'90s rave-inspired hair, theatrical makeup and more: Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 grooming trends

All right, all right, we realize that summer 2019 has just begun, but don't say we don't keep you ahead of the curve! After all, now that the menswear Spring/Summer 2020 collections have gone down the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris, now is just the time to look at the key grooming trends coming your way next spring.

From boldly coloured, spiky hair (the kind you might have sported in your rave days), to sleek and slick wet hairstyles, to face paint, these grooming trends will have stocking up on the gel and belting out "I Was Made For Lovin' You" at the top of your lungs.

Wet hair

The shiny wet hair look will be back for spring 2020 according to the menswear designers across the four major fashion capitals. It's a classic hairstyle for men that repeatedly makes appearances on red carpets and runways, when a sartorial look needs to be accompanied by an upscale hairstyle. The great thing about this glossy style is any guy (with hair) can pull it off with the right product — and lots of it.

Gelled, wet-looking hair appeared on the runways of countless designers, most obvious in London at Oliver Spencer, in Milan at MSGM and Versace, and in Paris at AMI, Off-White and Ludovic de Saint Sernin.

Beauty with every bump and lump

The fashion world, and the world of beauty and grooming is constantly changing and evolving and these days there are an abundance of designers who are using their platform to challenge societal norms and the way we think of beauty.

In London, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy challenged the audience to rethink what "beautiful" means by sending out his models with bulging face prosthetics and disturbing (but incredible) face makeup by makeup artist Lucy Bridge.

Painted on

Of course, the Charles Jeffrey Loverboy runway show wasn't the only production to go theatrical when it came to makeup. German designer Philipp Plein presented a rock 'n' roll inspired SS20 collection that included a collaboration with glam rock band Kiss and featured models sporting the trademark heavy-metal chalky white and black face makeup. 

In Paris, one of Belgium's most renowned fashion designers, Walter van Beirendonck, brought the drama. Accompanying the clothing collection of primary colours was equally colourful make-up and hair by Inge Grognard and Charlie Le Mindu. The pair painted on geometric shapes that covered the face and hair of the models in an array of yellows, pinks, reds and blues.

Thom Browne's SS20 menswear presentation was a dramatic fantasy set at a "Versailles country club" that included models with pronounced face paint. Browne's boys walked the runway with white faces, rosy cheeks, tricolour lips and stick-on stars and beauty spots, a look created by make-up artist Mark Carrasquillo

Bold hair colours and spikes

Earlier this month Donatella Versace paid tribute to her late friend and Prodigy frontman Keith Flint (who died earlier this year) with Versace's SS20 menswear presentation. Some of the rock 'n' roll looks coming down the runway in Milan were inspired by Flint's iconic style, and the male models wearing the Punk-inspired threads were all styled with vibrant pink, yellow and green hair. Some models even sported Flint's signature spiked 'do. Prodigy's "Firestarter" may be gone, but clearly his influence on the '90s rave scene and beyond has not been forgotten.

Christopher Turner is a Toronto-based writer, editor and lifelong fashionisto with a passion for pop culture and sneakers. Follow him on social media at @Turnstylin.