Our Wrap-Up of the Hottest Hairstyles From Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2022

At this year’s Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW), we’re in the hair space with some of the most exciting trends. Gone are the beachy textures we’ve seen over the last five years — as we shake off the lockdown blues, we’re looking for bold, beautiful looks.

While we can break down the biggest hair trends we saw at Fashion Week — we’re not exactly experts on how to achieve them. So, we enlisted the help of Redken’s Diane Gorgievski, award-winning hairstylist, creative director at KODA Cutters, and the Svengali behind hundreds of looks seen on the runways at this year’s Fashion Week.

The ’90s Blow-Wave:

We’ve officially waved goodbye to bedhead and embraced the super sleek blow-wave — with plenty of shine. “The relaunch of the blow-drying has been a huge feature at Fashion Week,” Gorgievski tells POPSUGAR Australia between shows. “Everything has been inspired by Euphoria; either a polished blow-dry or deconstructed looks.”

For the polished, ’90s supermodel blow-dry, Gorgievski recommends using Redken’s Big Blow Out Heat Protecting Blow Out Jelly. “It creates volume and a matte sheen that isn’t overbearing or oily — just a touchable softness,” she says.

Along with the ’90s blow-dry, comes the return of elbow grazing hair. If you’re looking to grow out your lob, Gorgievski suggests committing to a high protein serum like the Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate ($45). “This is for the girl who really wants to maintain the length of her hair,” Gorgievski explains. The product will also serve you well as we break out our hot tools and round brushes: like a protein shake for weathered strands, it helps to increase flexibility and strength while you stretch your strands to the limits during a blow-dry.

The Deconstructed Blow-Dry:

The flipside of ’90s prom-queen beauty? Grunge. At shows like Beare Park and Bec + Bridge, we saw hair that was heavy at the roots; a kind of day-three blow-dry. Gorgievski says, like many trends at Fashion Week, we have Euphoria‘s teenage rebels to thank for this.

“It has a lot of sweaty, lived-in texture, it’s your classic blow-dry, but we’ve gone back in and added Redken Oil for All ($55) at the roots and ends, followed by Redken Shine Flash ($39) for sheen,” she says. “Then we’ve worked through some Redken Guts 10 Volume Foam Spray ($39), to give real pieceiness.”

Curls and Natural Hair:

While the blow-dry is back, so is individuality and natural hair. Curls, texture, and frizz are in, focusing on keeping hair healthy to boost its natural shape. To achieve a look that still looks “done”, moisture is key. “Bring moisture to the hair,” enthuses Gorgievski. “I prep a leave-in spray treatment with One United ($43). That primes the hair for whatever product you put in next.”

Then, for shape and definition, a product that provides hold and shine is essential. “We’ve been using a lot of Align and Rewind backstage because it really helps give hold to the curl, while also giving the hair shine.” Gorgievski follows this with the ghd thin wand hair curler 14mm ($250), which slides straight between the curls, providing separation and definition.

Several models at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2022 wore protective styles like cornrows and box braids. Gorgievski says, working with baby hairs around the hairline with Redken Gel and providing shine with “oil for all” gave braids their light-catching finish on the runway.

The Spiky Bun:

Gigi Hadid kicked off the trend with her iconic Met Gala beauty look, bringing the spikey chignon into the public consciousness. Giorgievski says intricate, sculptural twists (as seen in the late ’90s and early 2000s) are back — from twists and buns to tiny plaits. A sleek base is required to keep your look sophisticated rather than kooky.

The Redken team prepped hair with poker-straight blow-dries on the Sass and Bide runway. The sleek and scalp-hugging high shine bun? It needs “a lot of serum and a lot of hairsprays,” according to Gorgievski. The team used Fashion Work 12 Versatile Hairspray ($36) to set the crown to a glossy finish. Then, for the sculptural chignon, they applied Redken Forceful 23 Superstrength Hairspray ($36), which allowed them to iron in graphic shapes with gravity-defying hold.

Red Hair:

This year, almost every celebrity has dabbled in red, from Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid to Sydney Sweenie. We weren’t surprised to see runways replete with copper, strawberry blonde, and auburn locks. According to Gorgievski, moisture is as essential as a colour for those embracing their inner redhead with an outer transformation. “Many people focus on toning the hair and keep putting chemicals on it, but well-hydrated hair will keep colour more beautifully,” she explains.

To maintain shine and colour intensity, Gorgievski recommends a colour-safe range like Redken’s Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo ($45), Conditioner ($45), and Leave-In Treatment ($45) Trio, and a weekly treatment mask like the Redken, Color Extend Magnetic Megamask ($43).