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A person looks off-camera with a neutral expression. They have slicked-down hair with thin strands falling over their forehead and wear a white high-collar jacket zipped up to their chin.

Celebrating the wet look gel era thanks to Daniel Evans and Brendan Baker

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Date
22 November 2012

Gather round children, come kneel at the feet of wise old Papa Alderson while I tell you about the early 1990s – a different time, a simpler time in many ways. The soundtrack was part acid house, part the rustle of our shiny tracksuits and the back-to-back figures in the Kappa logo seemed to herald a new era of cooperation. Cool Britannia was a pipe dream, and in 1993 Mrs Doubtfire outperformed Schindler’s List which seems troubling in retrospect. Excuse the misty-eyed reminiscing, but it’s really Daniel Evans and Brendan Baker who are to blame. Their superb Wet Look 93 for the latest issue of LAW magazine transported me right back o that era, time-travelling through the medium of wet look hair gel – that thick, electric blue substance that was always oddly cold to the touch.

So revel in the slicked forward curtains, the odd sartorial statements and the knowledge that most of these hairstyles would feel crispy to the touch. A brilliant, nostalgic romp through an unfashionable age – thanks guys!

Four translucent blue jars of gel are clustered together against a pale purple background. One jar is tipped on its side, and a dollop of bright blue gel spills across the surface.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

A person with short, slicked-back hair looks off-camera against a plain white background. They wear a blue button-down shirt featuring white typographic patterns including the words “more”, “jeans” and “moschino”.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

The back of a person's head and shoulders against a plain white background. They wear a grey jacket covered in a repeating “Moschino” pattern.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

A person with slicked-back hair and long strands framing their face looks off-camera. They wear a black Nike sweatshirt with a white logo and a thin gold chain.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

A person is seen from behind and the side, showing a high-contrast haircut with long, slicked-back hair on top and a closely shaved nape. They wear a dark denim jacket with prominent yellow stitching.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

A person with short, cropped hair looks slightly to the side. They wear a bright yellow puffer jacket and a black fabric mask covering the lower half of their face.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

The back of a person’s head shows a short haircut with a geometric diamond shape shaved into the nape. The hair on top is dark and slicked back, contrasting with the faded sides.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

A person looks off-camera with a neutral expression. They wear a red shirt under a dark blue jacket covered in white text, including the words “Moschino Jeans” and “Stop the wars”.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

A person with slicked-back hair and silver earrings looks directly at the camera. They wear a white and black zip-up jacket against a plain white background.
Above

Brendan Baker and Daniel Evans: Wet Look 93 (hair Zara Toppin, Stylists John Holt & Joe Prince)

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

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