The Best Hair Looks From the 2026 Met Gala

Ayo Edebiri

One of our favorite hair looks of the night came toward the end of the carpet. Edebiri wore loose, face-framing curls tucked into a thick braid down her back. The final touch was the addition of feathers woven throughout the plait, lending the look a soft, whimsical finish.

Sabrina Carpenter

Carpenter’s signature Old Hollywood aesthetic leveled up this evening with a more mature, glamorous look. Her short golden bob was softly curled, with a bejeweled headpiece as the focal point.

"With Sabrina's Dior look being made from film, there was a cinematic and archival theme to her look,” says celebrity hairstylist Evanie Frausto. “Sabrina has such a refined, timeless sensibility. I wanted the hair to feel like a modern interpretation of Old Hollywood. Hair that felt intentional and polished from every angle going up the Met Gala steps.”

To get the sculpted, vintage-inspired shape with a clean, modern finish, Frausto prepped with Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment ($36) and Big Blowout Heat Protectant Jelly ($36), then blow-dried the hair smooth and close to the head to keep the silhouette controlled and polished. “The sides were directed back, pinned tight and rolled under to create a sleek, contoured shape,” she says.

Then in the nape, she built “two additional soft rolls that sweep back and out, for contrast and dimension. The placement and direction of each roll was key to balancing structure with softness and keeping the look elevated rather than overly set.” Frausto finished the look with Spray Wax Texture Mist ($29), Shine Flash Spray ($24) and Control Hairspray ($29) for definition, high shine and flexible hold.

Chase Infiniti

Infiniti turned the volume all the way up with a full head of perfectly defined curls. Hints of blonde at the ends added an almost halo-like glow.

Zoë Kravitz

Kravitz’s half-up, half-down hairstyle, complete with a bun at the crown, felt straight out of Wuthering Heights, especially paired with her gothic black dress.

Charli XCX

Charlie XCX’s textured half-up look added beautiful dimension, with a tightly slicked-back front and voluminous curls in the back. "For Charli’s Met Gala look, we wanted to create a half-up, half-down shape that still felt true to Charli’s natural, lived-in style,” says celebrity hairstylist Matt Benns.

“I first prepped the hair with Wavytalk’s Smooth Barrier Heat Protectant ($19), then started diffusing with the Turblow Pro ($96) hair dryer to bring out her natural texture,” he says. “Once the hair was dry, I built the foundation for the half-up by gathering everything from the ear and above, securing it tightly with an elastic right on top of the crown to get maximum height.”

Then Benns amplified the volume by “alternating between the Power Wave ($80) and the Curlmaker Pro ($99), using both a 3/4-inch and 1/2-inch iron. Finishing touches included teasing, texture spray for “airiness” and a finishing spritz of hairspray.

Naomi Watts

We love a prop in the hair—especially at the Met Gala. Watts’ Old Hollywood updo was dotted with what appeared to be live flowers.

Sarah Pidgeon

Sarah Pidgeon’s hair was hotly debated ahead of her debut as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in Love Story, but there’s no debate that the golden California cool waves she wore to the Met Gala suited her perfectly.

“For this year’s inspo, I looked back at Met carpets from the ’90s and early 2000s,” says celebrity hairstylist Christian Wood. “I loved how these eras felt effortless, timeless and simple. As soon as I saw her gorgeous Loewe look, I knew shiny, undone waves were the way to go.”

To get the look, he began by spraying Kenra Root Lifting Spray ($20) onto damp roots, Platinum Blow-Dry Spray ($28) on the mid-lengths and ends and a final coat of Platinum Silkening Gloss ($29) from root to tip for extra shine and softness. After blow-drying, he sectioned the hair and added an S-shaped wave with a flat iron. Once he got to the front, he used a soft curl iron, bending the hair away from the face. After the waves had cooled, he spritzed on Platinum Dry Texture Spray ($25) at the roots to add volume, then applied a generous spray of Shine Spray ($21) through the mid-lengths and ends.

For final touches, he brushed out the waves with a wide-tooth comb and sprayed a toothbrush with Fast-Dry Hairspray ($22) and used it to remove any flyaways. “Finally, I warmed a few drops of Luxe Shine Oil ($27) in my hands and gently rubbed it over the ends of the hair to add shine and give a subtle, broken-up texture.”

Eileen Gu

The Olympic gold medalist looks just as at home on the Met Gala red carpet as she does on the slopes. We love her updo, complete with loose, wavy tendrils that perfectly accent her ombré ends. Plus, she wore Parfums de Marly Delina Hair Perfume ($97) as the finishing touch that lingers.

Amanda Seyfried

Amanda Seyfried’s long, golden curls paired with her signature blue doe eyes gave off a real-life Rapunzel effect on the red carpet. The voluminous ponytail, pulled from a sleek base, added striking contrast and made the look feel like a work of dynamic art.

Zuri Hall

Access Hollywood co-host for the Met Gala, Zuri Hall, wore modern Renaissance curls to the event, giving the look a romantic, period-inspired feel. The lighter pieces framing her face made it all the more ethereal.