Runway Hairstyle Ideas

Hairstyles help set the tone of a runway show.

Presentation is important in runway fashion. Along with accessories, a key to a successful runway presentation is the hairstyles of the models. Rather than just being an arbitrary decision, runway hairstyles need to reflect the clothing and style choices of the designer. Sleek updos highlight the clothing, loose waves add a touch of old Hollywood glamour and older styles can be updated for voluminous looks.

Sleek Updos

Pulling the hair back from the face in a ballerina bun or slender braid puts the emphasis on the clothing. A sleek updo creates uniformity among the various models so that no one model, and therefore no one look, is highlighted over the others. The simplicity involved in creating such hairstyles also makes them ideal. Models with short hair only need to have their hair slicked back so that it follows the contours of their heads. For models with longer hair, the hair is gathered into a tight ponytail that sits either at the crown or nape of the neck. If the model's hair is fine rather than thick, the ponytail can be left as is. To keep the hair as restrained as possible, thicker hair is then twisted into a bun or tied into a single tight braid. The overall look of the models is refined and elegant.

Loose Waves

Long, flowing waves are symbol of glamour. They highlight the health and vitality of the hair and create and aura that harkens back to Hollywood in the 1940's. This hairstyle can be accomplished with short hair, but has a more dramatic effect on models with long hair. The hair is curled in individual sections using a wide curling iron and pinned in place during styling so that the hair will hold the curl. Once all of the hair is curled, release the pins and loosen the curls using cool air and your fingertips. It's a simple, sexy hairstyle that adds a touch of romance to a runway show.

Retro Updates

During the fall 2010 fashion shows, several designers styled their models with updated versions of 1960's hairstyles. Rochas' runway show featured Beehive inspired down-dos with a lot of volume. Hair at the crown is backcombed and teased to create faux Beehive while the rest of the hair is left soft and smooth. The end look is contrasted which adds dimension to the style. Vera Wang's show also incorporated updated Beehives. The Beehives had a loose, messy style that created a soft appearance. Once the hair at the crown has been backcombed into the desired size of the Beehive, the longer strands of hair are gathered back into a ponytail (or simply pinned up on models with shorter hair). This style of hair is very youthful, but can still be worn by women of all ages.

Tags: models with, runway show, hair curled, hair gathered, hair hair, Once hair, short hair