We cover a lot of stylish events on our website, but very few get our team as excited as the Met Gala. The star-studded soiree, which raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, is always a fashion (and beauty!) feast for the eyes. Every first Monday in May, all of our favorite celebrities and industry insiders descend upon the iconic Met steps donning dazzling couture ensembles paired with head-turning hair looks. And this year’s event, which was co-chaired by Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth, and Bad Bunny, was certainly no different.
The 2024 Met Gala celebrated the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”, which will be “visually united by iconography related to nature, which will serve as a metaphor for the fragility and ephemerality of fashion and a vehicle to examine the cyclical themes of rebirth and renewal,” per the Met’s official website. As for the dress code for the big night? The theme was “Garden of Time, which was inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same name.
As to be expected, many celebrities did serve up florals in all forms with their ensembles—think avant-garde floral-embellished gowns, intricate floral headpieces, and pretty much every type of floral pattern that you can imagine. However, others went the unexpected route opting for custom creations made out of sand, pearl, wood, and even archival wallpaper, and some, like Zendaya, even found time to serve two show-stopping looks on the red carpet.
For us, of course, all of the incredible hair looks were truly the star of the show. Met attendees and their talented glam teams served up so much outstanding hair inspiration, in the form of extra-long ethereal waves, towering sculptural updos, ultra-sleek wet look hair, and so many beautiful statement headpieces. Keep scrolling for a look at our favorite hairstyles from the 2024 Met Gala, hand-picked by our editors.
Gwendoline Christie
The Look: a gravity-defying abstract blonde cloud of hair that was styled by hairstylist Dale Delaporte with hair direction by hairstylist Duffy.
Kelly Ehlers, The Tease Co-founder and co-host of Volume Up podcast: “I loved the avant-garde vibe. To me, her hair matched the theme perfectly. Her hair looks to be ‘too fragile to hang for fear of falling apart’ much like the delicate collection pieces in this year’s Costume Institute exhibition.”
FKA Twigs
The Look: a sculptural updo with basket-weave detailing and lab-grown diamond embellishments that came courtesy of hairstylist Louis Souvestre.
Adriana Sarmineto, Social Media Editor: “I think FKA Twigs hairstyle was one of the most creative and unique looks from last night’s Met Gala. Her head was adorned in diamond studs that served as an extension of her Stella McCartney lab-grown diamond embellished outfit and accented her show-stopping sculptural updo, which was created by London-based hairstylist Louis Souvestre. The basket-weave hairstyle sat on her head like a crown, truly making her look like a goddess and the rat-tails gave her that alternative and edgy feel that is authentic to her personal style.”
Tyla
The Look: a wet-look layered bob that came courtesy of hairstylist Lacy Redway
Monica Hickey, The Tease Co-founder: “Her sculpted sand-covered Balmain gown was so good and her short wet hair look was super chic. On her, the hair is perfect, but if you take inspiration, you have to be careful so you don’t end up looking like a ‘90s mom. Also, shoutout to her makeup artist for the sand-like glitter on her shoulders!”
Greta Lee
The Look: a edgy shaggy mullet (shullet) with choppy baby bangs that came courtesy of hairstylist Jenny Cho, who used Fekkai products to execute the look
Jeffrey Lunnen, The Tease Editor-in-Chief and co-host of Volume Up podcast: “Greta Lee and her team, which includes celebrity hairstylist and Fekkai Five Collective member Jenny Cho, have fun on the red carpet and I appreciate that. For the 2024 Met Gala, her hair (yes, a wig!) was cut and styled into a playful shullet with piecey baby bangs. I think it was the perfect compliment to her custom Loewe gown.”
Emily Ratajkowski
The Look: a middle-parted spiky updo that was styled by hairstylist James Pecis
Erin Kiely, Sales and Partnership Coordinator: “Her sheer vintage Versace gown was stunning but for me, her fanned-out spiky updo is the focal point. Her hair stood out to me because the harsh lines contrast with her beaded dress in such an unexpected way.”
Alia Bhatt
The Look: a loose textured updo featuring woven braids and gemstone embellishments that was styled by hairstylist Amit Thakur
Camille Nzengung, Hair Features Editor: “I seriously thought that Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt looked like she had stepped out of a painting when she arrived on the Met Gala carpet. So I was very happy to learn that her hairstylist Amit Thakur actually took a lot of inspiration from Renaissance paintings when he crafted her dreamy updo. The details of her hair are just so beautiful—from the intricately woven braids to the regal hair shape and all of the many ropes of gemstones decorating her strands. I love how much thought was put into her hairstyle as well as her whole look, which paid homage to nature’s beauty—the earth, sky, and sea—as well the timelessness of Indian artisanship. Her custom-made, hand-embroidered Sabyasachi sari is easily the most beautiful sari that I have ever seen. Plus, I always love a good cultural reference at these kinds of high-profile events.”
Anok Yai
The Look: a super sleek curled pixie styled by hairstylist Jawara
Madeline Hickey, Digital Media Producer: “When you are dripping in crystals, your hair has to perfectly complement the look. Anok and her hairstylist Jawara not only understood the assignment but exceeded it. Her sleek yet tousled short cut not only brought a touch of Hollywood glam but also featured a perfect kiss curl. I saw many stars rock the asymmetrical pixie on the Met Gala carpet, and I could not be more behind it.”
