GETTING DONE UP WHEN YOU’RE COMING UNDONE

CREATIVE DIRECTION: MARNE SCHWARTZ
PHOTOGRAPHY: LI HE
WORDS: EMILY ALGAR

If recent runway shows have taught us anything, it’s that there are no longer any rules. We’ve seen  formats flipped, the fashion calendar discarded and house codes shifted. The same applies for beauty. Trend reports feel somewhat pre-pandemic. The overarching trends are that there are no trends at all. This could come down to lack of structure but we prefer the lens of beautiful chaos. Beauty feels more like a means for creativity; a coping mechanism. A way to fundamentally shift the way you feel… because such is the power of hair and makeup.

Hair specifically has long been intrinsically linked to power – the stigma attached to a ‘bad hair day’ is proof of this. It’s a sentiment the biblical martyr Samson can personally attest to. His superhuman strength was the stuff of legends until one night, his ‘lover’ Delilah ordered his hair to be cut off  while he slept. When he woke up, his power was gone. A metaphor for something bigger, but you get the point.

In lieu of heading backstage at shows, we’re celebrating the hair and makeup combos responsible for doing us up when we’re coming undone. Tightly-wound braids, labyrinthine-like up-dos and shapes that defy the laws of gravity are tempered with a smattering of smoky and peachy shadows. Hair which celebrates asymmetry, irregularity, intricacy and complexity are mixed with cosmic, shimmery eye palettes. Styles that demand skill, patience and commitment are teamed with bold and creamy lipsticks and gold flecked polishes. It’s show hair, without the show. Take note.