The Met Gala Had a Ponytail Moment and We’re Not Mad About It

Nov 19, 2023

From high and sleek to a bonanza of bows, that not-always-simple style of the ponytail was very much present at tonight's Met Gala. Here's our roundup of the red carpet–goers who got the subtle ode to Karl Lagerfeld's signature look right:

Priyanka Chopra Jonas said it best: "Salma Hayek's look is fire," and we are not about to argue. The lady in red opted for a multi-adorned, bow-sprinkled pony, courtesy of hair industry icon, Peter Savic.

Teaming up with drugstore staple TRESemmé, hair stylist Marc Mena created Mindy Kaling's classic-looking low pony—which had some support from Great Lengths Hair Extension and a crystal ponywrap designed by Jennifer Behr—for this night at the museum. "We wanted to go with something classic, clean and elegant," Mena shares. "To pay tribute to Karl's iconic hair, we opted for an ultra-long, center-parted pony. We wanted this look to stand the test of time—whether it be the day after the Met or ten years down the line."

Sporting a just-announced baby bump and the glow to match, Karlie Kloss graced the red carpet with a simple and sleek pony—with an extra ode to Karl Lagerfeld on the side. "Karlie's custom Loewe Dress is very symmetrical with strong shoulders and adorned with beautiful pearls, so we wanted to keep the hair simple by pulling it off her face and shoulders," said stylist Irinel de Leon, who used Living Proof and Dyson products for the look. "The middle-part ponytail is polished and provides additional symmetry by keeping it low and finishing with a Jennifer Behr bow. The texture is very French and undone—an ode to Karl and Chanel and its effortlessness and sophistication."

Hair stylist Owen Gould gave The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star an intricately tied mid-head pony using the Better Not Younger product line.

There was some debate over which Kardashian-Jenners would make the big night but, when Kendall Jenner and her sky-high pony stepped out of the Carlyle Hotel tonight, the wait was officially over.

It was her very first Met Gala, and Paris Hilton did not come to play. Wearing Marc Jacobs (and, quite literally, with Marc Jacobs himself by her side), the new mom elegantly paired a smoldering eye and all-black ensemble with a high ponytail for an absolutely show-stopping entrance. As celebrity hairstylist Eduardo Ponce told us, he exclusively used UNITE Hair products, and did not shy away from volume. "Karl Lagerfeld used to have a chic pony with a hint of volume at the top, so we thought it would be fun to turn up the volume as a nod to the late legend, so that's just what we did," says Eduardo.

Wearing a Stella McCartney dress and the designer's Stella By Stella McCartney skin-care line to boot, Madelyn Cline donned a slightly tousled ponytail that looked effortlessly chic thanks to Great Lengths tape-in extensions and Sexy Hair styling products (we’re told the secret is a finishing spritz of Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray). "Tonight was Madelyn's first Met Gala, so we wanted her look to be show-stopping and timeless," shares Danielle Priano, who incorporated the metal chains from the dress into the hair for cohesiveness. "One of her trademarked looks is a snatched pony, so she wanted to reimagine that in a new way—a classic style that still pulled her hair back. A classic look like this is always on trend, especially as we get into the warmer months and updos become a must."

With an unexpected cobalt blue velvet bow from Jennifer Behr and steep side part, Mary J. Blige wowed in celeb hairstylist Tym Wallace's work of hair art via the Amazon- and Target-available line Mielle Organics.

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