Fall beauty 2011 trend report: Hair

TOP HEAVY: Ponytails swung from close to the crown.

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The perfectly severe “dominatrix ponytails” Guido Palau created at Marc Jacobs were meant to resemble a whip, while at Emanuel Ungaro, his strict-slash-sexy ponytail was mounted even higher, with a camouflaged base—a wrap made of leather, of course.

Neil Moodie At Max Azria, Moodie tapped into the classic style’s athletic side by placing the sleek tail higher on the head to turn models into tomboys.

Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck Playing off of Jean-Pierre Braganza’s sharply tailored skirt suits and the designer’s superhero muse, Lynda Carter, Mascolo-Tarbuck soaked strands with hairspray before meticulously scraping them back into a girl-power pony.

BOTTOMS UP: Ponytails were also secured low at the nape. See these picks now »

At Balmain, Sam McKnight’s half-baked ponytail looked like an afterthought, with the elastic secured just an inch or two from the ends.

Orlando Pita To create a youthful ponytail at Elie Saab, Pita pulled hair back and fastened it in a low loop before wrapping a strand around it to conceal the band. 

Paul Hanlon The czar of messy updos, Hanlon’s tangled, low-swinging tails at Proenza Schouler were inspired by Sissy Spacek, Cher and historical images of Native American tribeswomen.

MALE FORWARDING: Genders blurred with pompadours and grease worthy of an Outsiders cameo. See these picks now »

Models at Preen looked like young boys fresh from a visit to a ’50s barbershop; Luke Hersheson toughened them up with slicked-back hair—complete with comb marks—and tied it all together in a loose knot. (Image by Anna Bauer)

Eugene Souleiman To create his “striking, handsome” woman at Narciso Rodriguez, Souleiman took no pains to achieve a perfect coif—he just tied hair back and pressed pomade into the sides of the head for a masculine profile.

Guido Palau At Dolce & Gabbana, Palau deliberately left some smaller pieces out of the French twist for a boyish finishing touch—faux sideburns, held in place with a heavy dose of styling wax. His gender-bending tear continued at Yves Saint Laurent, where he created a sharper and more delicate pair, delivering a side of testosterone with the feminine buns.

WEAVING PATTERN: From fuzzy braids to delicate cornrows, plaits solidified their place on the runway as a genre-jumping look with modern muses. See this pick now »

The “Amish/True Grit” braids at Kenzo were a study in detail. For some models, Eugene Souleiman crossed the plaits over each other, stitched them together with a needle and thread, and looped them low at the neck with faux-flower adornments.

Rolando Beauchamp Beauchamp must moonlight as a basket weaver; it’s the only way to explain the intricate, multistrand side braid he twisted and tucked under one ear at Alexandre Herchcovitch—it has our vote for the mvp (most valuable plait) of the season.

Mark Trinder Though the fishtail he wove at Erdem was Type A–tight from top to tip, Trinder pulled out random bits to create intentional fly-aways and fluid pieces that would move as the models walked.

ARTISTIC EXPRESSION: The runway doubled as an art gallery, with hand-painting and gravity-defying shapes. See these picks now »

Thomas Dunkin used loads of hairspray and sculpting gel but employed just a single bobby pin to secure the section of hair that he swept across the face at Threeasfour, which mimicked string art and the curves of a musical instrument.

Eugene Souleiman Souleiman’s “alien hair” at Issey Miyake was a shout-out to several art forms: Inspired by the line of a grand piano with an open lid, he molded hair into a conical sculpture and, with white pigment, brushed a series of triangular shapes near the temples.

Sam McKnight With a range of brightly dyed hair extensions to choose from, McKnight secured a solo piece on each model’s crown at Fendi. The result was an impactful yellow, turquoise, crimson or merlot streak running through the slept-in twists.

SPECIAL TOPPINGS: Whether it was to elevate a humble ponytail or reference a designer’s inspiration, hairstylists continued to experiment with accessories. See these picks now »

At Gucci, Luigi Murenu literally put a feather in models’ caps, anchoring the low and slick ponies with brightly hued plumes.

Guido Palau After lugging more than 6,000 metallic barrettes backstage at Alexander McQueen, Palau used the shiny, curved clips to create what looked like gleaming metal helmets.

Odile Gilbert Gilbert twisted colourful strands of yarn and unravelled knit hats into the “weird chignon” she crafted at Thakoon, a nod to the tribal-inspired collection.