New York Fashion Week SS21 ushered in a sense of youthful energy, drawing a much needed line under the past few months of doom and gloom. There were fresh faces and healthy glows at Theory, Zimmermann, and Jason Wu, and pops of bright colour at Collina Strada, Tom Ford and Tomo Koizumi who brought about the much-needed playfulness we crave too.
Here are the hair and beauty trends you need to know from New York Fashion Week SS21
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1. The trend: fresh faces and healthy glows
Where we’ve seen it:
Zimmermann, Sandy Liang, Theory, Jason Wu, Anna Sui, Rosetta Getty, Rodarte
What you need to know:
It’s time to up your skincare regime as bare faces and dewy skin were the order of the day at Zimmerman, Theory, and Sandy Liang. Think glassy skin and glossy lips, as seen on Pose star Indya Moore at Jason Wu. It’s fresh, it’s clean, and it feels new. Even Rodarte’s signature vamps were the picture of health — that treasured commodity in a post-pandemic world.
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2. The trend: colour blocking
Where we’ve seen it:
Batsheva, Tom Ford, Chromat, Tomo Koizumi, Zero + Maria Cornejo, LRS, Bibhu Mohapatra
What you need to know:
What better way to escape the dark days of 2020 than with strategically placed pops of colour? There were hot pink lips and matching nails at Tom Ford, accents of aquamarine around the eyes at Tomo Koizumi, lime-green nails at Chromat, and a lapis lazuli lid at Zero + Maria Cornejo — a reminder of better days and how to have fun.
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3. The trend: long hair, don’t care
Where we’ve seen it:
Thakoon, Ulla Johnson, Jason Wu, Nicole Miller, Kim Shui, Veronica Beard, Rebecca Taylor
What you need to know:
Locks were left long and barely touched this season, speaking to the carefree attitude that best sums up New York Fashion Week SS21. This was particularly felt at Thakoon, where hair was thick, natural and minimally styled. Perhaps it was inspired by all that time spent away from the salon during lockdown?
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4. The trend: DIY dye job
Where we’ve seen it:
Collina Strada, Christian Cowan, Claudia Li
What you need to know:
Taking that carefree attitude to the extreme, there was also something of an air of youthful rebellion around, as seen in the neon punk hawks at Christian Cowan, modelled by rapper Lil Nas X, drag queen Violet Chachki, Marc Jacobs and more. Elsewhere, Collina Strada opted for kawaii meets 1920s with hair in pastel-hued pin curls, while Claudia Li opted for an aquamarine buzzcut. Think lockdown DIY jobs, but make it fashion.
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The trend: back-to-black eyeliner
Where we’ve seen it:
Libertine, Alice + Olivia, Partow, Rosetta Getty, Batsheva
What you need to know:
As face masks become the new norm in a post-pandemic world, this season is all about the eyes. And where it’s not pops of colour, it’s thick lines of kohl. See Libertine and Batsheva for an air of rock’n’roll, consider Alice + Olivia for high drama, and call on Rosetta Getty for a softer touch.
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6. The trend: swept back, swung low
Where we’ve seen it:
Pamella Roland, Badgley Mischka, Partow, Sukeina, Marchesa, Khaite
What you need to know:
The perfect day-to-night do, when hair wasn’t worn loose and long, it was tied back into chic chignons as at Badgley Mischka, or worn side-parted in a low ponytail like at Pamella Roland. When late nights and dinners out are continually under threat, there was something uplifting and positive about this smart-casual, sophisticated do.
