Runway hairstyles often take inspiration from the designer’s catwalk collection. The Giorgio Armani show was very retro-inspired, taking influence from post-war hairstyles. It didn’t come as a surprise, then, when the catwalk models strutted their stuff wearing 40s-esque up dos.
 
The post war influence was clear when it came to the runway hairstyles. ‘Hair was very reminiscent of perm hairstyles that women used to wear at the time. To keep their style in place, women would take a section of hair from each side of the face and attach it to the top of their heads. They took care to leave a few twists of hair loose around the face to add a soft touch to their look and their loose flowing hair. On the catwalk, hair was tied up at the rear, however kept the spirit of the post-war signature style.’
 
This hairstyle is fairly simple to create if your hair is already soft and curly. ‘The front section in particular needs to be styled to perfection. If your hair isn’t naturally curly, twist sections around your fingers to create volume similar to that seen on the Armani runway and clip up strands using bobby pins’.
 
The aim of this style is to create the illusion of having shorter hair. ‘Hair is pulled fairly tightly at the sides leaving the top longer to give the impression of being short underneath and longer on top. To copy this style, gather your lengths at the back and create a banana chignon. Whilst doing this, be sure to pull the sides tight and keep in place using a styling gel. If your hair is fairly short at the front, twist it to create curls like Armani’s and then leave to dry. If your hair is long, create a quiff instead to give your style volume. The result will be very close to the original. Spay evenly with hairspray to keep your do in place’.
 
Our tip: When creating this look, the most important part is to make sure the sides remain tightly slicked against your head. The aim is to create a faux-short hairstyle. To do this, opt for a strong hold styling gel.
 
© Pixelformula /Giorgio Armani prêt-à-porter runway, Spring-Summer 2014 © Jean Louis David