Style trends often fly off the runway after a few shows, and they can’t be ignored, but finding things about hair, grooming, and beauty can be a little tricky, especially at menswear shows. I have.
But heading into fall 2023, makeup artists and hair stylists seem to have been given clear direction from the brand’s artistic director.
With decidedly retro hairstyles, altered irises, and dramatically painted faces (including a tomato painted on JW Anderson’s model), these beauties haven’t been quiet.
Here are five statement-making trends you should know for Men’s Fashion Week.
intense iris
In an age of facial recognition, biometric scanning, and mass surveillance, our eyes have become more than mirrors for our souls. This made it all the more important to face a set of anonymous eyes that were made to appear completely black or white, with the iris turned into a completely different color.
I’ve become accustomed to seeing models walking around town. Rick Owens’ show is getting some form of facial modification, including colored contacts. This season, some wore black lenses, but in some cases, the black geometric face is further dramatized with his paint (more on that later). At Loewe, bright eyes were everything. A few models wore white contacts and others were given red or yellow irises.
i see smoke
If you’re not in the mood for the all-black or white centerpiece gritty look, there’s the classic smoky eye that’s always your go-to. will do
Nowhere else was it more overt and smoky than Charles Jeffrey Loverboy. So the designer showed a collection partly inspired by industrialism, with facial makeup meant to imitate soot. rice field.
At Fendi, it was more juxtaposed as the model showed off a smoky eyed look that was in stark contrast to her otherwise natural face.
face geometry
Some looks have gone beyond typical makeup and entered the realm of face paint. At the JW Anderson show in Milan, irreverent, colorful swirls were painted across the faces of models, while at the Rick Owens show in Paris, angular lines circled the eyes.
On the other hand, in the Walter van Beirendonck show, one model’s neck-to-eye serpentine curve passed through her face and skull, while another model’s eyes were dotted with small circles.
wavelength
In recent seasons, long hair has become a credible look on menswear runways.
Zegna, Giorgio Armani and Jan-Jan Van Essche sent long-haired models in gentle waves. At JW Anderson and Etro, models wore medium-length hair in a loose, messy style.
At Blue Marble in Paris, we saw pristine waves and curls, and at Comme des Garçons Homme Plax, models with puffy bangs behind wireframe hats.
Overall, the looks were relaxed and conveyed the idea of embracing hair instead of trying to smooth things out and control them.
retro dos
Another trend is definitely retro looking hair.
At Martine Rose in Florence, permed hairstyles that looked like they were pulled from the pages of an ’80s salon catalog matched kitsch outfits.
In Paris, the retro shift has moved forward a bit. At Kenzo Nigo 60’s. In addition to its retro-themed collection, Casablanca has added more ’60s hairstyles, from hairspray his waves to bobs.
Taking retro inspiration to the extreme, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy’s show in Milan offered a sort of timelapse. Sprinkled throughout were bobs, punk blowouts, dramatic Victorian headdresses, and tar-shelled-looking rockabilly style.
Old is really new. Grab some hairspray.
Mark Richardson is a Montreal-based writer and photographer. His work focuses on fashion, culture and his intersection of the two. He has spent most of his last decade observing and cataloging menswear, from New York and London to Florence and Paris. You can follow him on Twitter @quicklongread and Instagram @shooting.people.
