(Runway)
JW Anderson Just Co-Signed The Gray Hair Movement
Other designers are on board, too.
You never forget your first gray hair. The fine, wirey, silver strand standing alert, mocking you in the mirror. A signal that it’s the beginning of the end of your youth. Covering up your grays has long been the societal expectation, in other words, another beauty standard to uphold. But with social media encouraging (and commodifying) authenticity, the gray hair movement continues to grow. And so does the demand for the beauty industry to become more age-inclusive. Models and celebrities over the age of 40 are now fronting major beauty campaigns, and brands have even started catering to this demographic by creating product ranges specifically designed for their skin and hair needs. However, the fashion week runways still trail behind. But the gray hair at JW Anderson’s Fall/Winter 2024 show at London Fashion Week, along with a few other designers this season, signal a change.
Dubbed “youthful grandma” and “granny chic” on social media, about half the models in Anderson’s show wore salt-and-pepper wings styled in tight ringlets by lead hairstylist Anthony Turner. The makeup by lead artist, Lynsey Alexander, was minimal, save for a playful orange-red matte lip she created with MERIT’s Signature Lip Matte. While the models in the show weren’t in the age bracket of those typically going gray, the runways are considered aspirational.
Anderson wasn’t the only designer to give age-positive beauty looks the spotlight this season. At Batsheva, the entire model lineup was over the age of 40, and even included Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans star, Molly Ringwald. Hairstylist and TRESémme ambassador, Justine Marjan, styled the models in looks that put their naturally gray hair on display, and the ‘60s-inspired makeup by Vincent Oquendo followed suit. “Batsheva [Hay] stated that she casted mature models to ‘highlight the unique experience of aging’ and the vitality that comes with it,” said a press release from Laura Geller, the show’s makeup sponsor.”
Along with walking at Batsheva, Kristen McMenamy, a ‘90s model now known for her waist-length stark white waves, also appeared at Thom Browne’s F/W ‘24 runway. She was a main character at the Edgar Allan Poe-inspired show, with lead hairstylist James Pecis braiding her hair into a handful of gravity-defying plaits.
So if you’re over the upkeep of covering your grays (and the cost of professional hair color or at-home boxed dye), take inspiration from the F/W ‘24 shows and just embrace your shiny silvery strands.
