2012-hairstyles-2012-haircuts-2012-hair-trends

The retro faux bob.

Perfectly sculpted, elegantly simple.The time we find ourselves in is one dominated by effortlessness. ‘Done’ hairstyles are, as such, a population in decline. The most admired glamour is the kind that moves, tousles, and looks nothing like a hair salon created it for a wedding.But, if the runways are a reliable oracle, 2012 is a fascinating year for hair. In 2012 hair gets wet, it gets retro, it flows free and gets pinned up tight. The eras influencing fashion have much to answer for in the way of hair: the 20s and 30s give us bobs and finger waves, the 70s and 80s give us the kinds of glamour that come from blow dryers and tubes of gel respectively, the 50s rises to rockabilly heights and the 1960s has the most to answer for of all. 

 Model: Sophie Van Den Akker @ Chadwick Models
Photographer: Kelly Defina at kellydefina.com
Makeup artist: Shev Kelly for Napoleon Perdis
Hair: Annika Bowen @

The trend towards 60s fashion gives us everything from Bardot bouffant bed hair to mod androgynous crops. It also brings back a unique opportunity to do a structured, pristine, ‘done’ style that defies effortlessness and still hits a trend note.
It’s as perfect as a Stepford wife, as ice cool as Betty Draper, as vintage as yesteryear and as modern as tomorrow. On the runway at Jil Sander spring 2012 this sculpted faux bob, inspired by the ’50s and ’60s, was a defining part of the ladylike yet easy aesthetic. And with the right styling, the right attitude, Jil Sander made a ‘done’ do somehow feel miraculously cool and even, contrarily, effortless.
“In the true DNA of the brand, this is a rich woman’s hairdo that looks almost so perfect, it has no period,” explains Redken Creative Consultant Guido backstage at Jil Sander’s show. “It could be from the future but also nods to the past.  It’s inspired by the 1950′s but then becomes mid-century modern which makes it such a sculpted look.”
In our shoot by photographer Kelly Defina, hairstylist Annika Bowen recreated the hairstyle on model Sophie Van Den Akker and, as always, was kind enough to share with us the steps she followed. To find out how to create the look for yourself, read the full step-by-step how to guide after the break.