This London Collections: Men, I decided to streamline my schedule – avoiding many of the big catwalk shows in preference for getting in on the real action backstage.
For those of you who are thinking, “What the hell is London Collections: Men?”, quite simply put, it’s men’s fashion week in London.
Showcasing some of the biggest and brightest menswear design talent, the four days of fashion is a heady mix of shows, presentations and parties!
Ever since I reported and shot video for London Fashion Week (the women’s equivalent) for Sky Living Online, I’ve been addicted to the buzz of backstage. Up to an hour before the show, you’re given a privileged insight into what really goes into bringing a designer’s vision to life.
How it works
The designer generally works with a hair and grooming partner to create a series of looks to compliment and highlight their collection.
This season (spring summer 17), I went backstage with my friends at Label M, Bumble and Bumble, Lynx and Lab Series.
See a selection of the looks and how they were created below.
House of Holland | Label M
House of Holland was my first backstage show for the season.
Inspired by the 90’s rave culture of Manchester’s Hacienda nightclub, the grooming looks were designed to give a, “I’ve just been dancing for the last 8 hours” vibe.
“The collection is heavily based around rave and music culture so I wanted to create a ‘lived in’ hair look to capture this gritty narrative.”
Kevin Luchmun – Toni & Guy International Artistic Director
For me, the 90s was a time of hairstyles that I’d prefer to forget. Days when I would load my hair with gel and section the fringe into spider leg strands. Classy.
Products used
- label.m Grooming Cream – £10.50
- label.m Sculpturing Pomade – £11.50
- label.m Hold and Gloss – £12.50
Get the look
- Apply label.m Grooming Cream throughout the hair and blow dry forward.
- If you have longer lengths, section the hair and straighten using a styling iron.
- Using label.m Sculpturing Pomade, rub the product in your hands and apply liberally.
- Lastly, comb the hair forward and fix label.m Hold and Gloss hairspray.
Agi & Sam | Lynx
The Agi & Sam show celebrated the Modern House Husband and questioned gender role stereotypes.
The grooming looks were some of my favourites – with intricate flower detailing stuck to the side of the models’ faces. Obviously not an everyday look, but definitely one which really complimented the collection.
Leading the hair styling team was Kieron Webb, Global Creative Director for Lynx Hair Styling. Working with the theme, Kieron created a 50’s tailored vibe with a modern twist.
“It’s basically “business” in the front and “party” in the back – a tailored vibe with a f*cked up twist.”
Kieron Webb
Products used
- Lynx Clean Cut Look Definition Wax – £4.29
- Lynx Natural Look Flexible Control Cream – £4.29
- Lynx Messy Look Flexible Paste – £4.29
Get the look
- Apply Lynx Messy Look Flexible Paste to damp hair. This adds texture and hold.
- Form a strong side parting from the front of the hair, followed by a diagonal parting from the crown to the high recession area.
- Using a large curling wand, create curls and waves in vertical sections on the bottom half of hair.
- Using the curling wand again, wave the top half of hair away front the face, and a straightening iron to define creases of waves.
- Slick the top of hair with Lynx Clean Cut Look Definition Wax and form a quiff, creating the “Business” in the front.
- To finish, the ponytail/back sections of hair are heavily textured to create the “Party” in the back.
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Lou Dalton | Bumble and Bumble
The hair looks for Lou Dalton’s show took inspiration from the outdoors – windswept and dishevelled.
Paired with anoraks, the hairstyles were reminiscent of my Duke of Edinburgh expedition when I was 15. Getting caught in a torrential downpour whilst trying to retain some sort of style and dignity.
Product used
Get the look
- Spritz hair all over with water to ensure it is completely wet.
- Apply Bb Gel in large quantities, starting from bottom sections of the hair through to the top lengths.
- Work through in sections so hair remains wet looking with a natural curl.
- Parting should fall naturally where it lands once Bb Gel had been applied all over.
- For wavy hair, use a diffuser to create tighter curls before working through Bb Gel and relaxing down a little.
E. Tautz | Label M
To me, the hairstyles at E Tautz were amongst the most wearable. It’s definitely something that I’d do with my own hair – keeping it fairly natural but with big, big, big volume!
“The hair for this show is inspired by the 1980’s River Pheonix era focussing on the natural movement of the hair to create a volumous and natural look.”
Kevin Luchmun – Toni & Guy International Artistic Director
Products used
- label.men Grooming Cream – £10.50
- label.m Hairspray – £12.75
Get the look
- On wet hair, work through label.men Grooming Cream with your fingers.
- Blow dry the hair away from the face still using your fingers, then use a round brush to create height, blowing from the root, wrapping the hair around the brush.
- Once the hair is dry, apply more label.men Grooming Cream to add definition with a natural, soft hold.
- Finally, spray label.m Hairspray on to the palm of your hand and smooth the sides to eliminate fly-aways
Chester Barrie | Label M
Inspired by the Great British summer party season, the Chester Barrie collection included tailoring in lightweight cloths including wool, silk, and linen blends; and colour pallets in ecru, mid blues and warm greys.
Hair looks for Chester Barrie are never the most exciting, but they are – like E Tautz – amongst the most wearable. Keeping the look slick, neat and natural, most guys would be happy to wear these hairstyles on a daily basis.
“I wanted the hair to reflect a true Savile Row gentleman so I didn’t overload the hair with too much product. It’s all about creating a soft look with natural volume for a relaxed summer vibe.”
Philipp Haug – Toni & Guy International Artistic Director
Products used
- label.m Sea Salt Spray – £14.25
- label.men Thickening Tonic – £10.95
- label.men Deconstructor – £11.95
- label.m Hairspray – £12.75
Get the look
- Add label.m Sea Salt Spray to dry hair to give a natural texture.
- Blow dry the hair with a brush to ensure the product is evenly distributed.
- Using a small amount of label.m Thickening Tonic, spritz only a couple of times over the hair to give a natural look with some added grip.
- Finally, in your hands, rub a small amount of label.men Deconstructor and add the product to the hair to create movable texture before finishing with label.m hairspray for wearable hold.
Joshua Kane | Lab Series
My final backstage show was with the team from Lab Series for Joshua Kane.
Using the Lab Series skin products, the models were given a series of treatments to refresh and brighten their skin before the show.
Despite the high-gloss hairstyles, skin was kept matte and fresh. With models rushing from show-to-show, the team used their brand new – and one of my favourites – Urban Blue Detox Clay Mask to clean the skin and pull out any impurities.
Another hero product for the show was the Lab Series BB Tinted Moisturiser. As one of the first BB creams created on the market specifically for men, the moisturiser features a universal shade that adapts to all skin tones. The finish has a soft focus, reducing the appearance of blemishes, pores and refines skin’s tone and texture.
Products used
- URBAN BLUE Detox Clay Mask – £26
- BB Tinted Moisturiser – £36
- Daily Moisture Defense Eye Balm – £24
- AGE RESCUE+ Water-Charged Gel Cream – £45
- AGE RESCUE+ Densifying Conditioner – £35
- Root Power Restorative Hair Tonic – £22
- Oil Control Daily Hydrator – £29.50
- POWER PORE Anti-Shine and Pore Treatment – £28
