8 Beauty Moments That Ruled the New York Runway This Weekend

by Lauren Valenti / Tuesday, 13 February 2018

Photographed by Corey Tenold

This weekend’s inclement forecast didn’t rain on New York Fashion Week’s parade—especially on the beauty front. (Though Tom Ford’s sleek leather headbands and Alexander Wang’s chrome banana clips did offer up high-impact humidity hair solutions….)

More so than ever, the runways were stoked with a sense of individuality, from Telfar’s plethora of natural hair statements to Gypsy Sport’s gender-bending cast lead by drag wunderkind Desmond Napoles. Color was also an important means of expression, with Wang muse EZ boldly taking on a shocking “penny red” dye job, while Bottega Veneta’s deep scarlet mouths delivered a dark and dangerous alternative for Valentine’s Day. Here, eight standout beauty moments that still have the industry buzzing.

Alexander Wang Brings Back the Banana Clip

Alexander Wang. Photographed by Corey Tenold

“The hair’s a take on ’80s executive,” explained hairstylist Guido Palau backstage at Alexander Wang, twisting Kaia Gerber’s brunette lengths back into a taut twirl and securing it with a high-shine silver banana clip. The lesson? The throwback accessory is a surefire way to look effortlessly chic while workin’ 9 to 5.

Retro Leather Headbands Get the Tom Ford Treatment

Tom Ford. Photographed by Corey Tenold

Proving that the ’80s really are the new ’90s, Ford also looked to the more-is-more decade for hair inspiration, outfitting his army in thick, black leather headbands for a distinct Rodeo Drive feel. Paired with disheveled updos with DIY “mullet tails” and jet-black smoky eyes, the look had just the right amount of subversive edge.

Model EZ Debuts a Shocking New Dye Job

EZ at Alexander Wang. Photo: Getty Images

A year ago today, Seoul-born model EZ burst onto the New York Fashion Week scene, closing Wang’s Fall 2017 show with a career-defining platinum blonde buzz cut. But this season called for another transformative shade switch-up, and six hours of colorist Josh Wood’s handiwork later, she was a penny-tinged redhead with a fiery new lease on life.

Telfar Celebrates Above-the-Neck Individuality

Photographed by Corey Tenold

Expectations were high for CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award winner Telfar Clemens—and the designer didn’t disappoint, staging a chills-inducing concert composed by Dev Hynes instead of a show. From Kelela’s trio of architectural knots to Alton Mason’s afro, hairstylist Jawara helped each performer showcase the beauty and versatility of their natural hair to powerful effect.

Simi and Haze Steal the Front Row With Neon Blue Eyes

Simi and Haze Khadra at Alexander Wang. Photo: Shutterstock

Always ones for a head-swiveling twinning beauty moment, the Khadra sisters got playful with pigment front row at Wang, opting for fresh poppy lips and color-blocked sweeps of turquoise on the lids that played well against their blue-gray gazes. Unsurprisingly, the DJ-ing duo was right on trend: the electric shade turned up at both Chromat and Saks Potts.

Gypsy Sport’s Runway Is a Gender-Fluid Win

Desmond Is Amazing at Gypsy Sport. Photo: Getty Images

A perpetual breeding ground for disrupters, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting runway than that of Gypsy Sport for 10 year-old rising drag star, Desmond Is Amazing, to make his runway debut. Sharing the catwalk with fellow gender-benders Jazelle and Munroe Bergdorf, Desmond wore his slicked gray hair and rouged cheeks with natural swagger.

A Touch of Gold, Re-Imagined at Ulla Johnson

Ulla Johnson. Photo: Getty Images

It’s all in the details for designer Ulla Johnson, from the ruffles on a pink láme dress to the deftly-executed dash of gold leaf across the eyes. When creating the latter for a decidedly “disco” feel, lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani used Tata Harper’s Contouring Eye Mask as an adhesive instead of glue. Consider it after-party ready.

Pat McGrath Gives Valentine’s Day Lips a Mysterious Twist

#THELOOK at @bottegaveneta #BVXNY on the MAJOR @lea_jul wearing LUST: MatteTrance lipstick shade in ‘DIVINE BROWN’ 🖤🖤🖤 1 of 11 NEW matte lipsticks now available on PATMcGRATH.COM ⚡⚡⚡

A post shared by Pat McGrath (@patmcgrathreal) on Feb 9, 2018 at 6:20pm PST

Dark romantics, this one’s for you. At Bottega Veneta, Pat McGrath sent several jewel-tone lip shades down the runway, but the striking standout was a deep brick red (courtesy of McGrath’s LUST MatteTrance lipstick shade in “Divine Brown“), as it offered a moodier take on a perennial Valentine’s Day favorite.