New York Fashion Week has officially kicked off fashion month, and its emerging beauty trends are already setting the tone for the season ahead. And let’s just say the leopard print faces at Collina Strada and lush feathered lashes at Thom Browne were just the beginning of experimentation. If it wasn’t the next-level ‘90s makeup at Luar and Kim Shui, it was the high-to-the-heavens hair statements at Marc Jacobs and Meruert Tolegen.
Below see all the can’t-miss moments, and keep checking back on the biggest trends through the end of fashion month.
Into the Wild
Courtesy of Ilia
From spotted to feathery, many unforgettable moments were wild at heart. It all started at Collina Strada, where makeup artist Dick Page drew inspiration from the collection’s bold prints. Using Ilia’s Clean Line Gel Liner in jet-black Twilight, he freehanded leopard spots along the forehead and jawline. “It’s just playing around with the idea of decoration,” he said backstage. Also not to be missed: The crimped hair horns that came down the runway.
Animal-inspired adornment also appeared at nail level on the Luar runway, where nail artist Naomi Yasuda riffed on the show’s duck theme with fluffy faux feather press-ons painted in OPI’s Black Onyx, Alpine Snow, and Livin’ la Vida Mocha. Plumes also got play at Thom Browne, where Isamaya Ffrench fastened emerald green feathers onto lashes for a high-drama fringed look.
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Unexpected Shimmer
Shimmer came in many unexpected forms, ranging from pop art to just a hint of gleam. In a “deconstruction of classic beauty” for Marc Jacobs, Pat McGrath created precision beauty spots using a mixture of velvet and glittering materials to stamp paper doll-like red lips and cheeks. Back to reality, at Eckhaus Latta, Fara Homidi paired “après ski goggled-sunkiss” skin with ever-so-slightly iridescent “eye glint” on the inner corners. And then were Christopher John Rogers’ “galactic lips,” which saw makeup artist Alex Levy layering MAC’s Dazzleshadow Extreme and Clear Lipglass for foil-like shimmer with a glass finish.
Swoop Appeal
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Many of this season’s standout hair looks were dramatically swooped into shape. Inspired by Christian Siriano’s race-car-themed show, hairstylist Lacy Redway sculpted “trackside twists”—slicked-back knots with 3D, ribbon-like details. At Collina Strada, Mustafa Yanaz crafted braided styles with artfully looped shapes around the face. At the same time, at Christopher John Rogers, Sonny Mollina created heavy side-swept bangs and deep parts for a Veronica Lake-inspired peek-a-boo effect. And, of course, you couldn’t miss the Bettie Page and Dita Von Teese-inspired bumper bangs at Anna Sui, which Garren set in place using R+Co BLEU Cult Classic Flexible Hairspray.
Courtesy of R+Co
‘90s Matte-itude
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The hazy, soft-focus finish that the ‘90s gave rise to was everywhere. Sometimes, it was just the skin, as seen at Ulla Johnson, where a velvety finish took center stage with Sisley’s new Blur Expert 1 Beige powder. At Khaite, complexions were supercharged with Monastery’s Aloe gel serum before makeup artist Diane Kendal used NARS Light Reflecting powders to create a smooth, soft finish. Backstage at Kim Shui, MAC makeup artist Romero Jennings took inspiration from Gabbriette to craft a “cool-toned sculpted face” with frosty matte eyes (using MAC eyeshadow in White Frost and Cozy Grey). Meanwhile, at Luar, Terry Barber’s “late-‘80s-supermodel-glam-meets-DIY-club-drag” look brought chalky cut-crease smoky eyes and nude lips, courtesy of MACximal Silky Matte Lipstick in nude beige Act Natural.
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Soaring Styles
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Leave it to Marc Jacobs to take hair to extravagant new heights–and set the stage for what’s to come. The paper doll-inspired beauty for his show saw hairstylist Guido Palau brushing curls into tall, undulating shapes that evoked old-world romance. Meanwhile, at Meruert Tolegen, Laurent Philippon opted for more structured, intricate styles, piling winding twists and braids into gravity-defying hair sculptures. Finally, Thom Browne’s show saw hair molded into elaborate, fascinator-like bow-tied shapes, creating truly otherworldly designs.
