Hair Updated

Airy texture injected added interest to up and down dos on the autumn/winter catwalks; think Marie-Antoinette meets modern day. Hair was frothy, lightweight and romantic at an endless list of shows including Giambatista Valli dubbed ‘morning-after hair’, Viktor & Rolf where crimpers made a return, Christian Dior, Charles Anastase where a distinct ‘70s vibe was adopted and Chanel where the trend for fluffy texture was cemented. The key to this look is to step out of the middle ground; you want your hair to make a statement. Backcomb your hair or work crimping irons or tongs through random sections (just make sure you comb out the crimp or curls for a more lived-in feel). Once the texture is right you can style your hair into any shape - a ponytail, faux bob or chignon will work well. Malcolm Edwards explains “fluff this big takes time to style and it’s all about getting a dry texture in the hair”. For added dryness, spray your hair with dry shampoo before and during styling.

Hair accessories are nothing new, but team ELLE has fallen in love with a particular accessory this season: the headband. Spotted at both Karl Lagerfeld and Prada, two big shows that proved this is a look worth trying. On both catwalks the headbands were used to decorate a very similar beehive-come-chignon but to varying effect. Prada’s headbands were cosy, chunky-knit, while at the other end of the spectrum Karl’s headbands were unashamedly sexy in patent black PVC, paired with high-shine red lacquered lips. Malcolm Edwards advises you load your hair with products such as L’Oreal Professionnel tecni art Pli, £9.90 and mousse to ensure the headband doesn’t slip off your head. Also worth noting was the net fascinators at Zac Posen, hats at Christian Dior and Osman Yousefzada and bows at Moschino.

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Grunge is back for autumn/winter 2010. Stylists at Alexander Wang and Louise Goldin took inspiration from the early 1990s and the grunge trend inspired by Kate Moss. Today, however the look has a bit more polish. Wella’s Creative Director Eugene Souleiman described it as ‘grunge meets glamour’ and the team at Bumble and Bumble agreed that this time around the look is less gritty. Hair stylist Jimmy Paul channelled Mary-Kate and Ashley’s hair on models at The Row; he brushed out the hair after applying Thickening Spray, £20 and Surf Spray, £18. Neil Moodie used a similar technique at Burberry spritzing Prep Spray, £14 and Thickening Spray onto damp hair, he then rough dried the hair with a diffuser. If your hair is poker straight use tongs to create a loose, natural wave. All that’s left is a good dose of Moss-inspired attitude.

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If the grunge look is a little too messy for you, then you’ll be more suited to this hairstyle. Thanks to Chloe, the blow-dry is well and truly back on our radar. Previously confined to Manhattan-ites (Alexa Chung famously said she wouldn’t start blow-drying her hair just because she lives there) the blow-dry, or blow-out as they call it, is going to be big news over here come autumn. Glossy, luxurious hair, teased and blown into full-bodied, volume-filled styles. At Chloe the look was very 1970s with caramel toned hair complementing pussy-bow blouses, wide-leg trousers and camel coats; over at Nina Ricci the hair was teased into soft beehives for a more 50s/60s French vibe. For this look, unless you’re a dab hand with a barrel brush or rollers, make sure you’ve got your hairdresser on speed dial.

We spied fringes at three shows; Emporio Armani, Erin Fetherston and Lanvin and all the looks were created using wigs. At Emporio Armani the side fringes were choppy, while at Erin Fetherston and Lanvin they were worn full, which Malcolm Edwards describes as “uber-flattering and cheekbone enhancing”. What they all had in common was the rest of the hair, which at each show was worn straight; Emporio Armani and Lanvin channelled a rock ‘n roll look (think Chrissie Hynde in the ‘60s), while at Erin Fetherston it was more seventies inspired. If you’re wary of going for the chop, try Love Hair Extensions clip-in fringes, £14.95 or Hersheson’s Winges, £30, which were first showcased at Sienna and Savannah’s Twenty8Twelve spring/summer 10 show. Be warned these faux fringes are tricky to style, so seek advice from your hairdresser.

Forget plaits and top knots, this season is all about ponytails. Despite their association with school days, the ponytail for a/w 2010 is either sleek and modern, or super sexy and grown-up. “The sleek ponytail seen at Calvin Klein epitomises pulled-together glam” says Guido, Redken’s Creative Consultant. Straighteners and serum are essential when emulating this look. Over at Miu Miu coloured wefts were used to create the modern and bright high-placed ponytails that injected a bit of throwaway fun into the trend. But it was the 1950s inspired Louis Vuitton pony that had us all hooked. “It was all about luxury and decadence” says hair stylist Malcolm Edwards. The hair appeared luscious, expensive and unobtainable – a vibe every woman should want to copy this season. To get the look you need either a weft of hair that can be wrapped around your own pony or a faux ponytail. Simply tong the ends on either, leave to cool then lightly brush out to create that swishy bounce.