Contrary to what you might think, it’s not just about the clothes at the men’s show. The agenda on hair and the grooming are set on the runways too. Here, we break down the four best trends that dominated this season.
Glossier skin
Call it boring but clean and healthy look will always be the preference du jour in men’s makeup on the runways. It has proven to withstand the test of time as evinced by models that walked down most of the shows across the four cities such as Dior Men, Raf Simons, Versace, dunhill, Ermenegildo Zegna and Fendi. The men’s looks were comparably more subtle compared to their female counterpart, with skin kept fresh, allowing the natural beauty of the models to speak for itself. Tom Ford relied on Hydrating Lip Balm to pucker the lips and Brow Definer to wake up the eyes while makeup artist at Dunhill, Wendy Rowe used Darphin Skin Mat Matifying Fluid for an effortless dewy skin finish. The result? A glowing face.
Face Canvas
It’s often said that your face is a canvas for makeup. Clean and natural look aside, some fashion houses experimented and used the face as a canvas to deliver their message. Philip Plein led the way with dramatic, heavy-metal themed makeup such as a black and a chalky white base. Created by make-up artist Mark Carrasquillo, Thom Browne sent their models down the runway with rosy cheeks, tricolour lips and stick-on stars and beauty spots to complement the collegiate-themed collection. In Paris, Belgian fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck provided drama on the runway, with a beauty look that featured primary colours painted on to the hair and face in different kind of shapes and stripes to create a rave fantasy. The message was distinct: be experimental with make-up this season.
’90s throwback
2020 is the year we ditch classicism and there have been a resurgence of brightly coloured and spiked hairstyles. Made a nostalgic return on the S/S ’20 runways with spunky teenage spirit, we saw aubergine at Martine Rose while Liam Hodges took us back to a youthful epoch of vintage Britain as he placed punk styles at the forefront and Versace sent dyed-head models in shocking green, vibrant pink and aqua out onto the runway as a tribute to the late Keith Flint. Spiky, androgynous and verging on dishevelled – when it comes to this look, the more punk, the better. To achieve this look? A qualified barber is very much advised.
Wet hair, don’t care
The shiny wet, slicked-back hair look is back and it’s made a loud and clear entrance this season across the four major fashion capitals. As demonstrated by Oliver Spencer, Versace, Dior Men, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, getting it all gelled up can deliver a simple yet striking impact. At Craig Green, hairstylist Mari Ohashi alluded to the look by prepping the models with blow-drying spray for the wet effect and applying pomade to lay fat. Meanwhile at 8ON8, hairstylist Daniele De Engelis set the wet look in place by spritzing hair spray after prepping it with mousse and hair balm. The great thing about this glossy style is any guy (with hair) can pull it off with the right product like water-based pomade – lots of it. Keeps the ends free and messy by brushing it back and blow-drying it simultaneously. Finish it with a light layer of hair spray or mousse to add in texture and shape.
This story first appeared in the March 2020 issue of Men’s Folio Malaysia.
