Hailey Bieber’s Goddess Bun is just as deliberate as her 24K gold breastplate.

      The Met Gala is currently in progress, with editor commentary pouring in, and, ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Hailey Bieber has graced the 2026 red carpet. This evening, the star wore a sculptural Saint Laurent outfit—an excellent fit for the year’s dress code—accompanied by a similarly sculpted bun, which is arguably the easiest hairstyle to replicate for the Met Gala. I fully anticipate at least a dozen versions of it by morning. After all, Bieber has a unique influence over our beauty preferences. Remember when she introduced a groundbreaking blunt bob that sparked countless salon visits? Yes, the same thing is happening here. Irinel de León—the celebrity hairstylist behind Bieber's Met Gala hairstyle—believes the perfectly tucked bun will also make waves. "There’s definitely a trend towards sculptural, controlled hairstyles at the moment, but I aimed to interpret that in a way that feels contemporary and practical,” she exclusively tells Who What Wear. Scroll down to see the stunning hairstyle from all angles, along with the specific products and steps needed to recreate it.

      (Image credit: Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images) "We aimed for the bun to feel like a sculpture—very deliberate and sophisticated. It’s minimalist, yet every detail is meticulously considered, making it almost appear as part of the outfit," de León explains. This means that while the bun may look fairly simple at first glance, its intentionally clean form is carefully crafted—similar to Bieber's 24K-gold breastplate. "I think we’ll see more hairstyles that are thoughtfully designed—clean lines, a high shine, yet still soft,” de León comments on this year's hair trends. "People are moving away from overly casual styles and towards something more intentional." It certainly helps that Bieber is effectively at the forefront of this trend. Article continues below

      (Image credit: Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images) To create her sculpted “goddess” bun, de León first applied a blend of Ouai's Leave-In Conditioner and Anti-Frizz Crème to Bieber's hair, then roughly dried it with the Dyson Airwrap Coanda2x Multi-Styler and Dryer. After removing the excess moisture, de León fitted the dryer's Large Round Volumizing Brush attachment to smooth the hair in sections, sealing in the shine with Ouai's Hair Oil. To secure the bun, de León slicked back Bieber's hair into a tight ponytail, then added clip-in extensions (Perlino by Priscilla Valles) before constructing the bun in sections. "The ends are completely tucked away, creating that seamless silhouette," de León explains. "Consider it shaping rather than just styling."

      (Image credit: Getty Images; Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images) She finished the look with a bit of Ouai's Hair Oil for added shine. "The final result is neither wet nor stiff. It strikes the perfect balance between shine and softness, which we achieved by layering lightweight products instead of heavier ones," she adds. And there you have it! Bieber certainly has a knack for a slicked-back bun, and I expect she will sport this style frequently as summer approaches. In the meantime, I’ll be here fine-tuning my own knot… Shop Hailey Bieber's 2026 Met Gala Hairstyle.

      Ouai

      Leave In Conditioner

      Ouai

      Anti-Frizz Hair Styling Cream

      Dyson

      Airwrap Coanda2x Multi-Styler and Dryer for Straight to Wavy Hair