The Best Raven-Haired Beauties of All Time: From Elvis to FKA twigs

It wasn’t until Alexander Wang sent a troupe of inky-haired models down his fall runway that brunette mania took a turn toward even darker impulses, setting off a wave of rich midnight shades that call to mind the goth-punk magnetism of Siouxsie Sioux. Not that the sudden resurgence of obsidian hair only draws on counter-cultural impulses—in fact, when you consider the wealth of iconic raven-maned beauties throughout history, the real question is: What took so long? Would the idea of tall, dark, and handsome pack the same punch without the image of Elvis Presley and his slick pompadour etched into our collective minds? Or the archetype of the brooding, angst-y teen without Winona Ryder’s onyx pixie? Consider the original dark beauty, Snow White, whose ebony locks, alabaster skin, and blood-red lips stood out from a world of flaxen-haired fairy-tale princesses in our imaginations—offering a striking individuality that British stunners Erin O’Connor and Stella Tennant continue to bring to the runways and Insta girls Kendall Jenner and Liu Wen inject with fresh interest. Off the runway, fashion’s most hypnotic faces continue to draw inspiration from the sable-haired beauties of the past. It’s hard to imagine FKA twigs’s idiosyncratic beauty would be as powerful without her Frida Kahlo–inspired bushy brows and slick center parts. From Liza Minnelli to Rei Kawakubo, here’s a look at the eternal allure of raven hair.

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