Another Day In Paradise With Garren: Anna Sui NYFW SS22

Right now, people need an escape—we’ve been locked up for too long, after all. For designer Anna Sui, dreaming of disappearing into her “personal Shangri-La” inspires her Spring/Summer 2022 collection; she envisions a paradise where the mood is light, the sun shines high, the ocean waves are “tasty” and everyone is having 24-7 fun—and the hair that fits Sui’s mental departure inspiration comes from none other than R+Co and R+Co BLEU co-founder Garren. It’s a perfect fit, after all: “The collection’s theme, Another Day in Paradise, ties in with the inspiration behind R+Co BLEU: dreaming of escaping to a wonderful vacation,” says Garren.

To create the hair that matches this upbeat collection, Garren looked to HBO’s show “Generation,” which focuses on a group of modern-day high schoolers navigating through their sexuality. “Gen Z is about being who they are and expressing individuality,” says Garren. “Anna’s niece Chase Sui Wonders is in the TV show and inspired the individual looks we created.”

Basing a core style on the model’s personal hair type and texture, Garren gave models with long hair a center-parted, highly slicked low bun that he looped through an elastic three times, flexed and bubbled up, and then pinned into a fishtail with the ends splayed open. Bobbed hair scored the same treatment, with slightly less loops and bubbling. For both hair lengths, Garren leaves sections of hair loose around the face that sway with each step. Girls with curly hair received tight braids to accommodate off-kilter straw hats—and they, too, flaunted low, messy buns and free-swinging strands in the front. Some models found their mussed buns in a half-up, half-down style, with those same side pieces fluttering around the curves of their faces from beneath head scarves. No matter the bun placement, the look feels perfect for an escape—even if it’s only a much-needed mental one.

Get the Look with R+Co BLEU:

1. Prep hair with ESSENTIAL HAIR TONIC. Create a center part.
2. Leave two strands loose on either side of the face to add youthfulness.
3. Depending on the hair type, use either SURREAL STYLING SERUM or SUPER STYLE CRÈME to slick hair back and add grip and hydration.
4. Depending on hair length, loop hair through an elastic up to three times (less for shorter hair). Then, bubble up the loops and pin where desired, leaving the ends fanned into a fishtail at the base to the back.
5. Finish with CULT CLASSIC FLEXIBLE HAIRSPRAY.

Hair by Garren

Photographed by Heath Grout