Backstage Beauty: Fall’s Top Hairstyles From Hair Guru Guido Palau
by FASHION Staff
Getting through the Prada backstage security checks is harder than getting into the White House—or at least I suspect that might be the case. Once I get my clearance, I’m escorted along with other journos through the empty courtyard at the Fondazione Prada complex.
Outside it’s sunny, serene and quiet. Inside the backstage beauty area is a hive of focused activity as a team of hair and makeup artists prepare the models for the show. In the centre is Guido Palau, the veteran backstage hair guru and creative director for Redken Global. He and Cara Delevingne share a laugh before he moves on to check the braids on one model before making his way over for our beauty scrum.
Editor-in-chief Noreen Flanagan backstage at Prada in Milan in a beauty scrum with Guido Palau, Redken Global Creative Director.
“The show is about dark romance,” he says, immediately launching into his take on the look he created based on Miuccia Prada’s gothic romantic collection. “We’ve dyed a lot of girls’ hair black and some baby blond. There’s a nod to a gothic-y kind of girl with braids and some extreme haircuts that have been dyed black. There are references to the ’20s as well, but then we also have some simple middle-parting pony tails at the show… It’s Prada’s subversive idea of beauty.”
When asked how the models who had their hair cut and coloured reacted to their new looks he said: “I think these girls are at the age when they want to be a rebel… they’re at a time in their life to experiment.”
Check out Guido’s other key looks he created for all four fashion weeks, from the relaxed “done” look at Alberta Ferretti, to the grungy cool cuts and shapes at Versace. —Noreen Flanagan
Milan Fashion Week
Photo Courtesy of Redken
Photo Courtesy of Redken
Photo Courtesy of Redken
Photo Courtesy of Redken
Photo courtesy of Redken
Photo courtesy of Redken
Photo courtesy of Redken
Photo courtesy of IMAXTREE
Photo courtesy of IMAXTREE
Photo courtesy of IMAXTREE
Photo courtesy of Redken
Photo courtesy of Redken
Photo courtesy of Redken
Photo Courtesy of Redken
Photo courtesy of Redken
1/15
Milan Fashion Week
Prada
The Look: 20s-inspired “goth” bob captured the severe aesthetic that is a hallmark of Prada’s subversive take on beauty.
2/15
Milan Fashion Week
Prada
The Look: The structured ponytails were meant to accent the extreme looks in the show.
3/15
Milan Fashion Week
Prada
The Look: Blond braids with a center part reflected the innocent side to romance being explored in the collection.
4/15
Milan Fashion Week
Prada
The Look: Dark braids with a center part reflected the darker side to romance being explored in the collection.
The Product: Redken Dry Texture Dry Shampoo Paste 05
8/15
Milan Fashion Week
Alberta Ferretti
The Look: “I’ve blow dried the hair smooth then added a bit of intentional texture back into the length with an iron,” explained Guido. “The result is a luxurious finish; a texture that has become quite popular; it’s finished, but not completely natural.”
9/15
Milan Fashion Week
Alberta Ferretti
The Look: “We are seeing a trend to more ‘done’ hair, but this is a more basic type of ‘done’ hair,” said Guido. “The blowout used to be the basic finish, but this to me is the new basic ‘done’ hair.”
10/15
Milan Fashion Week
Alberta Ferretti
The Look: This is how ‘real’ hair looks in fashion,” added Guido. “It’s also a way that women can ‘do’ their hair because the idea of truly air-drying their hair can cause them to worry that it will turn into a mess.”
The Product: “This is my key product to tame frizz and heat protect the hair,” noted Guido.
12/15
Milan Fashion Week
Versace
The Look: “The hair at Versace is a little grungy, very cool, and a little sexy,” said Guido.
13/15
Milan Fashion Week
Versace
The Look: “I’ve put little extensions in the front of the girls’ hair to give it a touch of youth and to give it a chunky, textured effect,” explained Guido.
The Product: “I added just a few mists of the Frizz Dismiss mist all over the lengths and ends for a touch of shine,” he added.
London Fashion Week
Photography courtesy of Redken
Photography courtesy of Redken
Photography courtesy of Redken
Photography courtesy of Redken
Photography courtesy of Redken
Photography courtesy of Redken
1/6
London Fashion Week
Burberry
The Look: “This intricate gelled look is inspired by a much more elaborate version of youth culture.”
2/6
London Fashion Week
Burberry
The Product: Redken Hardwear Gel 16
3/6
London Fashion Week
Ports 1961
The Look: “The Ports 1961 show featured beautiful chignons. I’ve raked the hair back with my fingers, leaving little bits of hair loose, so there’s a nonchalance to the look. It’s a very luxurious look that really complements the clothes.”
4/6
London Fashion Week
Ports 1961
The Product: Redken Quick Dry 18
5/6
London Fashion Week
Victoria Beckham
The Look: “Victoria’s really established her beauty idea now. It’s a very nonchalant kind of beauty. Her clothes are so rich and chic that the hair has to be easy.” It’s why he styled the models’ hair into “an effortless ponytail at the nape of the neck.”
6/6
London Fashion Week
Victoria Beckham
The Product: Redken Frizz Dismiss Rebel Tame
New York Fashion Week
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
1/8
New York Fashion Week
Longchamp
The Look: “Something we see a lot now is bringing back personality in hair,” Palau says backstage before the Longchamp show. He describes the hair look he created as “very cool and easy, the hair that every girl wants.” For curly hair, Palau suggests letting it air dry naturally and for straighter locks, adding a tiny bit of product for that perfectly-mussed up look.
2/8
New York Fashion Week
Longchamp
The Product: Frizz Dismiss Rebel Tame Leave-In Control Crème
3/8
New York Fashion Week
Tory Burch
The Look: Palau wanted the braids at Tory Burch to have a “futuristic, Avatar feel to [them].” He gave models hair extensions in order to achieve the true sci-fi effect of the ultra-long French braid, but a smoothing blow-dry lotion applied to the hair is the next best thing. Forceful 23 super strength hairpray helps stick all those pesky flyaways in place.
4/8
New York Fashion Week
Tory Burch
The Product: Redken Satinwear 04 Hairspray
5/8
New York Fashion Week
R13
The Look: “R13 is a young designer, a super cool reinterpretation of all the classics, so we’re doing the same thing with the hair,” Palau says of the unkempt, dry-shampoo friendly looks he created for the runway. In order to get the “very grungy, kind of punky feel,” your best bet is to take a glob of leave-in conditioner and work it in gently to add texture to the hair.
6/8
New York Fashion Week
R13
The Product: Redken All Soft Mega Hydramelt Leave-in Conditioner
7/8
New York Fashion Week
Coach
The Look: Coach’s F/W 2019 show was rooted post-punk and explored the future of American subcultures, so its no surprise Guido looked to “skater-y, cool kids” as inspiration for the hair. The loose, barely-there waves require a short amount of time with a 1” curling iron and then brushing the curls out with your fingers to add in a natural muss.
8/8
New York Fashion Week
Coach
The Product: Redken TripleDry 15
Paris Fashion Week
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
Photography Courtesy of Redken
1/8
Paris Fashion Week
Christian Dior
The Look: “The show is about the bucket hat, so the ponytail is a way of containing it and giving it some ease at the back.” Tucked neatly beneath Maria Grazia Chiuri’s many hats was a low classic ponytail worthy of a DIY attempt.
2/8
Paris Fashion Week
Christian Dior
The Product: Frizz Dismiss Rebel Tame
3/8
Paris Fashion Week
Alexander McQueen
The Look: This isn’t your your average ponytail. When asked about the look at Alexander McQueen Guido says, “We’re taking the ponytails and binding them in leather, so they have a great fetish feel which is very McQueen.”
4/8
Paris Fashion Week
Alexander McQueen
The Product: Redken Shine Flash 02
5/8
Paris Fashion Week
Sacai
The Look: “The hair at Sacai is very simple, very natural,” describes Guido. The girls are styled with centre parts which he says, “makes everything look modern.”
6/8
top fall 2019 hair looks
Sacai
The Product: Redken All Soft Shampoo
7/8
top fall 2019 hair looks
Miu Miu
The Look: “The Miu Miu concept is a little witchy – we’ve got long extensions, short black cuts – carrying on from Prada almost like a younger sister. Not as sophisticated as Prada but still with that dark romance.”
