4 easy hair trends to try in 2024, as detailed by Sam McKnight
“Hair is having a luxe upgrade for spring/summer next year,” Sam McKnight MBE predicts – and who better to advise us than the king of catwalk and front-cover hair? Think “hair that looks effortlessly healthy and glossy, with added polish,” continues the legendary stylist, who has worked with some of the most famous faces in living memory, from Princess Diana to the iconic ‘90s-era ‘Supers’ and their next-generation model off-spring.
He's set many a trend himself (Princess Di’s iconic short crop? By McKnight. Kate Moss’ signature nonchalant down ‘do? His work, too), though he says the mass appeal is inadvertent. “When I’m coming up with a look for a runway show or a new campaign, there is never a thought process of ‘this is, or will be, a trend’; they tend to appear after my work is done,” he says, explaining that his vision of a ‘trend’ is more of a means of discovery. “It’s always interesting to see how fashion and beauty is interpreted and how it evolves. Trends are a collection really, of inspiration and ways to bring them into your own.”
Akin to clothing, hair trends are cyclical, and reemerge with modern identities, he explains. “It’s in our nature to look back and be inspired, but nothing is ever exactly the same – it evolves naturally.” Here, see today’s “flirtatious” takes on retro ‘dos, like flicky ends and beehives, which are back in focus. “And then there are some trends that shift” – think a fresh-looking high-gloss finish on an understated blow-dry, which has been the epitome of cool for some time.
Below, see four key ways you’ll be wearing your hair in 2024, according to McKnight.
1/ Photo flash shine
This look is about “reflective, glossy and weightlessly supple locks that give the ultimate swish.” You can achieve this high shine with the Hair by Sam McKnight Love Me Do Nourishing Oil, launching early 2024. “The super lightweight oil hybrid formulation gives lustrous gloss,” he says. “We used this to achieve the sleek look at the 16Arlington SS24 show” (pictured). For now, try the excellent Virtue Healing Oil, a lightweight serum that smooths strands, leaving them noticeably shiny.
2/ Modern retro
“The return of ‘The ‘Do’,” this is “a flirtatious play with iconic hairstyles, from ‘70s-inspired flicks, to beehives and the maxi bobs of ‘60s girl groups”. At the Ashish SS24 show (pictured), McKnight used his Easy-Up Do and Modern Hairspray “to give the models’ hair exaggerated shapes, volume, and silhouettes, capturing the modern retro look”. The red carpets have also played a breeding ground for this trend, with the likes of Anne Hathaway (pictured), Nicola Coughlan, Janelle Monáe, America Ferrera and Dua Lipa all recently reinventing retro styles.
3/ Luxe cool-girl hair
“Volume will keep on having a big moment in hair for 2024,” notes McKnight, “inspired by the supermodels of the ‘80s and ‘90s, it’s vibrant and mood-boosting”. This plays into an elevated version of ‘cool-girl’ hair, “which is the epitome of healthy hair, with a glossy finish and no split ends in sight”. Recently on Cindy Crawford, McKnight used nourishing products (like a lightweight oil and his Happy Endings balm) “to achieve effortless, polished texture with a luxe finish”. Meanwhile, when he styled the models at 16Arlington for SS24 he gave them “slight texture to add body but also high shine” – another example of this look.
4/ Sleek and chic
“This style embraces small and slick silhouettes, from sharp finger-waves to glossy chignons and feather-light ponytails,” McKnight says. “Sleek and chic was the key style at Annie’s Ibiza, Richard Quinn and Balmain for SS24.” To get the look “use Self-Control Gel, Modern Hairspray and a nourishing oil to give a lustrous finish to the hair, showcasing vibrant reflects”.
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