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Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba in Wicked isn’t the only one defying gravity; the models at Area’s Spring/Summer 2025 show were too. Looking like a high-fashion version of Trolls, they had their hair styled straight up and away from their faces, almost as if they were hanging upside down.
Area is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the hair on the runway reflected the brand’s rebellious ethos. “This season, we delve deep into themes of identity, self-expression, and the power of personal style. By reimagining uniforms and exploring the tension between conformity and rebellion, we challenge traditional norms and celebrate fashion as a canvas for individuality,” explained Area designer Piotrek Panszczyk Burke in a press release. The New York City-based design studio is known for its eclectic pieces that march to the beat of their own drums, and the punky hair in this show embodied that rebellious, joyfully idiosyncratic spirit. “I always see punk inspiration in Area’s clothes, but in a very glam way,” celebrity hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz told ELLE.com backstage.
Yanaz, who grew up in his mother’s hair salon in Germany, also drew from his own youthful defiance while dreaming up the looks. “My mom used to always do beautiful and glamorous hair. I was always going against it and wanted to do funky stuff. Now, people know me for being more edgy,” he says. According to Yanaz, the uplifted hairdo—dubbed the “Electric Pixie”—reflects the punk spirit of ’70s London, and the stylists used plenty of Tresemmé Extra Hold Mousse, Finish Freeze Hold Hairspray, and heat from a hairdryer to give hair the body, lift, and texture it needed. Then, the hairstyling team went in with a straightener to enhance the spikiness of the tips. Multiple clips held the hair in place until right before the show began.
Some models didn’t get the Electric Pixie and got a second style, called the “Slept-in Slick Back,” instead. Stylists drenched their hair in Tresemmé Extra Hold Mousse and Perfecting Leave-In Lotion and then pushed the shiny—not oily—strands back with their fingers for a post-party hangover look with an air of glamor. “To make the hair look lived-in, almost like she partied hard, woke up the next day, and was too lazy to wash her hair,” Yanaz explains.
The makeup for the show, spearheaded by makeup artist Yadim Carranza, was an extension of the punk aesthetic. Dramatic smokey eyes and deep lips came courtesy of MAC’s MACximal Silky Matte Lipsticks in Antique Velvet and Caviar. All together, the hair and makeup reminded us of Incredibles character Syndrome’s signature look—maybe it’s not such a bad idea to start taking more inspiration from the villains that terrorized our childhoods.
Carol Lee is the Associate Beauty E-Commerce Writer at ELLE.com, where she covers all things beauty and personal care. Before joining the team, she was an editor at Food Network Magazine and HGTV Magazine and ran the beauty section at The Pioneer Woman. Carol received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from New York University and was one of the first customers to visit Glossier’s flagship store in New York’s Soho neighborhood. Over the years, she’s tested countless makeup, hair, and skin care products, and written hundreds of articles covering the beauty space, from pieces about the trendiest launches to roundups of the best products on the market. As a Korean-American, she grew up in a sea of Korean makeup and skin care products and is a bona fide expert on the ever-expanding world of K-beauty, helping lead our coverage. Additionally, she’s also always on the hunt for the perfect lipstick and watches the same few comfort sitcoms (Frasier, Cheers, Seinfeld, New Girl, etc.) over and over again.