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Beauty’s Unofficial Theme at the Met Gala: Curls, Coils, and Edges

Black dandyism takes the spotlight on the blue carpet, and beauty pulled up ready: curls, coils, and culture built into these stars’ looks.

By Biel Arevalo May 06, 2025

May fifth looked different this year. Inside the walls of the Met, one glossy curve said more than a full face of glam. We saw kiss curls, coils, and fingerwaves sweeping the carpet to honor the poise of dandyism and the glamour of the icons past. Even in beauty, this year’s Met Gala theme—Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—was honored in full.

Coco Jones

Floor-length gowns? Coco brought floor-length braids that, when held in hand, resembled a walking cane for a stylish dandy. Her hair was slicked back, but she left a solitary curl at the brow to pay homage to black beauty and brilliance.

Teyana Taylor

Teyana’s look came with instructions: read the curl, admire the hat, and don’t dare blink. Her side-swept kiss curls peeked out beneath a red feathered durag, like punctuation marks on a love letter to black culture.

Doechii

Is anyone doing it like her? The “Anxiety” singer skipped the kiss curls and showed up in full form: a natural afro. It paid tribute without imitation, just an emblem of black beauty in its most elemental and powerful shape.

Simone Biles

The gymnast’s high-shine blowout came with a Josephine Baker bang swirl. That sculptural touch made her look fit for royalty, or at least a very glamorous heist film.

Sydney Sweeney

^{makeup by melissa hernandez, hair by glen “coco” oropeza}

Sweeney’s finger swirls looked like they were drawn by a vintage cartoonist: meticulous and slightly surreal. Her makeup artist’s handiwork made sure not a single strand dared misbehave.

Dua Lipa

What’s better than one kiss curl? Four. The superstar’s updo was part crown, part art installation, with perfectly placed edges that made people look twice (or maybe it was the Callum Turner hard launch on the red carpet).

Ego Nwodim

^{makeup by billiegene, hair by miles jeffries}

Whimsical and elaborate are understatements. Ego’s spiky and coiled updo gave her the height of a model and the presence of a skyline. “It’s giving 6’2,” she even quipped.

Bad Bunny

One curl, flipped ends, and a pava straw hat—Bad Bunny emerged as more than just a personality to watch. His hair nodded to Afro-Caribbean culture, a single curl peeking out of his hat.

Megan Thee Stallion

^{makeup by diana shin, hair by kellon deryck}

Was it a three-tiered cake or a sky-high centerpiece? The rapper’s hair looked like all of the above and more. Inspired by Josephine Baker’s hair in that one 1951 performance in Cuba, it was a showstopping ode to history.

Doja Cat

^{Makeup by pat mcgrath and jenna kuchera, hair by vernon françois}

Grace Jones would’ve clapped for Doja Cat. Her sculptural afro was stacked with intention, proof that a silhouette or hairstyle choice alone can shout style and substance.

Featured Image and Photos: COCO JONES, ASHLEY STEWART, KELLON DERYCK, JON DAILEY, MELISSA HERNANDEZ, JACOB WEBSTER, MILES JEFFRIES (via Instagram), 21 MET GALA, and IT GIRL ENERGY (via X)