Met Gala 2021: See The Best Celebrity Hair & Beauty Looks!
The Best Of Hair & Beauty On The 2021 Met Gala Red Carpet
After a long hiatus, the Met Gala has officially made its return to New York City—and this year, fashion’s biggest night out which usually takes place on the first Monday in May was rescheduled to September, within the same 48 hours of the MTV Video Music Awards and NYFW’s final shows. For fashion and beauty junkies, it’s a dream… and for celebrity hairstylists, it’s truly the busiest time of the year.
This year’s theme was “American Independence” to celebrate The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new costume exhibit: “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” The red carpet did not disappoint with celebrities—and the designers and teams behind them—paying homage to Hollywood, making powerful social statements with their fashion choices and ushering in a new generation of young stars.
Keep scrolling to read our best of beauty roundup of the 2021 Met Gala red carpet below, including how-to tutorials to recreate some of the celeb looks your clients have already saved to their camera rolls!
1. High Fashion Ponytails
It’s not your regular ponytail, it’s a haute couture ponytail. From Kim K’s 75-inch ponytail by Chris Appleton (YES, 75 INCHES!) to Ciara’s drop-dead pony that could give us whiplash anytime—dramatic ponies were all over the Met carpet.
How-To: Jennifer Lopez’s Western-Inspired Met Pony
How-To: Emily Blunt’s Lady Liberty Ponytail
Ciara’s Voluminous 3-Wig Ponytail How-To
2. Hair Accessories: Crowns, Bling + Beanies
Is it the Met Gala or the RiRi Gala? The event’s favorite attendee to watch showed up fashionably late (she is Rihanna...) in a beanie. The Met loves an accessory moment and we saw embellishments, crowns and headpieces galore.
The best hair accessory of the night goes to… IMAN! Hair by Oscar James (@oscarjameshair)
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Get The Look: Lorde’s Romantic Texture
3. Homage To Hollywood
From Billie Eilish’s Marilyn Monroe moment to nods to the iconic Diana Ross—Tracee Ellis Ross channeled her mother’s iconic “Mahogany” look on the carpet—creative teams paid homage to Hollywood glamour.
Megan Thee Stallion by Kellon Deryck (@kellonderyck)
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Billie Eilish by @salonbenjamin
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4. Retro Fringe
Bettie Page would approve of these ‘50s-inspired pinup girl bangs.
Megan Fox by Andrew Fitzsimons (@andrewfitzsimons) with Living Proof / Instagram via MUA @ash_kholm
Kristen Stewart by Adir Abergel (@hairbyadir) with Virtue® / Instagram via @hairbyadir
5. Gen Z: The New Faces Of Hollywood
Keep your eyes on this next generation of trend-setters.
Step-By-Step: Amandla Stenberg’s Durag-Inspired Braids
How-To: Emma Chamberlain’s Flipped-Out Met Look
How Naeemah LaFond Created Whitney Peak’s Met Look—Click Here!
6. Living Artwork: Hang It Up In The Met!
The Met Gala carpet is a walking exhibit in itself—creating a gallery floor for designers, stylists and artists to collaborate and tell unique stories through the beauty lens. These elaborate looks make a statement and each tell their own story, whether it’s paying homage to history or looking forward at the future.
7. Ultra-Sleek Effect
A super sleek hairstyle allows the outfit to be the moment, so it’s no surprise that it’s a Met trend. We have to say, the technical work that goes into crafting that ultra-sleek look that’s laid perfectly flat to the head is an art form itself.
How-To: Olivia Rodrigo’s Sleek Twisted Knots
Step-By-Step: Karlie Kloss’s Slicked-Back Style
8. Tailored Grooming
Just like we love to see a perfectly tailored suit, men’s grooming is best when it looks personalized for the client wearing that style. A big round of applause for these men’s grooming Met carpet looks!
How-To: Kit Harington’s Old Hollywood Style
Want more celeb styling? Read this next: The 2021 MTV VMAs Best Of Beauty Roundup
