Celebrities were out in full force at the Met Gala 2023, decked out in pearls, perfect manicures, and ensembles that honored the man of the hour, the late Karl Lagerfeld. While smoked-out feline flicks were a big makeup trend, in the hair department, everyone from Kendall Jenner to Rihanna drew upon decades of Chanel’s runway shows, where a certain versatile hairstyle—the half-up, half-down ponytail—has been a recurring theme.
On the Chanel catwalk, the hybrid style—often fastened with a classic black hair ribbon or double C barrettes—is nearly always worn to prim and proper effect. But on the Met Gala red carpet and at the after-parties that followed, celebrities put their own spin on the style. Kendall Jenner wore hers bouncy and sleek, while her friend Gigi Hadid opted for tousled Rapunzel waves and a worn-in texture.
Anne Hathaway channeled the ’60s via her own mussed-up bouffant, while Emily Ratajkowski took her inspiration from old photos of Audrey Hepburn, with a micro-fringe, chic ribbon, and tumble of waves at the back. And we can’t forget the patron saint of the Met red carpet, Rihanna, whose own half-pony featured a gelled kiss-curl quiff.
The perfect hairstyle to lift hair off the face (and show off a stellar makeup look in the process) and ensure jewellery is sufficiently visible while still allowing for length at the back, the half ponytail has seen a resurgence in recent months. It was only last week that Blake Lively experimented with the style (in a look not dissimilar to Gigi’s Met hair), and since it’s versatile, easy to recreate, and an ideal choice for summer, expect to see it everywhere soon.
This story was originally published on Vogue.com.
