Yorkshire-based hairdressing group director, Steve Rowbottom, Westrow, reveals the hottest hairstyle trends of autumn/winter 2018
FRIZZ FRAME
Crimping is back, but not as we remember it. Forget all those late 80s memories of clients frying their hair on crimpers, as it’s back once again, but in a far-more sophisticated guise. Sonia Rykiel’s AW18 show demonstrated just how much volume, body and width you can add to the hair by crimping and then – crucially – brushing out the curls, but for a truly glamorous take on this trend use the Halpern A/W18 show as a style reference. There, models wore hair pulled tightly back into a sleek power pony with the entire length of the ponytail crimped and brushed out for serious body, texture and volume. Picture a super-long ponytail that’s been crimped, plaited and curled, and then heavily partied-in and you’re on the right track. To get the look, pull hair back into a sleek pony, using hairspray to keep flyaways at bay. Then, either plait the ponytail into multiple tiny braids, run hair straighteners over them, and then undo the plaits, or alternatively, use a pair of crimpers.
When the hair is fully crimped and cool, it’s time to brush – the idea is to get that ponytail as big and fluffy as possible. Finally, use a comb to backcomb sections of the ponytail for added texture, height and a light halo of frizz, before spraying with texture spray to finish.
PONY CLUB
Ponytails are no longer seen as the low-maintenance go-to style for bad hair days: the quintessential gym-bunny style has been injected with glamour and has become a mainstay on the red carpet, as well as a catwalk fixture season after season. At Fashion Week A/W18, Off-White, House of Holland and Mark Fast all showcased the glamorous simplicity of a slick power pony, while at Palmer Harding, the traditional ponytail was reconstructed, with hair wrapped into a loop and ends left un-tucked for an effortless-looking finish. These modern ponytails are incredibly fierce-looking, yet manage to tick so many wearability boxes: they have an ultra-feminine feel, yet they give off a powerful message that says you mean business. This new type of pony requires plenty of length – extensions if necessary – with enough hair left to wrap around the base of the pony or into a loop. To re-create the new season’s reconstructed pony, blow-dry the hair smooth, and run through with straighteners to create a glassy finish. Pull the hair back into a super-tight, mid-height ponytail (to keep the look very AW18 either opt for a deep side parting or no parting) and secure with a band. Finally, twist the length of the pony until it coils back on itself and pin in place, leaving the ends sticking out, for an undone finish. Hairspray is a must to ensure the look remains slick and flyaway-free.
