Sideways
Our style pendulum is swinging toward a side part.
Six months ago middle parts were all the rage. In fact, looking back on the last year centre split hair has been ruling runways, just ask Karl Lagerfeld, Riccardo Tisci or Stefano Pilati - the design triad who built their Spring 2011 aesthetic around symmetrical styling. There were milk-maid up-do's at Yves Saint Laurent, pagan pigtails at Givenchy and Kaiser Karl combed wet strands into strict submission at Chanel, accenting his centre split with graphic line-work (which was rapidly replicated off the runway).
But as fashion's austere monochromatic mood shifts toward a more vibrant celebratory spectrum, so follows the sentiment for hair and beauty. Styling for Fall 2011 was decidedly softer and more feminine as an air of whimsy began to weave it's way through the old regime.
Rodarte continue a three-season side part streak, ever-committed to their vision of the American dreamer. Araks followed suit with a similarly sentimental sideways sweep. Diesel and Dries Van Noten fell in-step with their own interpretations of the trend; Van Noten was characteristically effortless while on the flip side Diesel revisited Alexander Wang's wet-to-dry vision from Fall 2010.
Slick ponytails at Gucci added fuel to the fire, but possibly the most enticing execution of this look came from Marni, where Consuelo Castiglioni made the transition look like a walk in the park. Textured tresses were swept sideways and tucked behind the ear with nothing but the odd bobby pin to hold them in place. Simultaneously expert and accessible, we sense an exciting new direction for the upcoming Spring season.
Words: Renee Warne
