Last week, people from all over the world gathered in New York City for its biannual Fashion Week. Every major brand of couture – from DKNY to Betsey Johnson to Michael Kors to Ralph Lauren – came to the Big Apple to strut their proverbial stuff, and this year's showing was nothing short of inspirational. Oh and the clothes were pretty awesome, too.
Yes, of course I'm obsessed with the game-changing hair and makeup looks that were being paraded down the runways this season. There were a few style staples that multiple brands seemed to be incorporating, and I think it's safe to assume that these trends – all of which are surprisingly wearable in the real world – are the latest and greatest for transitioning into spring.
Hair:
Fashion Week hairstyles were most notably “undone” this past week, with the major exception being intricate braided and ponied 'dos.
Some models brandished loose, carefully-tousled waves on their runways, giving the impression of “day-two” hair.
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Another popular unkempt style was the loosely rolled up-do; this one looks quite similar to the Downton Abbey-inspired look I did with a headband a few weeks ago!
The more sophisticated and sleek hairstyles at Fashion Week came to us in the form of braids and ponytails, both looks that can be easily copied for real-life wear!
As luvvy Melinda Asewicz can tell you, this season is all about the braid. Braided coifs showed up on various runways, including Kenneth Cole and Rachel Zoe. Styles ranged from loose, dreamy braids to tighter, more sporty plaits.
And last for hairstyles, but not least, is a girl's best friend: the ponytail. This easy-peasey trend graced the runways at Kate Spade, Helmut Lang, and Jason Wu.
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Makeup:
All three of my favorite makeup trends from New York Fashion Week are not only wearable off the runway, but are also perfect for transitioning from the dark smokey eyes of wintertime to the brighter, sunnier looks of springtime.
In a subtle shift from the darker, cooler tones of winter eye shadows, Calvin Klein's models rocked a stunning, futuristic brown smokey eye.
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Another popular look was the dramatic use of gold eye makeup: heavy, opaque gold shadow paired with smudged kohl liners made for a gorgeous way to brighten up a model's face-- specially when paired with a powerful browline.
The final major makeup trend was the appearance of orange. Orange eye makeup has been on the radar for a couple of seasons now, but this year's NYFW was all about the orange lips. DKNY, Rag and Bone, and J. Crew all showcased this fiery trend.
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And of course the clothes were amazing, too: for a full look at all the incredible clothing from Fashion Week, check out these graphics from The New York Times.
Have fun experimenting with these hot new looks, luvvs! Now go put on your orange lipstick!