28th May 2015
10 Fashion
FASHION
Is catwalk beauty irrelevant?
FLORA HOLMES
Lincoln College
• Flora Holmes explains why we shouldn’t take our eyes off of mainstream
catwalk beauty, despite the abundance of a range of weird and wacky trends like the clothJing,ust beauty
trends on the runways often push the boundaries of what is
considered the norm. This is part of what is so exciting about watching the various runway-shows each season; the new and unique styles that
“ Unsurprisingly the average person has failed to join the bleached brows crowd
”
Photo:Jo Jones
designers have dreamt up to adorn their models. Many of the featured clothing looks you would never dare to wear on a day-to-day basis however. Nonetheless these styles will often trickle down to high street stores, evolving into more muted and wearable forms along the way. This is not necessarily the case with beauty looks. The shows of Fall 2014 offered an array of somewhat garish trends; bleached brows are one such style. Kendall Jenner walked for Marc Jacobs rocking a blonde brow, and the models for Alexander Wang were the same. From here celebrities became involved, mimicking the trend; one couldn’t scroll down
Guest Feature
Instagram without seeing a selfie of the latest star who had decided to bleach their brows – Miley, Kim K, Katy Perry and Rita Ora all sported this trend. Yet this is where the buck stopped. Perhaps unsurprisingly the average person has failed to join the bleached brows crowd. One can hardly envisage someone strutting down Broad Street sporting a pair, unless they had very light blonde hair it would likely look ridiculous. This leads to the question; are catwalk beauty trends relevant to us? Yes, it’s cool and interesting to see a designer feature a bleached brow or bright yellow eyeliner at their show to achieve their aesthetic vision. Though why should we take notice in the same way we do with the clothes, if there is no way that we would ever consider employing the look ourselves? Wet look hairstyles dominated beauty at the SS15 collections. Once more I fail to see how applicable this trend is. Personally, the only time I work the wet hair trend is when my hair hasn’t dried yet after a shower. Yet not all catwalk hair and beauty is so extravagant and inappropriate to our lives. There are some cases when the ‘trickle-down’ effect has taken hold just in the way that it does with clothes. Since Cara Delevigne and her powerful brows have risen to prominence on the runway, eyebrows have become somewhat of
a fetish in the beauty community. Previously, most people just plucked their eyebrows and left it at that, perhaps adding a bit of pencil for
“ This constitutes a
milestone in fashion history
”
definition on a heavier make-up day. Now, eyebrow game has escalated with brows becoming a staple part of everyday beauty routines. When a trend is wearable, for example the natural, dewy look that also featured in the SS15 runways, it is often the case that it will catch on. Because many beauty trends are so extravagant and theatrical they are normally confined to the runway or a few celebrities’ faces. Fashion is constantly evolving, as are beauty trends, so we should never take our eyes of them or completely disregard them.If we did this we may miss key moments in fashion and beauty history.Prada’s AW15 show featured the Dominican model Lineisy Montero sporting a small afro. This was a milestone for
two reasons. Firstly Montero was the first African American model to walk for a Prada catwalk in fifteen years. Secondly, perhaps more importantly, her beauty look subverted the dominant trend whereby black models are styled with sleek straightened hair. This constitutes a milestone in fashion history. Perhaps this is a continuation of the natural trend that swept the catwalk in the previous season, or perhaps something bigger. Either way, beauty looks in fashion shows should not be overlooked or their relevance downplayed too significantly. Yes, often they are crazy and impractical, but that is what makes fashion so exciting, and sometimes these looks can mark the start of a whole new movement.
Photo:Instagram:@lilyallen
• Prominent Oxford based fashion blogger Emma Felin, of The Sassy Street, shares what she would wear on an afternoon spent punting
PhotoThe Sassy Street
Look 1: I love the vintage and casual feel of high-waisted denim shorts, along with a striped tee if
you’re planning to punt. Stick with simple patterns, nautical is always a great choice for summer. I also wore white flats that would allow me to punt comfortably. If the weather is warm and sunny, the best accessory to bring along is a pair of colourful sunglasses. Shorts ASOS, Top Brandy Melville, Flats Next, Watch ASOS, Sunglasses LFW
Look 2: If you intend to relax inside the punt (although you may end up rowing a bit if you’re not with an expert punter), you can opt for something a bit less practical. I went for a navy shift dress, black hat, and red lipstick to complete the look. Dress Gap, Hat H&M, Shoes H&M, Watch ASOS