different, innovative styles. Whether you opt for the simple braid as seen at Lanvin or Cacharel or for playful braided pigtails as spotted at Y3 or twin braids at Kenzo, it's time to start to learn plaiting for a clever, unique look.

Another fave style that already became a must is the famous side braid (Band of Outsiders). The key of this pretty style is to leave it slightly looser. Also, milkmaid braids have a major return in a stylish and rather elegant way, interwoven with colorful strips of ribbon (Rachel Roy). 

Lanvin
Carlos Miele

Y3
Kenzo

Band of Outsiders
Rachel Roy

Short hairstyles will always look fresh and youthful yet amazingly sexy and feminine. Moreover, a flattering short crop is great and creates impact. Also, remember that a stylish shortie has a lot of attitude and it is the right choice for busy girls due to its speedy styling time. For fall/winter 2011-2012, short hair looks natural (Balmain, Cacharel) or rather messy (Anna Sui, Isabel Marant).

However, the best thing about short hair is that it can also be uber-cool and glam (Oscar de la Renta, Hermes). Get the slicked down look by simply making a side parting, grab some gel or wax, rub between your hands and run through your hair. The result? A style that takes playfulness and elegance to a whole new level. 

Balmain
Cacharel

Oscar de la Renta
Hermes

Anna Sui
Isabel Marant

Prada spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend: Hair
Spring/Summer 2011

Slicker Than Your Average

PERHAPS in reaction to the Studio 54-inspired 'big hair' trend that has emerged in New York and London (see Marc Jacobs and Topshop for the pick of the crop), the shows in Milan showcased a decidedly sleeker silhouette. At Gucci, much like last season, hair was in a low side-parting and slicked back into a braided chignon at the back. Whereas at Versace there was a departure from the woman of seasons past, snubbing the big blow-out for a wet-look bun that was covered with a PVC square. Prada, as ever the leader in beauty, took this trend to another level with its homage-to-the-Thirties, flapper-style set wave. Good things really do come in small packages.

Fendi spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend: Lips
Spring/Summer 2011

Loud Mouths

ORANGE/RED and glossy at Gucci, graphic and in three different colour variations at Fendi, just-kissed at Dolce & Gabbana, fuchsia at Jil Sander, matte and orange at Marni - one thing is for sure, in Milan, lips were by far the most important point of focus where beauty was concerned. Whether it was to reflect the colour-blocking in the clothes (see Gucci and Jil Sander), or a nod to the Seventies as per the emerging and most prolific trend of the season (Fendi and Marni), bright lips are in. Meaning that for the new season it's not a question of whether one should wear lipstick, but more one of what colour and which effect. Pucker up!

Burberry spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend:
Spring/Summer 2011

British Beauty

AND so London Fashion Week draws to a close. There has been a Seventies revival, there has been glitter, there has been big hair and there has been an explosion of colour. But what better way to end the week than in true British style with the Burberry show? The look was typically and beautifully neutral, with Wendy Rowe on make-up, using the brand's new make-up collection Burberry Beauty. Wendy decided to use slightly cooler tones than she has done in seasons past in order to create a more "rock 'n' roll" edge, as "motorcycle heritage" was Christopher Bailey's reference for the collection. Accordingly, super-stylist Neil Moodie created the chicest version of helmet hair ever seen, with no volume at the top and windswept texture in the lengths. This is classic British beauty at its best.

Giles spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend:
Spring/Summer 2011

Glitter Bomb

THE use of glitter in London first emerged at Sass & Bide, where glitter was applied just underneath the lower lash line for a rock 'n' roll edge to an otherwise very pared-down look. Then, accents of glitter reappeared via the medium of nails at both House of Holland and Holly Fulton where gold varnish was dipped in glitter and then sealed with a topcoat, and even at Topshop the tips of the nails were dipped in multi-coloured glitter and layered with rhinestones by Sophy Robson for a total disco-diva effect (the Seventies are back, after all). And then to today, when the glitter bomb well and truly exploded. Firstly in the morning at Mark Fast, where theatrical make-up maestro, Alex Box, highlighted the inner corners of navy smoky eyes with a highly-concentrated pigment of loose gold glitter. And then to Giles by evening, where make-up artist, Miranda Joyce, described the look as "pure Seventies decadence - more so than we have seen at any other show", with two-tone glitter all the way up into the brows (which, incidentally, were bleached so as to not interrupt the spectacle). So, whether it's just a hint, or loaded on, glitter is definitely not just a festive flash in the pan. It should be part of your spring/summer make-up artillery too. Stock up!

Mary Katrantzou spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend: Eyes
Spring/Summer 2011

Acid Reign

THERE were washes of colour all over the catwalks in London today. First stop, Mary Katrantzou, where make-up artist Val Garland created differently coloured sorbet eyes on each of the girls, all set against the base of perfect skin and chalky pink lips. Her "Laduree" palette was very much in keeping with the colour stories that have been coming through from New York but also earlier in the week in London too. At Osman, for example, make-up artist Lisa Eldridge smudged a matte canary yellow on the inner corner of the eyes and
Hannah Murray at hot-designer-of-the-moment Michael van der Ham also favoured a yellow palette for what she called "rays of sunshine around the eyes". It's extremely refreshing to see these bursts of colour following an autumn/winter season that was so muted and neutral. Sam Bryant, the artist behind the look at Richard Nicoll, was in agreement, when describing the hot orange she used on the cheeks and eyes: "Finally! Some colour!" she exclaimed. Hear, hear.

Topshop Unique spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend: Hair
Spring/Summer 2011

The Big Blow-out

IT all started in New York with the big, candyfloss hair of Marc Jacobs' Seventies disco divas. Now the Seventies style has also arrived in London.
At Felder Felder, Nick Irwin for Tigi introduced to us his "rock and roll hippy hair" which was flat at the roots and wide (just the right side of frizzy in texture) at the bottom. This triangle-shaped hair, synonymous with the Seventies, was also seen in ever-so-slightly-bigger proportions at PPQ, where hairstylist Duffy (styling hair for Clairol) was inspired by pictures of an early Debbie Harry (blonde, big and over-processed). And then to Topshop Unique, where hair was larger than life (the models could barely fit through to the door to get to the bathroom), as Paul Hanlon for Bumble & Bumble added hair-piece upon hair-piece (some coloured in dusky pink or sherbet blue) to add an ethereal quality to the show's Seventies revival. And how to achieve this look? Rickrack hair in pins, leave to set, brush out and then backcomb the lengths with a Mason & Pearson brush. The bigger the better it would seem, so don't be shy...

Michael Kors spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend: Hair
Spring/Summer 2011

Hot Headed

AS New York is drawing to a close (and London is on the cusp of kicking off), it ended on an uplifting summer note as hairstylists are turning up the heat on their looks for spring/summer with a focus on recreating the look of sun-warmed hair. At Anna Sui, tousled waves reigned supreme on the catwalk which was designed to look like a prairie field (accented with flower-power headbands), whilst at both Proenza Schouler and Michael Kors, hair appeared swollen and on the right side of matted - as if created by being in the sun or on the beach. And how should one's make-up complement such hot hair? Look to Michael Kors for the perfect example, with a simple but beautiful heat-flushed cheek. Scorchio.

Preen spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend: Eyes
Spring/Summer 2011

In The Blue Corner

THE tiny and modest corners of the eyes have been being given their chance to shine over the course of New York Fashion Week, as make-up artists are increasingly choosing to make this their favourite area of the face to highlight. Shows such as Preen, Donna Karen, Thakoon and Narciso Rodriguez all honed in on this neat little nook, showing that, as ever, the beauty of a look can often be found in the minutiae. At Preen, James Kaliardos opted for a matte interpretation of this trend by using a light blue on the inner eyes for a super-modern chalky look that actually had an equally arresting effect as its shimmery counterparts. James states, "to highlight in this area opens up the lids, creating an optical illusion of bigger eyes." The best part? It's an easily adaptable trend that can be recreated alongside a smoky eye for the party season. Get into your corner.

Marc Jacobs spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend:
Spring/Summer 2011

Making A Marc

THE talk of the town during New York Fashion Week is always, and justifiably so, the one and only Marc Jacobs. Ever the spectacle, the busy backstage arena was led by Marc's formidable beauty dream team of Francois Nars and Guido Palau. Never ones to disappoint, they chose to go in a very different but equally dramatic direction to celebrate the glamour and decadence of the Seventies, looking to Jerry Hall and Angelica Houston for inspiration. Both backstage supremeos were keen however to give this iconic era a modern twist and reinvent it in their own way. And so, accordingly, eyes were a disco, deep forest green, slicked with a layer of Vaseline against the backdrop of beautifully sheer hyper-real skin, and matte red, stained lips. Whilst in the hair corner, Palau really had his work cut out for him, creating four different looks on the 60 models present (ranging from brushed-out curls to set waves). Palau poignantly spoke of the fluid and constant reinterpretation of beauty throughout the ages, specifically mentioning how women in the Seventies were often trying to channel the mood of the Thirties. Never was a truer word spoken especially seeing as, incidentally, this was the era that make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury focused on for her look at Donna Karen. And so beauty comes full circle. It's all in a days work.

Altuzarra spring/summer 2011. Photographed by James Cochrane

Beauty Trend:
Spring/Summer 2011

Art Attack

MAKE-UP artists and hair stylists alike celebrated the joy of arts and crafts in New York this weekend, with paint-splattered hair on the 'cyber fairies' at Alexander Wang and the 'tribal ravers' at Altuzarra. Make-up artist Tom Pecheux, known for his love of experimentation and colour, was also in creative mood as he painted canary yellow lids at Peter Som, and then gave eyes at Derek Lam the same treatment in pink. The newly-located tents at the Lincoln Centre were also given an extra special splash of colour, care of Charlotte Willer who created a tropical storm of colour on the models at Zac Posen's Z Spoke show. It may feel like summer has just finished, but if these bright young things are anything to go by, in the world of fashion it has well and truly arrived.