The 2026 Met Gala's theme of Fashion Is Art transformed the red carpet into a living sculpture gallery. This year, stylists ditched the “safe” options in favor of avant-garde, historical references, and real drama. Here's a selection of the most spectacular hairstyles that instantly went viral.
Rihanna: Gold spirals and gemstones
The Met Gala queen closed the evening looking like an inlaid statue. Her hair was pulled back into tight, perfectly slicked-back curls adorned with gold spirals. Each curl became a separate piece of jewelry that seamlessly blended into her makeup, which was adorned with gold “tears.”
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Nicole Kidman and Sunday Rose: Extreme Length
Nicole and her daughter went for scale. They appeared with ultra-long extensions measuring over 120 cm . Nicole completed her look with a light, tousled bang that created an effect of ethereal, almost unearthly beauty in the style of the Pre-Raphaelites.
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Cara Delevingne: Wet-look pixie
Cara Delevingne showed off a bold, modern and structured hairstyle. It's a short pixie cut with a wet look and defined, gelled waves. The style is bold, androgynous and trendy. The wet look adds texture and shine and draws attention to Cara's face and eyes.
Sabrina Carpenter: Old Hollywood Glass Wave
Sabrina stayed true to her signature '60s style, but took it to the absolute artistic extreme. Her voluminous golden curls and legendary massive bangs were not just layered, but preserved in time .
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Amanda Seyfried: Old Hollywood Glamour
Amanda Seyfried opted for a high, slicked-back ponytail that adds sophistication and opens up the face. The height of the ponytail creates a slight lifting effect and highlights the cheekbones. This hairstyle is perfect for formal events and goes well with chunky jewelry, like Amanda's necklace. It adds a touch of old Hollywood glamour.
Janelle Monet: Butterfly Garden
Janelle transformed her signature bob into an art object. Her hair was literally studded with dozens of realistic decorative butterflies, as if she had just stepped out of a surrealist painting where nature and man merge into one.
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Jennie (BLACKPINK): Futuristic French Twist
Jenny showed off impeccable elegance with a modern twist. Her classic high-top French twist was complemented by one perfect kiss curl and barely-there, highlighted brows, giving the look an alien-chic touch.
Ayo Edebri: Weaving with feathers
Ayo chose a romantic yet sophisticated look: a voluminous braid, into which natural feathers were skillfully woven. This created an effect of lightness and softness and perfectly emphasized the concept of the “clothed body” as a work of art.
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