The iconic hair stylist tells us how you can achieve the look yourself
Last season, Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi staged one of the most talked-about shows during New York Fashion Week. Plucked from Instagram by the super stylist Katie Grand and supported by Marc Jacobs, the Tokyo-based designer showcased a collection of saccharine high-volume tulle dresses in rainbow colors. Simply put, it was the presentation that NYFW had been waiting for.
For SS20, the designer told guests he wanted to do something more dramatic. Once again using Marc Jacobs’ Madison Avenue store as a backdrop, Koizumi this time staged a presentation that involved transgender model Ariel Nicholson in tulle confections making dramatic movements around the space.
As such, the beauty look followed suit for his dramatic vision too. Editorial hair stylist and Redken global creative director Guido Palau created cone-like structures on models’ heads while Pat McGrath layered pigmented swathes of glitter in geometric swipes across the eyes.
“It’s a highly conceptualised presentation, and I’ve done the hair to match,” says Palau. “I’ve created incredibly high hair in a cone shape using the new Redken Triple Pure 32 Hairspray. The great thing about this hairspray is that it has a neutral fragrance, so it doesn’t overpower when you’re backstage or if you have a picky client. I’ve also used one of my backstage favorites, Redken Guts 10, for volume and added hold. I knew for this presentation, the look had to be something really extreme – either height, or length, and I went for height.”
Of course, the extreme cone look contrasted with Koizumi’s boxy, colorful shapes and was a big departure from the soft and simple baby bang pixie cuts Guido created last season for the brand. This was a much more structural look.
If you want to try the look yourself, Palau suggests securing a foam cone shape at the top center of your head, layering in sprays of Redken Guts 10 throughout your lengths and ends, slightly teasing your hair as you go and then begin layering your hair upwards onto the cone shape, using a brush, in small sections, spraying heavy amounts of the Redken Triple Pure 32 Hairspray as you go to lock it in. Top it off with a heavy layer of the Redken Triple Pure 32 Hairspray over the whole look, allow it to set for a few minutes and finish with a heavy spray of Redken Shine Flash 02 all over the look for glossy, shellacked shine.
As for the equally theatrical make up, McGrath used her new Mothership VI Midnight Sun Eye Palette to layer the copper shade across the lid and topped off the brow with an extended cat eye in the purple glitter shade. She also applied silver and pink glitter shades on the inner and outer corner of the eyes, layering black liner across the lash line. The gold shade from the palette was swiped along the hairline, below the chin and over the ears for graphic impact.
Will this be NYFW’s most extreme beauty look of the season? We wouldn’t be surprised if so.