Backstage at Mithridate A/W24

As London Fashion Week concludes, we’re reflecting on the biggest trends spotted on the catwalks at the A/W24 shows. A melting pot of creativity, this season saw a number of stand out styles, including metallic foiling, the return of the deep side parting and a celebration of natural texture. Here’s the looks which will be setting social media ablaze come A/W24…

Photography by Rebecca Maynes at Chet Lo A/W24

Meanwhile at Chet Lo, it was silver leaf in the spotlight. Hair lead Anna Cofone worked with Authentic Beauty Concept products to add silver leaf to the hair as a nod to the collection. It was a genius way of referencing the concept of clothes becoming armour, which is also reflected in the slicked-back spiked graphic shapes created. “My relationship with Chet has spanned more than three seasons and it’s one that I really treasure, as there is absolute creative trust and a genuine authenticity within the design process,” Anna said. “It was amazing to have the support of Authentic beauty Concept, the products worked perfectly for what we needed to achieve.”

The return of the side parting

It’s an age old debate between generations as to what parting is ‘cooler’ but if this season’s shows are anything to go by, the side parting is back on top for A/W24.

Spotted on the catwalk of Harris Reed A/W24 was a more subtle take from Ali Pirzadeh, crafted using Dyson Professional tools. In harmony with the sweeping drapes and billowing volume in the garments, Ali introduced a structured side parting with an ‘S’ shape lift at the hairline, and a healthier looking, high shine blow-dry finish, created using the new Dyson Supersonic r professional hair dryer. The graphic take on a classic up-do incorporates a sense of masculinity, nodding to Harris’s fluid approach to gender.

Images: Backstage at Harris Reed A/W24, model at Eudon Choi

Over at Eudon Choi, hair lead Adam Garland also used a sweeping side parting as a core detail. “The overall look is designed to have no hard lines,” Adam explained. After creating an irregular parting on the left, Airy Texture Spray from Authentic Beauty Concept was used to create a dry, dusty texture. Next, a ponytail was created at the nape area. “We then created texture on the right-hand side by rubbing a balloon up and down the hair shaft to create static, using a light mist of Working Hairspray then repeating to lock in the new texture,” he added. To complete the look, hair was placed over the right side of the face and random pieces were tucked to create a veil over the face.

Likewise, a sweeping site parting and low ponytail were core details seen at KNWLS, with hair lead Mustafa Yanaz using Session Label from Schwarzkopf Professional to achieve the lived-in finish. “Imagine a New York, Upper East Side girl with beautiful hair. She goes to a second party and ties the hair in a knot,” Mustafa explained. “She looks like she partied already, but the hair still looks healthy and shiny.”

Images: Photography by Alex Barron-Hough backstage at KNWLS A/W24 

Nature’s touch

While some shows and presentations offered statement styles, with others a ‘less is more’ approach was seen, as hair teams looked to enhance the model’s own natural texture. At Supriya Lele, Syd Hayes created “freshly washed and brushed out, beautiful hair.” Syd and his team worked with a  centre partings on all of the girls, with freshly washed hair dried flat using the new BaByliss PRO Falco dryer and nozzle attachment, and brushed to create fluffiness and texture to ensure the look of real-life lived-in hair. To finish the look and add some movement, Syd used the 25mm Titanium Expression Curling Tong to add a very slight bend to the front sections of the hair to frame and open up the face.

Images: Supriya Lele A/W24, 16Arlington A/W24

Similarly, at the 16Arlington show, Sam McKnight and his team delivered a look which personified natural, Cool Girls. It was Inspired by the beautiful models walking in fresh off the street. Some models had their hair de-frizzed and de-fluffed with Happy Endings or Dressed to Kill, smoothing through where needed. Other models had a soft wave added to the front, using a straightening iron. An S shape was created with the section, before gently tapping with the straightener to create texture.