Spanish highs
EMMA JOHNSON LOOKS AT THE STORES FROM SPAIN THAT BRITISH FASHIONISTAS JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF
HAVE you ever considered shaving your head? I definitely have. Not in a Britney Spears-style, attacking a car with umbrella melt-down way though.
No, it is usually on Saturday nights as I battle to turn my fluffy tresses into smooth Duchess of Cambridge-style waves, with my husband reminding me ad infinitum that the taxi is going to be here in five minutes, that my thoughts turn to the clippers.
Thoughts is as far as it goes though. I neither have the nose nor the nerve to be hairless by choice.
If I did though, I would be in good company. It seems buzz cuts have never been more in vogue.
The past year has seen Kristen Stewart and Cara Delevingne both shave their heads, albeit for film roles rather than fashion. They join the likes of Natalie Portman, Demi Moore and of course that buzz cut pioneer in whizzing it all off for work purposes, Sigourney Weaver.
But not everyone is reaching for the razor because a casting director insists upon it.
Right now a host of models are cutting it at the top of their game while keeping their hair closely cropped, if not completely shaven.
They include trailblazer Adwoa Abdoah who was named Woman of the Year at this year’s GQ awards and runway veteran Alek Wek.
For some, like British model Ruth Bell, who has modelled for the likes of Saint Laurent and currently appears (along with her long-haired twin sister May) in Dior’s latest campaign, shaving her waist-length hair for an Alexander McQueen advert is what made her a cut above other clotheshorses in the eyes of designers – quite literally.
Then there are the committed head-shavers like Sinead O’Connor, Grace Jones and American model/activist Amber Rose. For this trio, the fierceness of a number one all over mirrors their feisty ‘don’t mess with me’ attitudes.
The latest celebrity to get buzzed is Kate Hudson. Renowned for her sunny Californian girl blonde waves, the 38-year-old braved the shave for her role in upcoming move Sister, directed by singer-songwriter Sia, and looks strikingly different, particularly now that her natural darker colour is coming through.
And therein lies the worry with a buzz cut – what about when you want to grow it back?
Cara Delevingne – who looked amazing with her early bleached blonde regrowth, now seems to be struggling with this, while Kristen Stewart – currently rocking a short spiky dark blonde crop with bleached tips, makes it look a breeze.
Speaking on Ellen Degeneres’ show last week, Kate Hudson talked about her own experience of going through the ‘awkward stage’ of having to stick bits of hair down with product before revealing that she is ‘thinking of bringing the mullet back’.
Careful Kate, a buzz cut is one thing, a mullet’s a whole different kettle of fish...