Supermodel Jasmine Tookes was a full blown, golden goddess at the 2026 Met Gala. The timelessness of the look extended to her hair, by Danielle Priano.
Sleek at the root, and soft sculpted waves through the ends, Priano gave us a modern blowout. Bouncy but not the bounciest, exercising restraint. She says, “The gown was so strong on its own, so my goal was to complement it without competing.” Mission accomplished, and we’re still thinking about the hair!
Read on for our exclusive Q&A with Priano, in which she breaks down the inspiration for Jasmine Tookes’ look and gives insight into what prepping for the Met Gala really entails.
The Tease: What was the hair design for Jasmine’s look and how did it all come together?
Danielle Priano: For Jasmine, I really wanted the hair to feel like an extension of the dress: elevated, polished, but still effortless… I focused on creating a super clean, seamless foundation and then built from there, using Chris McMillan products to get that rich, glossy, luxurious finish.
It’s always about the prep for me because if the foundation isn’t right, nothing else works. I kept everything really controlled, smooth, and intentional, layering in the right products to lock in shine and hold without it ever feeling heavy. It came together as this balance of structure and ease, which is exactly what I love.
How may hairstyling for the Met Gala differ from other red carpets?
Priano: The Met Gala is a completely different level. It’s not just about beauty, it’s about storytelling. Every look has a concept behind it, so the hair has to support that vision while still feeling like the person.
Compared to other red carpets, you can push things a little further at the Met. There’s more room for creativity, more intention in every detail, and everything is really thought through from every angle, especially because of how heavily it’s photographed. It’s less about playing it safe and more about creating a moment, while still keeping it polished and true to your signature.
Read on for a detailed breakdown of Tookes’ Met Gala look featuring the exact Chris McMillan hair products Priano used.
Get the Look:
- Start by prepping damp hair with Chris McMillan’s Glassy Smooth Blow Dry Spray for smoothness, shine, and heat protection, then layer in The Mousse for body, memory, and hold. Blow-dry the hair section by section, creating volume at the root and smoothing the ends for that polished, modern blowout finish.
- Once dry, curl the hair in sections and immediately pin each curl to set. Mist each section with The Major Hairspray to lock in the shape. Allow the pin curls to fully cool before taking them down. This helps create that long-lasting Old Hollywood structure.
- Release the curls and softly brush them out to create a glamorous wave pattern while keeping the finish soft and touchable. Tease and separate the curls using the Dry Texture Spray for airy movement, lift, and a more modern, undone finish.
- Finish with Chris McMillan’s The Major Hairspray to lock everything in while keeping the hair polished, bouncy, and red carpet-ready.
If you take on Jasmine Tookes’ Met Gala hairstyle look for your next client using this breakdown, we want to know about it. Tag @readthetease on Instagram and TikTok.
