Kiss Curls Were the Biggest Hair Trend at the 2025 Met Gala

The Met Gala is officially here, and stars are stepping onto the stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in full celebration of the theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”—including retro hairstyles à la the 1920s.

Stars like Dua Lipa, Angel Reese, Bad Bunny, and Sydney Sweeney wore kiss curls to pay homage to the dandy theme of the evening. The vintage look dates all the way back to the flapper era, when stars like Josephine Baker styled hair with a single, face-framing curl at the top of the forehead, named the kiss curl.

Dua Lipa came to the Met in full force flapper with four intricate kiss curls, a knotted glossy bun, a beaded feathered dress, and beaded gloves that channel the '20s era. The singer walked hand-in-hand with her boyfriend Callum Turner who wore a dapper suit to match.

Sydney Sweeney followed in Dua Lipa's glossy steps and wore a slick-back style with three glossy kiss curls at her hairline and a subtle side part, created by her longtime stylist Glen Oropeza using FHI Heat and Kérastase. Sweeney paired the vintage hair with a diffused double-liner look and fluttery lashes, adding a bit of romance to the tailored theme.

Sweeney spoke to host LaLa Anthony on the Met steps and shared that her look pays homage to singer Kim Novak. Sweeney plays Novak in Met Gala co-host Colman Domingo’s upcoming directorial debut Scandalous!, which tells the love story between Novak and Sammy Davis Jr., played by David Jonsson.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles also wore the retro trend, but with even more vintage elements as she paired a single kiss curl with a deep side part and voluminous side swoop.

Another interpretation of the kiss curl for the first Monday in May: Coco Jones wore a single S-shaped curl and a thin, almost floor-length braid.

In true fashion of the dandyism theme, Bad Bunny showcased how anyone can wear a kiss curl. The Grammy-winning artist paid homage to the 1920s era and Puerto Rico as he paired a single kiss curl, created by hairstylist Ryan Austin for IGK.with a mini chocolate brown pava hat—a straw hat native to his home—to match his Prada brown suit.

Basketball player Angel Reese also wore a kiss curl to her first Met Gala red carpet, pairing the look with a short bob and flipped-out ends to complement her look from designer Thom Browne and jewelry from Graff Jewelry.

Even A$AP Rocky, one of the co-chairs of the Met Gala, styled his braids to resemble a kiss curl.

The artist had a big night, not just as a co-chair for the gala, but also as Rihanna, the mother of his two sons RZA and Riot, stepped out earlier in the evening with what appeared to be a growing baby bump.