“Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson stunned on the 2025 Met Gala red carpet in a black and white gown and statement-making pixie cut by celebrity hairstylist Karen Miller. With its super slick styling, Brunson seemed to channel Josephine Baker, which made sense given the gala’s theme, but we wanted to get the details and reached out to Miller directly.
Read for our quick Q&A with Miller and a breakdown on Quinta’s look including exactly which products were used to get his look!
The Tease: We LOVE when hairstylists and celebs are frequent collaborators, can you tell us what it’s like working with Quinta?
Karen Miller: Working with Quinta is the absolute best! She really listens to my ideas and makes the whole process feel seamless. She’s really fun to collaborate with and brings great energy to every project.
Before we get into the work, what did you think about this year’s Met Gala theme and its very explicit celebration of Black dandyism?
Karen Miller: I believe this year’s theme was long overdue, and I’m happy they took the time to pay tribute to the influence black culture has in fashion. I’m excited to finally see it get the recognition that it truly deserves. This theme meant so much to me and to be able to create a style that paid homage to those who paved the way before us was truly incredible.
Quinta is known to experiment with color, texture, and length. Recently though she’s really been rocking shorter hair. Talk to us about the process of conceptualizing this year’s Met Gala hairstyle. Did she come with references? Did you?
Karen Miller: Once she went shorter, we knew it would be the perfect opportunity to experiment with some fun and bold styles. For her hair, I sent her a few reference photos of Josephine Baker and we collaborated on which one of her Eton Crop cut styles would best fit the look we were going for. It was great putting a modern spin on those vintage inspirations.
Below, the breakdown on Quinta’s met gala hairstyle.
Get the Look:
- “First, to thoroughly cleanse and condition the hair, I washed Quinta’s hair with Thank God It’s Natural’s (tgin) Rose Water Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo and Rose Water Smoothing Leave-In Conditioner.
- I prepped the hair with tgin’s Miracle Styling Multi-Use Setting Foam and the Miracle Styling 3-N-1 Heat Protectant Spray, molding the hair into the foundation of the style and enhancing Quinta’s face-framing curls.
- To follow, I used the Dyson Supersonic r™ Professional Hairdryer with the diffuser attachment to dry the hair in place without causing frizz, starting with airflow and heat settings on 3, then lowering them to 2 as the hair began to set.
- Next, I used the Dyson Corrale™ hair styler straightener with heat setting at 365 degrees, to smooth the surface layer of the hair and define the curls that will shape the face.
- I finished the look with the Dyson Supersonic r™ Professional Hairdryer using the diffuser to lock in the final look, but this time both heat and Air flow set to 1.
- For final touches, I used tgin’s Miracle Styling Smooth & Sleek Wax Stick and Smooth + Style Baby Hair Edge Brush to refine and smooth the details.”
If you recreate Quinta Brunson’s 2025 Met Gala hairstyle your clients, or for yourself, be sure to tag @readthetease on Instagram or TikTok.
