AIRHEAD

No styling tools, no problem.

ashiny, bouncy blowout was arguably the luxury hair symbol of the late 2000s and early 2010s. (Two of the biggest blow-dry-only salon chains, Blo Blow Dry Bar and Drybar, opened in 2007 and 2010, respectively.) But the cultural cachet of a $50 blowout isn’t what it used to be, says Guido Palau, hairstylist and global creative director for Redken. “At one time, a great blow-dry felt super-rich,” he told us backstage at Victoria Beckham’s fall/winter 2017 show. “Now, there’s a new idea of luxury in hair: shampooed and left to dry naturally.” Palau is just one of many stylists who have been eschewing styling tools— and, with it, uniformity—at shows over the past several seasons. We have become so accustomed to grabbing a hair dryer or curling iron, he says, that we have forgotten what natural hair texture looks and feels like. Call it the hair equivalent of the no-makeup makeup trend, with a slew of new products designed to make shower-and-go possible. Note: This trend is not meant to be prescriptive, says Palau. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t use styling tools; it’s important for women to have options.”