Individuality seems to be the word on the tip of everyone’s tongues backstage at New York Fashion Week this season, which is exactly why Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez decided to offer a refreshing counterpoint to the undone, come-as-you-are beauty that’s been ruling the runways. “They were looking at images of Frida Kahlo and documentary photos of Cuban women. Braids were a consistent theme throughout all of the pictures,” explained hairstylist Anthony Turner of the last-minute decision to fasten each model’s hair into a slick, substantial single plait.
This being Proenza Schouler, of course, there was an urban twist in store: Turner gathered the models’ hair at the nape of the neck in a strict low ponytail, before tightly weaving it into a thick, flat braid. A homemade effect that Turner characterized as “a bit screwy” came at the hands of Bumble and Bumble Thickening and Prep sprays instead of a hairbrush. Instead, he was raking his fingers through it to create a messy, rough center part: “We wanted the hair to feel a few days old,” he said. “She knows she’s amazing. She doesn’t care too much.” The final effect was a gutsy Cuba-by-way-of–New York City braid that elongated the neck, showcasing the fashion house’s new dangling earrings and high-collared silhouettes and offering up a fresh confidence. Or, as Turner put it with a twinkle: “She means business.”
Only six models with short curly hair were left that way, including newcomer Shelby Hayes, who was discovered just two weeks ago in Orange County, California. Just yesterday, Turner shaped her shoulder-length Afro into a tomboyish crop. “It’s really cute,” said Hayes, feeling her new short lengths with a smile. Standing out from the crowd has never sounded easier.
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