London Fashion Week, where storied, heritage brands and disruptive new designers meet, has long been regarded as one of the most inspiring and exciting events in the fashion calendar. For the Fall/Winter 2019 season, British labels once again showed the world their unconventional take on design and on top of that, avant-garde hairstyles and makeup looks that were almost too dream-like to be real.
We went backstage at some of the runway shows, including Ashley Williams, Vivienne Westwood, JW Anderson and more, to document how those fantastical beauty looks came to life.
Take a look at the highlights below and while you are here, read our review on some of the best shows at London Fashion Week FW19.
Ashley Williams
While Spring/Summer 2019 was all about colorful Troll Doll hair, this season saw oversized, girly bows popping up next to the top knots and low ponytails on the models. The brand tapped Alex Brownsell, co-founder of Bleach London, to orchestrate the effortlessly chic and youthful hairstyling. The process, of course, wouldn’t be complete without the designer’s bejeweled hair clips.
The makeup looks, led by Janelle Geason for Aveda, were kept fairly simple. Models like Pixie Geldof were prepped with a dewy complexion and dark, outlined eyes that evoke a punk-rock feel.
Vivienne Westwood
Like Vivienne Westwood herself, the beauty looks at her FW19 show were far from being ordinary. Hairstylist Gary Gill drew inspiration from the iconic designer:
“She’s an icon for me, growing up to someone I really looked up to, so she was a muse for the show. If I imagined when I was 25 and I was to do a show for Vivienne Westwood that is how the hair would have been then and it still is now.”
Using the cult-loved Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, Gill and his team created voluminous, dramatically lifted hair on a diverse cast of models. As for makeup, Isamaya Ffrench lent her wild imagination to the show. Alongside the MAC Cosmetics team, she gave models unrecognizable new looks covered in metallic pigments and slime-like textures.
JW Anderson
Conceptual hairstyles are a main focus at JW Anderson’s FW19 beauty prep. Wearing minimal makeup with neutral eyes and lips, models were styled with what hairstylist Anthony Turner describes as “Lego hair” — shiny and sculpted in a way that resembles a helmet. To achieve the almost cartoon-like fringe, Turner employed Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer attached with the diffuser to harden the gel that’s applied all over the models’ hair. The result were uniquely interesting hairlines that echoed the geometric shapes and asymmetrical hemlines of the garments presented on the runway.
Editor
Teresa LamPhotographer
Ben Awin/Hypebae