Pre-Raphaelite Curls Were a Big Hair Trend at the Met Gala 2022

One of the biggest beauty trends at the Met Gala 2022? Cascading Pre-Raphaelite curls, as seen on everyone from Kaia Gerber and Olivia Rodrigo to Hoyeon Jung and Phoebe Dynevor. The look was a nod to the theme of gilded glamour—which refers to New York’s Gilded Age from 1870 to 1890. Back then, soft, undone waves like these were strictly reserved for intimate settings, such as the bedroom, while during the day women’s hair was pinned up as a matter of course. The English Pre-Raphaelites, a group of painters, poets and art critics who were working at that time, immortalized this sort of hair in their work.

Unbound, natural in texture and almost ethereal in its sensibility, this kind of hair definitely deserves to be taken out in public. And you can switch it up depending on your style. For disco-ready hair, channel Gerber, who paired her fringed Alexander McQueen dress with masses of curls; if you prefer a grunge feel, look to Rodrigo’s take; and if you want to take the trend literally, Sophie Turner is your girl. 

Whether you plait your hair when it’s damp and sleep on the braids overnight, or get the curling iron out, the trick is to brush hair through afterwards to create a feeling of airiness. Below, find 7 Met Gala 2022 hairstyles worthy of a painting, to inspire your own look. 

Hoyeon Jung

Kaia Gerber

Blake Lively

Sophie Turner

Olivia Rodrigo

Alessandro Michele and Jared Leto

Phoebe Dynevor