19 March 2024

Met Gala – In America: An Anthology of Fashion

The Met Gala 2022 saw a red carpet celebration of outstanding looks in terms of both couture and hair. Celebrities embraced the opportunity to showcase the very finest in fashion – in all its forms.

The Met Gala 2022: What the stylists think:

Gigi Hadid

Met Gala
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Gigi Hadid sported one of the most striking looks at this year’s Met Gala and although her gown and puffy coat for the evening were extravagant, I loved that she teamed this with a more subtle yet chic hairstyle that brought all eyes into her stunning face. Her messy chignon is a huge trend this year and one we will see more of as we head into 2022 for clients looking to try the most contemporary top knot style that takes inspiration from the 90’s. This is a very ‘off duty model’ look and Gigi wore it to perfection.

To create the look, always prep the hair with a product like ALTERNA Caviar Anti-Aging Multiplying Volume Styling Mist to give the hair touchable volume. Then, I use ALTERNA Caviar Anti-Aging Smoothing Anti-Frizz Butter and distribute this throughout the hair and blow-dry backwards with a paddle brush to create that super sleek, high shine finish before spritzing with ALTERNA Caviar Anti-Aging Professional Styling Working Hairspray and securing into a high ponytail. I then would mist through some ALTERNA Caviar Anti-Aging Professional Styling Perfect Texture Spray and gently tease some of the hair within the ponytail to give it body before creating the bun leaving a couple of inches of the hair out of the bun to create that spike like effect before pinning into place. Joana Neves, Editorial Director at ALTERNA

Sophie Turner

Met Gala
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Sophie Turner’s hair look was one of my favourites at this year’s Met Gala. Her crimson-coloured red locks were worn super long, touching just above her bump and styled into super glossy, mermaid style waves – a huge trend as we come into the summer season. When creating this look, day two hair is always best to ensure the hair is not too soft and to avoid the waves from loosening.

Always start by prepping the hair with a heat protection spray like Matrix StyleLink Heat Buffer Thermal Styling Spray and then use a waver working in sections to give the hair that almost crimped, S shape wave finish. Once you’ve worked your way round the hair, use a hair oil or serum to give the hair a high shine finish, gently distributing this throughout the waves without loosening them. I love to use the Matrix Biolage Smoothproof Avocado Deep Smoothing Serum when creating this look, which also helps to keep frizz at bay and perfect the finished look. Finish by spritzing through some sea salt spray like Matrix Rock It Texture Sea Salt Spray to enhance the waves further and give them hold. Karen Thomson, Owner of KAM Hair and Body Spa

Emma Chamberlain

Met Gala
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Although simple, Emma Chamberlain’s hair and full look at this year’s Met Gala really made a statement. Emma sported her new, soft and milky blonde hair colour with a blunt long bob, which complimented her outfit and makeup choices magnificently. Her blonde looked luxe and soft to touch, which is key to blondes this spring/summer. When creating this type of blonde in the salon, I always use Schwarzkopf Fibreplex to protect the hair through the lightening process and to ensure the hair stays as healthy as possible. To avoid the hair being one block colour and to give it a more natural feel just like Emma’s, I would add some babylights throughout the hair and finish with an ash/pearl blonde toner to give the hair that milky and clean finish. Suzie McGill, Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International

Kaia Gerber

Met Gala
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2022 is definitely the year of texture and curls, and Kaia Gerber definitely delivered as she stepped out onto the Met Gala red carpet last night. Full of volume and length, her waist length curls did not disappoint and ensured all eyes were on her.

The key to this look was of course the extra long length, but also the unapologetic volume and texture throughout her curls. Heated rollers or chopstick wands are some of the best methods to help you create this amount of volume. Perfectly parted in the centre and finished with symmetrical jewelled hair accessories. Similar to the iconic curls that Julia Roberts showcased in Pretty Woman, this look was my favourite from the evening. The correct products will help you create this style, be sure to apply lots of volumising mousse before blow drying and finish with a texturising powder applied into the roots for extra lift. Simon Hill, Owner of SESH Hairdressing

Vanessa Hudgens

Met Gala
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I love to see celebrities embracing a theme and the Met Gala is the ultimate in red carpet glam. Vanessa Hudgens is having a major moment for me just now and I love her current style and fashion. Paired with her extravagant and sexy dress, Vanessa’s braided updo stole the show for me. Her hair was twisted and braided upwards and secured at the crown of her head. To complete this style, her hair was pulled tight against her scalp to create a seriously sleek finish with a mirror like shine. This showed off her makeup and also the nape of her neck which was perfect for her high collar couture. For me, Vanessa’s look was elevated with the addition of diamante encrusted rope that was perfectly weaved throughout her braided updo. She definitely understood the assignment! Jay Birmingham, Celebrity Hairdresser

Billie Eilish

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Known for pushing the boundaries and rebelling against the traditional ‘beauty standards’. Billie Eilish stood out again for all the right reasons on the red carpet. At ROAR, we love to see people embracing their individuality and Billie always nails this. Her hair was the perfect contrast against her Victorian inspired gown. Billie’s hair gave us faux mohawk vibes and we loved it. Her cropped hair was pulled upwards toward to create a soft spike around the crown of her head. To soften her style, loose pieces of hair fell perfectly round her face to tie in with her on trend bangs. In true Billie style, her hair was raven black which gives the perfect amount of emo/punk with a fashionable finish. This style isn’t for everyone, but Billie looked incredible. Brian Leo McCallum, Owner of ROAR Hair and Beauty

Olivia Rodrigo

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I am a huge fan of Olivia Rodrigo and adored her 90’s inspired look at last nights Met Gala 2022. Wearing a sparkly, lavender Versace gown Olivia had her hair styles into beautiful loose waves, adding in butterfly accessories throughout her look to add a little touch of uniqueness. Her flowing locks paired perfectly and really set off her overall look. The use of texture throughout the hair made for a real statement style and it was absolutely beautiful!

In order to recreate this look, the prep is key to ensuring this style lasts the duration and sits well – encouraging volume is key here. I would recommend prepping the hair using the milk_shake Volume Solution Shampoo and Conditioner, this maximises the follicles, causing them to expand – resulting in excess volume. Then evenly distributed milk_shake Whipped Cream throughout the hair, and dry the hair using a large barrel brush focussing heat towards the roots, giving it a slight lift when drying. Next using a medium barrel tong, tong the hair throughout, taking small 3cm sections at a time – no bigger! Once cool, gently brush and add beautiful butterfly accessories. Andrew Smith, Andrew Smith Salons and Global Ambassador of z.one concepts

Kim Kardashian

Met Gala
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Never in a million years did we expect to see all the Kardashians on the Met red carpet! We only witnessed Kim with gorgeous flowing deep brunette locks on Sunday evening at the White house Dinner. We did not expect the platinum blonde locks to make a come back last night. Pulled into a tight, low level bun at the nape of the neck, the hair was kept simple to ensure no attention was taken away from her incredibly stunning gown – worn by Marilyn Monroe many years ago.

Having had her hair drastically changed over a period of 14 hours, this was the perfect look for not only the dress but the hairs health – any excessive styling would seriously damage the hair. In order to recreate, I would use the full JOICO Defy Damage range in the hair, not only protecting the colour but also the health of the follicles. Plenty of hydration, conditioning masks and care make this beautiful blonde the best it can be and not dry or severely dehydrated.

When creating the style, be very gentle when brushing the hair, to avoid less damage, pulling it back to the nape of the neck and securing into a ponytail with a hair tie. Then, gently twist the hair and wrap this around the hair tie, securing discreetly with bobby pins. Finish with a professional shine spray. Paul Watts, Paul Watts Hairdressing and JOICO European Design Team Member

Gwen Stefani

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All eyes were on this year’s Met Gala, the highlight of the fashion calendar of 2022 so far. I was absolutely in awe of Gwen Stefani and her overall look. Wearing a neon green two piece gown accessorised with matching gloves and bag, this was a real statement look and it was important that her hair did not overshine this. Instead of an over the top statement hairstyle, Gwen had beautiful blonde locks styled into a simple, sophisticated straight style – this for me would be the only look that would work perfectly with her outfit of choice. The vision for this was high shine, adding a real touch of glamour to the hair and to leave the overall style feeling luxurious.

Recreating this look is super simple, however I would of recommend a series of deep conditioning masks prior to the event to encourage hair health and plenty moisture, repairing any damage or split ends. Then hair needs prepping with a professional moisturising shampoo and conditioner, again injecting key nutrients back into the hair, encouraging healthy follicles. When blow drying the hair, I would recommend using the Schwarzkopf Osis+ Blow and Go Smooth Blow Dry Spray, as this tames the hair and controls frizz and fly aways. It’s lightweight and leaves hair with plenty movement. Philip Bell, Partner of Ishoka Hair and Beauty

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