Fashion Month has landed and, as ever, we're looking to the shows of New York, London, Paris and Milan for our next-season beauty inspiration. The first hair look to catch our eye? At Alexander Wang, of course. Dubbed #WangFest, the designer's SS18 extravaganza was all about celebration, with models moving around the city on a party bus, dressed in a mishmash of leather trousers, lace cami tops, and deconstructed shirts. Cardi B performed at the after-party, which, with a bouncy castle and giant ice sculptures, more than made up for the lack of one last season.
So what about the hairstyles? Wang is known for his scene-stealing hair transformations, thanks to his longstanding collaborative relationship with Redken's global creative director, Guido Palau. From AW16's microfringes to SS17's beachy bleached 'dos, you can always expect extreme styles at Wang's shows. This season, however, saw the designer take a different approach. “The hair this season at Wang was much simpler – with less haircuts, it’s much more about the girls being themselves," says Palau. For SS18, the girls' natural locks were simply enhanced, with Palau using irons or the brand's No Blow Dry Cream to define texture. But you'd be remiss to think there wasn't a talking point: the standout look came from Australian model Stella Lucia, repping pink hair among all the natural colours in the show.
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While colourful hair used to be the preserve of punks and misfits, it's not unusual now to see a sea of pastels, brights and balayages bobbing down the high street. Much like makeup, we're using our hair colour to express whichever version of ourselves we're feeling that day – I've gone from comic-book red to copper to soft apricot in a matter of weeks – and the transience of a wash-out colour means there's absolutely no commitment involved.
The inspiration behind the look? "We are referencing the '90s and making it feel right now, today here in New York. We started with a grey base and layered Shades EQ Pastel before adding different colours. I’ve christened it ‘rose quartz’," Redken's global colour creative director, Josh Wood, explains. Now, that '90s reference – Kate Moss rocked a peachy-pink tone for the Versace SS99 catwalk show, kicking off just one of the many trends she's been the face of. From there on out, the likes of Drew Barrymore, Gwen Stefani and Angelina Jolie made pink hair part of the '90s grunge uniform. So how can we recreate the Wang look today?
This style works best on pre-lightened hair so, if you want the full rose quartz coverage, it's time to get comfortable with bleach. If you have highlights, balayage or dip-dyed hair, the colour will be absorbed by the lightened sections, offering a looser, faded colour. First up, cover clean, dry hair with Redken Shades EQ Pastel Pink (available from October), and leave to process for 20 minutes. Once time is up, rinse, and shampoo and condition with Redken's Color Extend Magnetics, a sulphate-free formula that repairs locks and seals in colour. Of course, you could also play around with shades and tones, combining the Pastel Pink with the brand's Midtown Magenta or East Village Violet. That's the joy of semi-permanent hair colour – the possibilities are endless.