The top men's beauty trends from Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020
Accessible hairstyles and bold accessorizing cues that we can start sporting even before the new season starts
The Fall/Winter 2020/21 edition of Men's Fashion Week just ended, leaving us with some accessible hairstyles to aspire to, and other more bold accessorizing cues. Whatever you fancy, there is inspiration here — feel free to start sporting some of these looks in advance of the season! Here are a few of the most memorable men's beauty trends straight from the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris.
Slicked hair and side parts
Sophisticated, sleek hair with plenty of shine was the dominating hair trend on the runways in the four major fashion capitals. Countless designers complemented tailored sartorial looks with models wearing their hair slicked down tight, as seen at shows from Dior to Valentino, and parted at the side at shows like Alexander McQueen. This tried-and-true hairstyle for men is a classic that continues to pop up on red carpets too.
As the longer-on-top, faded-on-the-side 'Surf Brah Undercut' begins to fade from our memory and guys start growing out their fades, this is a classic look that any guy can pull off. Just stock up on hair gel.
Pixie cut
The recent runway shows also made a case for bringing back a classic '60s hairstyle: the pixie cut. This more modern version is short with lots of texture, and could be seen most prominently on the Prada runway in Milan. Miuccia Prada sent her models down the runway with messy, cropped hair that (looks like it) required minimal effort.
The closely cropped elfin cuts (there, we said it!) could also be seen on the runways at Fendi, and the Milan runway show of Canada's beloved Dean and Dan Caten, the brothers behind the DSquared2 label.
Shaggy hair
Another hairstyle dominating the runways this year in the four major fashion capitals was cool, chic and super shaggy — perfect for the guy who is slowly growing out his hair. Face-framing layers, again with lots of texture, and seen on the runways at Tod's, MSGM and Zegna.
Floral hair accessories and bold headpieces
Enough with the haircuts — let's get to the hair accessories! Valentino's creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, debuted the label's Fall/Winter 2020/21 menswear collection during Paris Men's Fashion Week, showing an assortment of designs with graphic floral prints. The recurring motif was complemented with cherry blossoms delicately affixed in each of the models' hair. Backstage artists (led by the trendsetting hairstylist Guido Palau) pinned the delicate flowers to the side, or used them to loosely accentuate slicked parts. Harry Styles could actually pull this off, right?
Dried florets not your style? Perhaps you might be interested in a thorn-crown-inspired pencil-studded headpiece. Per Götesson debuted one for fall on the London runway along with a variety of other out-of-the-box headpieces.
Face adornments
If you're unsure about pinning cherry blossoms in your hair, you might not be first to sport this next trend. From futuristic chrome faceplates to jewelled eyepieces, face adornments were the wackiest beauty trend for men that we spotted on the runways.
Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear, brought futuristic vibes with (wait…what is he wearing?!) holographic masks. Following a parade of modern men's suiting and outerwear, seven "bionic" models walked the Paris runway wearing cloud-printed looks that complemented the runway's heavenly set. But the models really stood out thanks to their chrome faceplates. The fluid lines of the masks gave a holographic effect, reflecting the show's cloud-infused backdrop, and ensuring that the collection, which Abloh titled "Heaven On Earth," lived up to its ethereal name.
At Dior Homme, Peter Philips, the creative and image director of Christian Dior makeup, jumped on the face adornment bandwagon with subtle silver studs that added just a touch of sparkle. Philips pasted the tiny silver studs to the inner corner or the middle of the lower lid on each of the models walking down the runway.
Christopher Turner is a Toronto-based writer, editor and lifelong fashionisto with a passion for pop culture and sneakers. Follow him on social media at @Turnstylin.