Dragged through a hedge backwards

Lay off the conditioner, put down your hairbrush and definitely switch off the straighteners, because it’s time to knock your usual styling routine on the head. This season, looking as though you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards is definitely en vogue.

Emerging on the spring/summer catwalks — where the most hare-brained ideas often flourish — were an array of distressed, pulled-out anti-styles, some of which even featured hedgerow debris.

At Fendi, big Sixties bouffant bobs were given an extra twist by hairstylist Sam McKnight, who teased out wisps at the front and sides to transform a structured, ladylike do into a less refined affair. The result? Stepford wife chic after a fight with the rhododendrons.

New York Fashion Week designer Jason Wu took this one step further in his spring/summer shows, where hairstylist Odile Gilbert adorned models’ twisted up-dos with feathers and twigs.

Minus the foliage, texture was also a key theme backstage at Jonathan Saunders. Frederic Fekkai led a styling team who doused hair with an extra-strong mousse and firm-hold hairspray until it became stiff, matte and tacky, before pulling it into tight, low ponytails and then pulling out a flurry of loose strands at the sides to dismantle the look.

Deconstruction of classic styles were also seen at several other S/S 12 shows, including Roberto Cavalli, where chic up-do’s were scattered with fluffs of baby hair, and Marni, whose simple buns had a static finish. Mulberry also got in on the hedgerow-hair action by giving the sultry babydoll beehive a bed-head makeover with textured, flyaway lengths.

Session stylist Ali Pirzadeh, who created the beautifully bedraggled looks at Ann-Sofie Back, explains that these styles are both “undone and relaxed yet perfectly wearable”.

To achieve them yourself without substituting the brush for a branch, follow his advice: “The wispy hairstyle is easy to achieve at home with the right products. The simplest way is to apply Bb Texture Un(Dressing) Crème (£21.50, bumbleandbumble.co.uk) on to damp hair and either let it air dry or use a hairdryer on a low setting.

“Then, exaggerate the wisps by using Bb Grooming Crème (£9.50) on the ends, in thin sections, before spritzing on some Bb Surf Spray (£19.50). Scrape the hair into a loose-fitting ponytail and finish with a quick spray of Does It All Styling Spray (£11) for a subtle hold that still allows movement for a natural, breezy look.”