Hairstyle trends for autumn/winter 09

The 40s, 50s and, most evidently, the 80s are the big influences when it comes to the hair trends set to make their way from the catwalk to the high street this autumn/winter.

The key hair trends making a return from yesteryear include old school glamour, texture, hairstyles tailored to suit the face and, when it comes to volume it's the bigger the better.

"Hair is a reaction to the times we're living in. It's strong, positive and forceful - it's empowering to women," explains Redken creative director Guido.

Malcolm Edwards for L'Oreal Professionnel agrees. "The strongest styles this season are from the wilder, more adventurous camp. Fashion is replicating the 80s. An era when tight times and inventive British creativity went hand in hand".

So what else can you expect your clients to be asking for in the months ahead? These are the key hair trends for autumn/winter 2009.

Short Hair | Updos | Texture | Mini Trends

Short Hair

The trend in summary: Short means sweet this season. Last season's pixie crops have grown up and evolved into a style of their own.

The expert's interpretation: "Think short cropped out and exaggerated bobs and you will be nearer the mark," says Darren Fowler from Clipso, London.

Variations:  The cropped bob, or the midi bob as Andrew Barton calls it, is somewhere between a bob and a pixie crop and can work with a blunt fringe or as a statement look. It is cropped just about the shoulders, is easy to style and suits almost all textures.

Something to consider: This style only suits some clients, Andrew Heasman from Rush London warns: "They have to have a good bone structure and quirky style. Lines should be clean and cuts should be precise."

Style icons: Agyness Deyn, Selma Blair and Victoria Beckham

Short Hair | Updos | Texture | Mini Trends

Updos

The trend in summary: Buns, twists and braids appeared all over the autumn/winter runways.

The expert interpretation: "This season is all about the 'do - hairstyles that have strong presence, that push the boundaries," states Guido.

Variations: According to Richard Ward, a key look for the coming season is the disconnected chignon worn sleek at the neck and loose and flowing at the front, Lucie Doughty, editorial director for Paul Mitchell, created sculptured knots and rolls.

Style icons: Kate Winslet, Diane Kruger, Penelope Cruz

Short Hair | Updos | Texture | Mini Trends

Texture

The trend in summary: Texture is one of the buzzwords for autumn/winter. It comes in all forms and is the modern day big hair.

The expert interpretation: "The cascade of waves has matured from the summery fun-loving locks of last season but it still has that carefree spirit. It's a look that screams: "Come and get me", says Malcolm Edwards

Variations: Forget perfect curls, the modern curl gets its edgy look from a little bit of frizz, according to TIGI European creative director while Guido created a dishevelled cloud of hair using a rick-racking technique.

Style icons: Cheryl Cole, Jordin Sparks, Demi Moore

Short Hair | Updos | Texture | Mini Trends

The Mini Trends

As well as the main hairstyle trends for Autumn/Winter 09 there were a variety of mini trends on the catwalk that will be working their way down to the high-street.

Ponytails

A staple for every season, ponytails were reinvented to turn heads rather than for convenience.

Laurent Philippon for Bumble and bumble kicked off the experimental pony at BCBG where he created a smooth straight 'bunny' - bun meets pony.

Over at Herve Leger, Dennis Lanni set hair in butterfly twists, then brushed it out and pulled it back for an explosion of texture.

 

Super Luxe

High glam, high minatenance and super luxe is the look for the grown-up girls look for the coming season.

 "Glossy straight hair is given a geometric shape with a solid fringe and extreme length through the back," explains Darren Ambrose from D&J, Ambrose, London.

Perfect coiffs were the order of the day and reflects the glamour and gloss of Hollywood.

Centre Partings

Forget the low side partings of the last few seasons, it's back to the centre this autumn/winter.  

"It was straight down the middle on many of the runways," says Lucie Doughty.

"Centre partings were where it was at at shows such as Anna Sui, which is an easy trend to follow after the bohemian Indian summer locks." 

Pompadours 

Pompadours made a comeback which would make Elvis blush.

Neil Moodie for Bumble and bumble remodelled the classic 50s quiff by playing with height and volume.

His victory-roll-meets-quiff for Nathan Jenden was typical of many of the runways styles, while Laurent Philippon constructed a sky-high Bride of Frankenstein beehive at Guy Laroche.

 

Braids

A plethora of shows featured braids, from cartoon playfulness at Luella to woven baskets at Malandrini.

"There were lots of braids on show this season, but none followed one particular trend," says Malcolm Edwards, "It was Parisian chic meets hip hop with cornrows at Christian Lacroix."

According to Lucie Doughty the messier the better, as seen at Sophia Kokosalaki.

More trend predictions

• London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 09 - The Trends
• Hair trends inspired by the 80s
• HJi loves bold braids - celebrity style watch
• Recession to revive individual style