Men’s Fashion Week Celebrates Individuality

The final walk at Tim Coppens’ fall 2016 runway show. (Photo: Courtesy of Tim Coppens)

The days of uniform looks on the runway are officially over. Makeup artists and hair stylists started to embrace the individual beauty looks of models (imperfections and all) during the spring 2016 season and if the recent New York Fashion Week Men’s shows are any indication, we’re going to see a lot more of this authenticity trend when the fall 2016 shows begin next week.

Backstage at the fall 2016 Tim Coppens show, hairstylist Yannick d’Is emphasized that there wasn’t a defined look for the show. “The boys arrived like this and we just need to put the right product to make their hair perfect for the show,” he told Yahoo Beauty. “Tim [Coppens] wants to keep the boys really, really fresh, really young. The more we touch, the more you change the character of these people.” He used a range of Bumble and bumble products to enhance the natural texture of each models hair, using the new Curl Defining Creme ($31) for definition and the Dryspun Finish Spray ($31) — a Yahoo Beauty favorite — for added texture.

Yannick d’Is prepping a model’s hair backstage at Tim Coppens. (Photo: Bumble and bumble)

“What I love about Tim is that he really respects personalities,” says makeup artist Violette, who was working with MAC Cosmetics. “There is no girl that has the same makeup, no guys with the same makeup. It’s really about personality.” Purple lips, sky blue liner, and dark kohl smudged eyes were among the women’s looks on the runway. For the guys, MAC Strobe Cream ($33) was a key product (Violette used a blotting tissue to diffuse the product and give an undetectable finish on the skin).

Models backstage at Billy Reid. (Photo: Courtesy of Billy Reid)

At Billy Reid, AXE Hair lead stylist Matthew Curtis, who has worked with Billy Reid for seven years, also used products to enhance the natural texture of model’s hair while created a soft and refined look. “It’s all about embracing their own texture and finding their own magic,” says Curtis. “There is not a great deal of continuity in the actual styles. It’s all about them.” The runway hair had natural movement, it didn’t’ feel sleek or stiff thanks to AXE Hair Signature Clean Cut Look: Classic Pomade ($7) and Urban Messy Look: Matte Hold Gel ($7). Curtis used some of the same products on the female models that walked in the show as well, proving you can even borrow hair products from your man.

Hair by Sabrina Michals for the fall 2016 Todd Snyder show. (Photo: Bumble and bumble)

Todd Snyder also jumped on the trend, sending diverse groups of models down the runway looking while Bumble and bumble hairstylist Sabrina Michals focused on a natural look. “I get Todd’s aesthetic, he’s my kind of man,” says Michals. “Sometimes the hair inspiration is very strong, but today we’re just making the boys look clean and natural.”

While there is a lot to love about 30 models with a sleek dandy look stomping down a runway, getting to see freckles, flyaways, and frizz on the catwalk is more than refreshing.

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