At a recent Fenty Beauty launch party – where Rihanna celebrated the release of her brand’s new Soft’lit Naturally Luminous Longwear Foundation – we were struck by the singer and entrepreneur’s hairstyle. It wasn’t the blonde, although we adored how the new hue matched her golden strapless midi dress, custom-made by Alexander McQueen. It was the strong nod to the return of every millennial’s go-to hairstyle: the side fringe.
Parted to the left, with a shorter layer sweeping across her right eye, Rihanna’s hair reminds us of what we all strove for in the Y2K era that’s come full circle, sartorially speaking. And it was no coincidental choice, given how her side fringe complimented other style code of the ’00s forming her outfit, including the sweetheart neckline and lace-up gladiator heels. The perfect 2024 accessory – bringing the look bang up to date – was her glowing complexion, a far cry from the flat, matte bases accompanying the original millennial fringe.
Of course, Rihanna’s not alone in championing the return of the side fringe. Dua Lipa has been wearing the hairstyle on-and-off for months, while Kim Kardashian has showcased it on the red carpet this spring, alongside the likes of Adut Akech, Eiza González, Zendaya and Nicole Kidman.
It speaks to this year’s overarching move towards asymmetry in the hair, hairstylist and trend forecaster Tom Smith tells us. Side-swept styles and deep side partings are back with a bang, and side fringes naturally play into that.
“Partings seemingly oscillate between central and side every season, but this spring we see a firm push towards deep side partings for short cuts, bobs, longer styles and even fringes too,” he says. “Intrinsically connected to the vibe of the side swept styles of longer hair, the deep side parting gives a drama to any style.”
When it comes to the side fringe specifically, he notes that “some are being styled flat against the forehead” – a la Rihanna, “while others are swept up and more voluminous” – think González (above, left).
Want (back) in? “If you find that your hair is so soft or silky that it doesn’t stay in place easily, prep the hair with a texturising spray such as Sam McKnight Cool Girl, a styling powder like Evo Haze, or even simply a dry shampoo such as Olaplex 4D,” Smith says.
We’ll see you on the side lines.
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