Lupita Nyong'o's Elaborate Met Gala 2025 Hair Is an Ode to Ancestry
For Lupita Nyong'o's hairstylist and Olaplex global ambassador Vernon François, there were four guiding words he held onto when creating the Oscar-winning actor's Met Gala 2025 look: discipline, ancestry, craftsmanship and possibility. 'I wanted her hair to embody the detail and discipline of haute couture–where every curve, parting and placement mimicked the hair of a skilled tailor.' The form? An intricate, organic ponytail that is a mixture of sharpness and subtle embellishments.
John Shearer
'For me, the theme of Black dandyism (officially, 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style') is about unleashing the artistry of tailoring–an ode to seamstresses, to structure, to craftsmanship layered with intentionality,' he shared exclusively with British Vogue. 'It's a theme rooted in power, presentation and resistance–using refinement as a form of rebellion.' How he translated this to Nyong'o's look included by preparing her natural hair with Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum and her scalp with the No.5 Scalp Longevity Treatment in the run-up to the red carpet. 'Caring for the scalp is vital when working with natural hair patterns that need support beneath the surface,' he says. Once adequately prepared, François layered fine styling mists and flexible styling products to create hold in the hair, aided by hidden pins that created an internal holding structure. He never tried to 'freeze' the hair, though, rather shape what he describes as Nyong'o's hair's 'natural rhythm'.
This isn't the first time François has collaborated with Nyong'o on a Met Gala hairstyle. In 2021, the two created a tulle-esque look inspired by Brooklyn-born conceptual artist Lorna Simpson. A whirling chorus of delicate swirls, loops and airy volume were part of the duo's interpretation of In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, that year's theme. Paired with a denim Versace dress and deep-blue eyeshadow, it encapsulated everything from traditional American workwear to the heyday of pop-star Britney Spears.
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