’90s Kate Moss, Stevie Nicks and “Digital” Skin—The Beauty References to Inspire You for the Season Ahead

Fashion month has officially begun, which means that everyone working behind the scenes is currently in the eye of the storm. Designers are finalising last-minute tweaks, while teams hold briefings on the minute details of hair, make-up, and nails.

As someone who spends most of Fashion Week backstage, the attention to detail I see is awe-inspiring. I'm always surprised, too, by the number of references that session stylists and MUAs come armed with. There's an incredible amount of research that goes into translating a designer's vision into the beauty looks we see on the runway.

So, to get the inside track on SS27, I spoke to some of the biggest names in hair and make-up to find out what’s been inspiring them backstage, and the cultural references they’re bringing with them this Fashion Week. Their insights, ahead.

Sam McKnight, Celebrity Session Hairstylist and Founder

Inspiration: "My travels this year have been a real inspiration, from heading to Tuscany and Ibiza over the summer, to trips to Dorset along the coast, right through to Sri Lanka earlier in the year," says Sam McKnight. Travel for me opens up so many different aspects of culture. The music, the architecture and particularly the people. Ive always loved to people gaze. I’m particularly drawn to nature through my travels, the texture and and colours are always inspiring when it comes to hair, and I’m often snapping away at flowers, or corners here and there.

Mood of the season: "This season we’ll see more texture. We're still leaning into the luxe, healthy hair finish, but with more movement and embracing more of a softer side."

Carly Utting, Editorial MUA and MAC Senior Artist

Inspiration: "This season I’m obsessed with anything that feels whimsical, romantic and slightly witchy," says Carly Utting. I keep coming back to pale, glassy translucent skin, with the addition of darkness, a blood-red Siouxsie Sioux lip or a Robert Smith–esque black eye. I think people are craving escapism at the moment, something fantastical and far removed from the everyday. I’m looking at references like ’70s Stevie Nicks and Galliano-era Dior, where romance, drama and fantasy combine. I’m also obsessed with the film, The Love Witch: the super saturated, technicolor blues against the sickly peachy-pink tones scratch an itch. It has a Wes Anderson-like clash of colour, but with a sexy feminine glamour running through it. I’m really drawn to ’60s sex sirens, Madonna’s Erotica era and even the slightly trashy glamour of ’90s Page 3 imagery.

Mood of the season: "Texture will be a huge part of how I translate those references backstage for SS27. I’m always searching for finishes that make makeup feel new, something reflective, wet, glassy or powdered. I’m really interested in digital texture at the moment: the hyper-real, reflective finish you see in digital fantasy imagery, where skin and shine just look too perfect to be real. I love the idea of taking that feeling and trying to recreate it physically on a face."

Larry King, Celebrity Session Hairstylist and Founder

Inspiration: "I've been drawn to the rawness of '90s fashion photography and magazines, so details from Corinne Day's editorials for The Face when it was in its early days," says Larry King. "Everything was a little less polished and more real. Films like Reality Bites and Trainspotting also capture that slightly rebellious undone attitude. Kate Moss, Winona Ryder and Chloë Sevigny during that time is a big visual reference too. They had individuality, great cuts and hair that didn’t look overly 'done'."

Mood of the season: "It’s that sense of imperfection and personality that feels relevant again now: moving away from the super-glossy, uniform aesthetic towards something more individual and a little rougher around the edges. The glossy, polished S-waves and pristine blowouts we’ve seen for years are starting to give way to more irregular waves, lived-in texture and deliberately undone styling. Hair still feels considered and beautifully finished, but less perfect... Cooler, looser and with a slightly unkempt edge. We’re also seeing a return to proper, statement haircuts, with the cut becoming just as important as the styling."

Nick Irwin, Session Hairstylist and Schwarzkopf Global Ambassador

Inspiration: "A large part of my references for this season stems from my ongoing relationship with British fashion designer LABRUM, and its exploration of African identity and heritage," says Nick Irwin. To understand their vision, we need to look into the history of African hair, not simply as a form of beauty, but as a visual language. Hair has long communicated identity, status, community, spirituality and belonging. Braiding patterns, adornment and styling carry meaning, with details such as cowrie shells historically representing prosperity, wealth and protection. Contemporary African and cultural icons, from music, fashion and nightlife to wider subcultures, like A$AP Rocky, are equally important references. Their attitude, individuality and relationship with hair push my research forward and keep my work connected to the present."

Mood of the season: "For SS27, the approach should feel informed rather than nostalgic. We are not recreating historical hairstyles; we are taking elements of their language and translating them through a modern lens. Hair should feel alive, directional and modern. Products and styling allow us to create something that acknowledges their cultural roots while feeling completely relevant to SS27."