There are certain hair trends that stand out, which at face value, SEEMS super easy to pull off, but once you get into your bathroom to do your thing, you realize how hard it can be to get it right. For the longest time, the low bun seemed to fall into this category. It’s a style that looks easy, fresh, and minimal, but it can feel a little intimidating if you’re not used to slicking your strands down and back. (Plus, it could easily veer into Founding Fathers territory for some of us unfortunate souls.) But the low bun is back on the runway at New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023, and luckily, it looks a whole lot better. available this season.
This isn’t the first time a low bun has been spotted at NYFW. The style has been upgraded for spring/summer 2021, with designers such as Alice + Olivia, Sandy Liang and Tom Ford sending polished iterations of the look down the runway. However, that season things were much more fancy. Jeweled hairpins and sleek bows accented these low-maintenance styles, which helped give them a little more oomph.
And while accessories seem to take a back seat this season, NYFW S/S ’23 buns seem to be a little less subdued. This is not your typical one-size-fits-all bun. In fact, behind the scenes, hair stylists seem to be approaching the style in a choose-your-own-adventure way, making it much more accessible. Christian Siriano, PatBo and Alice + Olivia have all shown their own versions of this style. And while they may vary in terms of inspiration and technique, there are some simple lines for this trend: Lots of gel, textural highlights and high shine.
It’s only halfway through New York Fashion Week S/S ’23, so expect to see this trend continue to grow. But if you’re ready to jump on the bandwagon, keep scrolling for some inspiration from the best looks of the week so far.
Christian Siriano
It’s no surprise that Christian Siriano’s beauty look was inspired by Old Hollywood. The designer held his Spring/Summer ’23 NYFW show in Elizabeth Taylor’s old apartment, infusing the evening with silver screen glamour. The hair, however, reminded of another star of the time.
“The style is a modern take on the iconic Audrey Hepburn bun – confident and sleek, with a bit of an edge,” said head stylist Lacy Redway. She first created a deep side part and swept her hair into a low bun with the help of TRESemmé’s Tres Two Extra Hold Gel. Redway then used a comb to create that vintage-inspired parting across the forehead, giving the look a little more texture and dimension.
For extra hold, Redway then applied TRESemmé Tres Two Extra Hold Volumizing Mousse to the style and blow-dried, giving hair high shine and volume. She finished with a generous mist of hairspray to set the whole look, making sure there were zero flyaways as the models took to the runway.
Jason Wu
Jason Wu’s look was definitely ’90s, with smudged caps and cute girly buns. Olaplex lead stylist Jimmy Paul used a handful of the brand’s products to smooth and nourish strands so it looked healthy and textured, not stiff and rough. “The inspiration was a ’90s New York City girl going fast,” Paul told TZR. “This is meant to look like it has nothing to do with the hair.”
To start, Paul worked Olaplex’s 9 Nourishing Hair Serum into each girl’s strands. “It’s a mild heat protectant with little texture and hold,” he explained. If the models had thicker hair, he also used No 6. Bond Smoother, to keep the hair looking small and tight. He finished with No. 7 Bonding Oil for shine, before braiding his hair into a bun. He left the ends loose and simply ironed them to help them hold their shape.
Alice + Olivia
There were two types of buns at Alice + Olivia: A classic low bun and one that hit right in the center of the head. Reason? “Some of the girls wear trucker hats, so they needed low buns,” said Moroccanoil Global Artistic Director Kevin Hughes. Center bun designs were accented with a scrunchie.
Hughes started by applying Moroccanoil Treatment or Moroccanoil Treatment Light to models’ hair for shine, then the brand’s Smoothing Lotion to help remove frizz. Hughes wanted texture for the hair, and for models who didn’t have much, he used a trick. “We’re pinning the hair, spritzing some Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray and then some hairspray before removing the pins,” he said. “It creates that texture with movement that we really wanted to see in the hair.”
Whether it’s smooth, parted in the center or highlighted with a braid, there are many ways to wear a low bun this season. Stay tuned…
