Whilst clean skin and wash-and-go hair were present across the board during the spring/summer 2017 shows, the beauty trends that did make their mark were brighter and bolder than ever. An abundance of glitter from Fendi to DKNY gave the shows a welcome shimmer, whilst flashes of Eighties inspiration had a more-is-more charm that came into its element in the final days of Paris Fashion Week. And as for hair? Look to Guido Palau, who was responsible for some of the most dramatic transformations of the season. See below for the ultimate beauty trends and talking points from backstage at the spring/summer 2017 shows.
Back To The Eighties
From subtle iterations to all-out retro throwbacks, the Eighties certainly made its stamp on spring/summer 2017’s beauty. Lipstick-bright blush was applied to the temples at Kenzo, Chanel and Adam Selman, side-swept curls made their mark at Topshop Unique, colour-pop lids at Nina Ricci were inspired by Bruce Weber’s photographs from the decade, and Marc Jacobs’s entire show was influenced by Eighties rave culture – from the metallic eye make-up to the (controversial) coloured dreadlocks. Dig our your crimper and invest in the brightest MAC pigment you can find…
Pick Your Plait
From the skinny braids sported by Roberto Cavalli‘s pretty hippies to the woven chignons worn by Erdem’s 17th Century girls, plaits appeared in countless forms on the spring/summer 2017 catwalks. Are you a romantic? Try Valentino’s fairytale-length braids. A tomboy? Dior’s plaited buns should do the trick. Or an Eighties girl? See Simone Rocha’s perky pigtails or Kenzo’s looped braids. As Guido Palau told us backstage at Dior, “there’s a plait to suit everyone”.
The Smudgy Eye
Forget the classic smoky – next season is all about the smudgy eye. At Balmain and Altuzarra Tom Pecheux applied MAC Studio Eye Gloss over black liner for maximum smudge effect, at Christopher Kane the messy shadow was inspired by cigarette ash, and at Rag & Bone the kohl was applied to give a “late night, early morning” feel. In other words, don’t worry about drawing a neat line.
Clean Skin
The “no make-up” look isn’t exactly new backstage, but there’s no denying it’s having a moment all over again. With Kim Kardashian-West wearing no make-up at all on the Balenciaga front row and Alicia Keys continuing her decision to scrap cosmetics altogether, the bare-faced look was on full display both on and off the catwalk. At Isabel Marant, Michael Kors and Proenza Schouler make-up was used only to cover marks or blemishes, and only the subtlest tweaks were made at Marni, Band of Outsiders, Antonio Berardi and Vera Wang.
