INTO THE GLOSS

Last year, the spring '12 shows were a wash--literally; it was the season of the wet hair look, with everyone from BCBG to Proenza Schouler sending models down the runway looking like they got caught in the rain. We dubbed it the Hurricane Irene Effect, since Fashion Week began just two weeks after the storm made landfall. But here we are a year later, and we're still seeing drenched tresses.

But before you start checking the weather report, know that it's not the same wet hair we saw for spring '12. Consider it the evolution of a trend--this time from runway to wearable. Instead of coating strands from scalp-to-tip in gel, hair stylists are just glossing up the hairline. From the Imelda Marcos-inspired strands at Cushnie et Ochs (topped with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium and Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray around the face) to the sporty look at Rag & Bone (it was Redken's Hardwear 16 Super Strong Gel and Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray Foam that gave it its just-out-of-the-pool look, with the help of Sultra's The Bombshell curling iron to give it some texture), the key was keeping just the top third of the head saturated; the rest of the hair was kept dry.

"It's kind of tough, but it's feminine at the same time," says Redken's Guido Palau of the look he styled at Rag & Bone. "It's a nice way to be dramatic but soft at the same time--it almost feels like a helmet, but then you get the softness in the back." For Antonio Corral Calero, who styled the hair at Cushnie et Ochs, the contrast is something that most women can pull off. "The great thing about the look is that we see a contrast, from the front to the back," he notes. The source of inspiration for many of these 'dos comes from the '90s; look no further than the Brigitte Nielsen-inspired tresses at Mandy Coon, or the faux-shaved head look at Rodarte. Calero, who also styled the look at Mandy Coon, describes it as a three-step process: "It's a look that pretty much everybody is going to be able to pull off in five minutes--make a triangle at the top of the head and a low ponytail with the rest of the hair, twist the ponytail to create a little bun, then take the triangle and saturate it with product and just overlap with the bun," he explains, adding, "It's really cool."

So why wet, and why now? For Calero, the answer is an obvious one: It's a perfect fit for when the elements get in the way of a sleek, smooth hairstyle. "Think about summer: It's hot, it's humid. You put in gel and Moroccanoil treatment and having that glossy, wet feel to it I think is quite sexy. I really love it," he says. And having seen it over and over again--Suno, Rachel Comey, Ann Yee, Theyskens' Theory, Prabal Gurung, and Jason Wu all had ultra glossy locks around the hairline--we really love it, too.

HERE ARE THE PRODUCTS USED BACKSTAGE DURING FASHION WEEK TO GET THE HALF-WET HAIR LOOK:

Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium - $22.72

Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray - $22.99

Redken Hardwear 16 Super Strong Gel - $17.79

Redken Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray - $18

Kerastase Elixiir Ultime - $54

AND FOR MORE BEAUTY TRENDS FROM FASHION WEEK, CHECK OUT:

Braids: big for spring '13, but you can get twisted right now.

The best manis spotted on the runway.

The must-have products…according to the makeup artists and hair stylists backstage.

Cushnie et Ochs spring 2013

Cushnie et Ochs spring 2013

Mandy Coons spring 2013

Mandy Coons spring 2013

Mandy Coons spring 2013

Mandy Coons spring 2013

Prabal Gurung spring 2013

Rag & Bone spring 2013