Hairpieces are the must-have beauty accessory
HAIRPIECES, once confined to dressing-up boxes and Broadway, are becoming the surprise beauty trend of 2017.
The Spring/Summer 2018 catwalks have featured multiple wigs and hairpieces so far, from the deceptively simple to the downright ridiculous. In New York, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid were transformed by their slinky cropped styles at Tom Ford; Laurence and Chico sent models down the catwalk in towering, sculpted wigs of various candy colours; and Teyana Taylor took to the stage at Phillipp Plein in a false platinum bob.
In London, Pam Hogg’s show saw the models don frilly headdresses that resembled something that might have been worn at Versailles in the 18th century, while in Milan, Jeremy Scott’s Moschino presentation saw the models sporting gamine, 1960s-style pixie-cut wigs. Karl Lagerfeld’s take on spring beauty for Fendi included clip-in bangs in mermaid shades of green and teal, fixed along the models’ partings and swept over to one side.
The trend echoes an off-catwalk movement that has been gathering pace for some time. While certain celebrities, such as Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry famously love switching up their look via their extensive wig collections, the accessory has crept into the mainstream lately. Wholesome supermodel Gigi Hadid unveiled a photo of herself wearing a clip-in pink ponytail earlier this summer, Amber Rose shocked with a brunette wig on the red carpet of the MTV VMAs, and Emily Ratajkowski tried out a long, tousled wig with bangs for the Marc Jacobs show at New York Fashion Week earlier this month.
Wigs are also becoming popular for editorial use, with Bella Hadid sporting a shorter do for Vogue
China, and Kaia Gerber dressing up in a rose-hued wig for the American Vogue shoot this month.
Will the trend filter down to the high street? While celebrity wigs come with a high price tag, the rising popularity of fun clip-in ponytails and bangs could see more accessible brands extend their hairpiece offerings. Watch this space.