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Lupita Nyong’o hairstylist and Olaplex global ambassador Vernon François held on to four guiding words 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 work of a skilled tailor.” The form? An intricate, organic ponytail that is a mixture of sharpness and subtle embellishments.
“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 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, aided by hidden pins. He didn’t try to “freeze” the hair but, rather, to shape what he describes as the “natural rhythm” of Nyong’o’s hair.
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 was 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 eye shadow, it encapsulated everything from traditional American workwear to the heyday of pop star Britney Spears.
In 2019, she also wore Versace to attend the Met Gala, donning a semi-sheer dress of glinting pink stars, knitted and finished with butterfly-esque rainbow shoulders to celebrate the theme of “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” Not to be outshone, her hair and makeup featured her natural hair molded into a beehive, with multiple golden picks positioned around her head.
Back to the present, François is determined that this Met Gala has a different energy: “[Black dandyism] has created space to reframe how we view elegance, especially in the context of Black identity. It’s about honoring the work of our ancestors—the dressmakers, the tailors, the ones who understood craft down to the thread.”