Just as much as New York Fashion Week provided much inspiration for makeup for melanin rich skin, it was also a moment in discovery for Black hairstyles. It’s not typically where we look for hair ideas, but this season many Black hair stylists and their talented teams held nothing back with the innovation for textured hair. From Afros that reached up to the sky to throwback styles that make us feel like queens in all textures that we adopt for our tresses, these ‘dos make us want to try something new for the fall.
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Some of our favorites are fresh takes on classics, some are innovative new styles that we can’t wait to get into our heads.
01
Reverse Cornrows
At Studio 189 Ursula Stephen and her beloved team used a slew of TRESemme products to create curly and coily-friendly styles for the runway. One of her favorites was reverse cornrows with a bang. She’s betting her expert hands that it’ll be a big trend in the coming months. “I think the reverse cornrow is so cool I would love it to be everywhere. That’s how you switch it up. You change the direction, play with the parting, and keep having fun with it,” said Stephen.
02
The Ultimate Updo
At Christopher John Rogers natural hair reached up to the heavens, summoning all the praise and cheer it deserves. Curls and coils were dramatized, creating the ultimate sky high updos to be seen all over the red carpets and in the streets this fall. It’s a height that only textured hair can get when left on its own.
03
Throwback Styles
For style guru Jawara and his Dyson team at Vaquera, and the Morrocanoil team at The Blonds, throwback styles were key. The creativity of asymmetrical cuts and updated finger waves are sure to be popular for anyone wanting to tap into their inner rap diva, or any alter ego with the best style. Disclaimer: they’re for the edgy and the lady who doesn’t mind all eyes on her every time she walks into a room.
04
Creative Bantu Knots
While most of us have been wearing Bantu knots for years, we saw them on many runways this past New York Fashion Week, including at Studio 189. An updated version included knots twisted from micro-braids. We expect to see twists, braids, and locs twisted into knots, as well as knots manipulated into bigger styles to create shapes. A Bantu hair wonderland awaits and we are eager to get there.
05
Exaggerated Baby Hair
Baby hair is also clearly nothing new to the Black community. At Brandon Maxwell models hit the catwalk in cornrows with baby hair that was as full as their unibrows. So ladies, we’re going to take it up a notch. I believe this is the beginning of a new, more exaggerated wave of baby hair styling. For the ladies with wispy edges, the exaggerated baby hair look allows you to pull from further back (not just the hairline) to create a unique style down the front and sides of your crown. With more hair to use, we can get more intricate with patterns, and we can’t wait to try some creative new options ourselves.
06
Fabric Ponytails
As seen on the runways of Maki Oh and Jonathan Cohen, ponytails wrapped in fabric will continue to have their moment. We’ve seen a version of this on the runways in 2019 with wire, but this version will tie hairstyles more closely to the fashions that they accompany. Dominatrix ponytails are skinny but really long and require a good amount of fabric for wrapping when executing, while other styles braid the fabric in like strands of hair.
07
Luxurious Adornments
Adding a luxurious adornment or embellishment to the hair is a great way to make a simple style pop. At
Khaite the team adorned models’ beautiful natural coils with pearls and strings of crystal, updating cuts that we know and love. It’s a great way of getting into the uber-trendy Euphoria looks without pasting a ton of gems to your face.
