What was the hair look for Vogue World 2025: Hollywood? “Every single person has an individualised look that fits into whichever of the seven acts they are a part of,” hairstylist Jimmy Paul tells me inside the sound stage that had been converted into a giant glam studio for the day of the event. With more than 200 models and celebrities to glam, it was no small fete—and took more than a month of planning—so Paul teamed up with French haircare brand Kérastase to get the job done.
Backstage, puffs of VIP Strong Hold Texturizing Hair Spray filled the air while creaseless clips set curls and baby hairs into place. Silver foxes Kyle MacLachlan and Jeff Goldblum—two surprise talents for the night—were seated across from each other in the hair section (the last time the duo walked together it was at Fall 2022 menswear) and it took two people spritizing Lila Moss’s hair with Genesis Heat Protecting Leave-In Treatment and round brushes to transform her into a Summer of Love hippie.
Below, Paul walks us through it all.
Act 1: Hollywood Glamour
This section of the show highlights beauty looks from the dawn of film as we know it. “Hollywood glamour is still a popular reference to this day,” Paul says, adding that the 1930s and ‘40s were the time periods focused on. “Hairstyles at the time were kept very close to the head. Models are wearing finger waves, low buns, slick backs. Laura Harrier has more of a ’40s brush out.” Shiny hair, Paul adds, is important to getting this look, too—and the Première Repairing High Shine Oil added gloss to strands.
Act 2: The Renegades
The punks are having fun—espeically when it comes to glam. The film included Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (seen on model Anok Yai) and Alice in Wonderland (worn by actor Kodi Smit-McPhee)—so there’s something playful about it all, too. Gabbriette, Colin Jones, Amelia Grey, and Alva Gray all had different variations on the punk theme: “There were braids, messy waves, a mohawk mullet, and an undone wig wrap completed with Bobby pins. It’s all meant to be a bit messy.”
Act 3: Historical Heroines
“To me, this act means Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette,” says Paul. Some models wore wigs, but others—like Grace Elizabeth—had their hair curled with a ultra-thin curling iron and brushed out. Ella Dalton and Luna Yohanna, on the other hand, had their natural curls enhanced with the Curl Manifesto line and worn as-is. “Everything is soft,” Paul says. “It’s incredibly romantic.”
Act 4: Summer Love
The ‘70s probably have one of the most easily identifiable hairstyles: long, loose, and free. “That’s the hippie way,” Paul says. Products like Absolu Glaze Drops Anti-Frizz Hair Oil tamed frizz but let texture go free while the Bouffante Volumizing Hair Mousse helped build up the volume. This was also a major moment for character spotting: Abby Champion as Sharon Tate with long, straight lengths; Scarlett White as June Carter Cash with Wali by her side as Johnny; and Conan Gray as Bob Dylan. “Naturally natural,” Paul adds.
Act 5: Avant Garde
Sally Potters’s Orlando (as seen on Hunter Schafer) and Todd Haynes’s Velvet Goldmine set the vibe for this section of the show. “David Bowie was an important reference for both hair and makeup,” Paul shared while pointing to an image of Bowie from 1974 in his iconic mustard suit. Models like Libby Bennett, Penelope Ternes, and Kayako Higuchi came androgeny-ready with fall’s coolest cut, the bixie, while Paul added model with longer hair would have theirs pulled back into a low ponytail. “Everything feels a bit boyish, free, and playful.”
Act 6: Afrofuturism
The Vogue World 2025: Hollywood program calls Act 6 a section all about “power, presence, and permanence.” Paul had braiders as part of his 50-person hairstyling crew, who helped to create cornrows, bantu knots, and more on some of the models, actors, and dancers who walked as part of this scection. “It’s a celebration of beauty and strength,” Paul adds.
Act 7: New World
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise may seem like an unlikely place to find beauty inspiration, but Paul says not so fast. Models like Loli Bahia, Imaan Hammam, Paloma Elsesser, Adriana Lima, Jill Kortleve, and Joan Smalls all got what Paul calls the “weathered” treatment when it came to their hair. For some, that meant intentional frizz, others got a wave, or treatment that looked like clay to mimic life of Arrakis—Strong Hold Texturizing Hair Spray needed to keep it all in place. “It’s a bit rough, but don’t think that means it isn’t glamorous.” The future, it turns out, is bright after all.
This article was first published in Vogue.com.
