PARIS, July 5 ― Haute Couture Week wasn't just about the gowns this season, as the Fall 2019 shows in Paris proved this week. Catwalk hairstyles were daring and theatrical: we take stock of the highlights.

There were plenty of structural styles on show, with Franck Sorbier leading the way with a series of near-vertical ponytails. Givenchy championed an aerodynamic style that saw the hair coiffed into swooping, architectural forms with a punk edge, and Guo Pei took a twisting, turning approach to statement updos.

Punk hairstyles at Guo Pei. ― AFP pic

Waist-length braids were wrapped around themselves and tied into sophisticated low ponytails at Yuima Nakazato, while Jean Paul Gaultier fixed his ponytails high on the head and teamed them with a centre parting. At Iris van Herpen, the hair was twisted back on itself to create elegant bow shapes that rested at the nape of the neck.

There was a return to crimping, with the style making a comeback at Julien Fournie, and at Viktor and Rolf, where it was pulled into towering vertical sections and teamed with bangs. RVDK Ronald van der Kemp channelled the vibe with bushy, '80s-style curls, while Schiaparelli proved itself to be a playful outlier by matching one model's teal and blue tresses to her colourful outfit. ― AFP-Relaxnews

Bow-shaped hair at Iris van Herpen. ― AFP pic