At the 2026 Met Gala, the “Fashion is Art” dress code meant it was all about Grecian draping, Renaissance rendered silhouettes, and bodies, bodies, bodies. For Rihanna, the idea of a “living sculpture” extended to her hair.
The pop star’s longtime hairstylist Yusef Williams was on hand to match her whorling Margiela by Glenn Martens couture gown with intricate and ornate jeweled curls that created a stunning, Art Deco-style headpiece. “We leaned into the idea of a living sculpture,” Williams tells Vogue exclusively. “The hair had to complete the look, not compete with it.”
Styled by Jahleel Weaver, Rihanna’s Margiela gown first appeared in the house’s artisanal 2025 collection, with a draped column silhouette inspired by the medieval architecture of Flanders, a northern region of Belgium. Hand-sculpted and made of duchess woven silk and recycled metal threads, the look also featured a corset with over 115,00 crystal beads, antique jewels, and chains. More jewels included a chunky Dyne ear cuff and Glenn Spiro earrings. While the original runway look saw the model’s visage totally concealed, Rih and her glam team imagined something just as captivating, which kept her face and crown as a focal point.
“It was all about matching the sculptural feel of the outfit and staying aligned with the team’s vision; strong, timeless, and intentional from every angle,” Williams says of her golden-threaded crown. (Williams also crafted Tyla’s voluminous wet-look curls on the night to go with her sexy, extreme-cutaway Valentino gown.)
Photo: Getty Images
To execute the look, Williams made sure Rihanna’s hair was first red carpet ready with True Indian Hair Company’s True HD Lace RTW Collection in the style Ava as the foundation. “Using an HD lace front gave us a seamless blend and install, while offering versatility and natural movement while still allowing for structure,” says Williams, “which was needed given added gold wire pin curls.”
To create this custom hair look, Williams worked with New York-based luxury accessories label Jennifer Behr. Williams first wanted to give the illusion of hair, but in mixed metals for an industrial feel. The creative vision for Rihanna’s crystalline curls was what the hairstylist describes as “artefact-like beauty.” “We kept it sleek and intentional, then reimagined vintage gold wire pin curls in a modern way, so it felt like a nod to history without looking [like a] costume,” he adds. The hair was slicked tight to the head, with metal finger waves placed on top like a crown.
