PONY TALES
The simplest hairstyle of them all is reinvented in bold architectural shapes. By Remy Rippon.
The simplest hairstyle of them all is reinvented in bold architectural shapes.
If there was ever an autopilot hairstyle, the one you never mindfully ‘do’ but is the style you inevitably default to, it’s the humble ponytail. Swept skyhigh or low, it’s the beauty equivalent of a hand-on-hips power pose; deliberate and determined. It’s also making a triumphant return this season, where its star turn backstage seems to echo the siren call being issued elsewhere in society: there’s work to do, lists to check off, stuff to get done. In this new light, the ponytail seems utterly relevant.
It’s also a refreshing antidote to the revolving door of undone tresses (yawn) that took hold of the backstage beauty set for what seemed like seasons on end. So how do you turn the effortless movement on its head? By reinventing the style that defined #wokeuplikethis tradition with a welcomed air of refinement.
Which, in fact, is right in step with the bourgeois mood that showed up on the autumn/winter ’19/’20 runways. An easy elegance swung through the season, propelling the schoolgirl trend to new heights. At Oscar de la Renta, Balmain and Halpern, low-slung textbook ponytails may have seemed simple if it weren’t for the ultra-glossy sheen radiating from the tresses of each model. Even hairstylist Guido Palau, the pioneer of the effortless aesthetic, has a new enthusiasm not just for the humble pony but for hair that reads expensive, too. “I feel this hair has the same kind of quality as a cashmere sweater or some super-expensive thing,” he enthused backstage at Halpern, where ponies nested at the nape of the neck. “This downplay of the hairstyling is the ultimate kind of luxury.”
From New York to Paris, the boundaries of what constitutes a ponytail were being pushed into new territory. Polished ponytails were the order of the season at David Koma, where tresses were folded like origami before being secured in the band. “It’s a very intricate ponytail, because it’s a fold-over … It is a little butterfly-wing inspired … and we are trying to accentuate that,” said hairstylist Tina Outen, noting this season’s style as “a bit more intellectual”.
But that’s not to say the modern ponytail needs to be particularly arduous. In fact, the key takeaway at Stella McCartney this season was quite the opposite. Parted just left-of-centre, the luxury of the ponytails that strode the runways was in the nuances. “She [Stella McCartney] wanted it tough, done with haste, very quick, done with fingers, combs, shaken, tied into a ponytail. … beautiful baby hairs around the hairline,” hairstylist Eugene Souleiman told reporters after the show.
In fact, if this season taught us anything, it’s that even in its simplest form, there’s a luxe factor to the age-old updo. Just ask ponytail pioneer Meghan Markle, who regularly opts for a centre-parted, super-shiny ponytail secured neatly at the crown; a decision that hasn’t gone unnoticed by royal watchers and ponytail enthusiasts alike, who tipped their ’tails to the innovative royal for pushing the envelope of tradition.
Another ponytail misconception? That it should only be reserved for ‘in between’ days when you’ve neither shampooed, blow-dried or bothered to do much to your hair at all. While a swinging pony may have become popular for its utility, it can now be seen as a considered choice. Tamara McNaughton, the hairstylist who created the styles for these pages, proves that with a little imagination a ponytail can look entirely new, even architectural. With the addition of an accessory, interesting shapes or an ample dose of styling product, the look can be altogether reinvented.
While McNaughton’s creations demonstrate that a little perseverance (and hairspray) can push the pony to the limits, everyone has their own individual take. Do you swing yours high to catch the wispy bits around your hairline? Or maybe you never deviate from that precise nook somewhere in the middle of your head that feels just right. Even the late Karl Lagerfeld, whose snow-white ponytail became a trademark of his signature style since he started pulling it back in the late 70s in an effort to tame his natural curls, was said to style his with a dusting of Klorane dry shampoo to keep it pristine and white yearround. In a fitting tribute to the designer, long-time collaborator hairstylist Sam McKnight sent models down the autumn/winter ’19/’20 Fendi runway with elegant ponytails which swung neatly between their shoulder blades: “Slick perfection, just as I hope Karl would have loved.”