Styling Tips For The Perfect '60s Look From LFW

With the help of the industry’s most exciting makeup artist (Isamaya Ffrench), most visionary hairstylist (Sam McKnight), and Italian Vogue’s editor-at-large on styling (Patti Wilson), New York-born, London-trained designer Michael Halpern concocted our favourite show of London Fashion Week so far. Inspired by portraits of his grandmother in the Bronx in the 1960s, Halpern celebrated the already bold style decade in full sparkle motion. Each look was striking, clean and perfectly balanced. With party season looming, we took notes on how to craft a show-stopping '60s look .

The top of the silhouette is a critical component of '60s look style. Something has to happen in the headspace area. Here, the options were wide-brimmed bucket hats in sequins, stripes and geometric prints, reminiscent of Edie Sedgwick at Andy Warhol’s The Factory. Or tight hoods like swimming caps, connected to and in the same print as their dresses. Or perfectly coiffed beehive wigs with precise strands hanging just to the jawline. Some models wore geometric earrings and square-shaped perspex sunglasses for maximum impact. Balance was key.

Isamaya played with the '60s cat-eye shape, drawing a thick line of black eyeliner from the inner corner of the eye to about an inch away from the outer corner. Twiggy made this look popular in the '60s with bold graphic lines in the crease of the eyelid – over the socket, rather than on the lash line. Isamaya filled the space she’d drawn with glitter in bright blues, reds and golds. Brows were strong, lips were natural and cheeks were rouged and highlighted.

Our minds go first to Mary Quant and the super short mini dress that came to stand for revolution and women’s rights in the 1960s. Halpern added to this silhouette with dramatic bows at the neck and sashes that draped to the floor. Alternatives to the mini dress included skirt and trouser suits with short boxy jackets, flares, capri pants and mid-length dresses with thigh-high slits. Necklines were varied but distinct with halternecks, boob tubes and high-neck, exaggerated collars.

Black and white, blue and yellow, multicoloured Tetris-style prints, block silver, block gold, iridescent blue. From his signature sequins to brick-red shiny PVC, every print and fabric was loud. If it feels too much, it’s probably not enough.