How Quannah Chasinghorse's Met Gala Hair Look Combined Her Culture with Karl Lagerfeld's Vision

Model and Indigenous activist Quannah Chasinghorse is not only known for her stunning facial tattoos, but her flowing, waist-length hair as well. That's just one reason she's the perfect fit as Paul Mitchell's global brand ambassador. "Through Paul Mitchell, my message is being told in the right way," Chasinghorse tells BAZAAR.com. "[Also, having the opportunity] to showcase Indigenous hair care and beauty in a different way, especially [is important] because it's a big part of our culture. I am very thankful and very lucky." The star has continually showcased her Hän Gwich'in and Oglala Lakota heritage through her red carpet beauty looks, including with the addition of three feathers in her hair at last year's Met Gala.

For this year's glam, Chasinghorse's hair was styled by Paul Mitchell artistic director Paula Peralta, who accented it with two face-framing braids and an elegant placement of feathers. "One of the things I love about creating with Quannah is she’ll bring an inspo photo, say finger waves, and ask, 'How can we do this with braids?,'" Peralta says. "Having her hair braided is so natural for her and it’s what she loves, so we try to always incorporate it into a look." Chasinghorse agrees, adding that the style not only pays homage to her culture, but bears in mind one of the over-arching themes of Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. "I feel that Karl Lagerfeld was really good at bringing people in and showing the beauty within them," she says. "I think it is beautiful to see that throughout his legacy, he has been able to uplift people and where they come from."

For more details on their collaborative creation process ahead of Chasinghorse's 2023 Met Gala debut, we caught up with Peralta for a breakdown of the red carpet-worthy look.

More From Harper's BAZAAR

 

Get Quannah Chasinghorse's 2023 Met Gala Hair Look

Quannah Chasinghorse models a pearlescent, feathered hair pin ahead of the 2023 Met Gala.

• Prep hair with a strong foundation to maintain style use blow drying with Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam to clean, damp hair.
• Create a deep side side part and blow-dry using Paul Mitchell ProTools Express Ion+ Hair Dryer and Paul Mitchell ProTools 427 Paddle Brush
• Create braid along the hairline by adding hair from the left side only and over-directing hair toward the face with no elevation.
• Create a second braid behind the first one, over-directing forward and adding from the left side only.
• On the other side of the parting, create a braid parallel to the parting, using the same technique, adding from only one side.
• Apply Paul Mitchell Hot Off the Press to all of the hair.
• Starting at the nape, wave all of the hair using the Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Express Ion Wave Press
• Spray Extra Body Finishing Spray to all of the hair and let it cool completely for hold and humidity resistance.
• Emulsify a small amount of Paul Mitchell Gloss Drops to hands and run through waves, creating a soft, airy texture.

What were some of the ideas you and Quannah discussed when ideating her hair look for the 2023 Met Gala?

As this is her third Met Gala, we definitely wanted to do something she hadn’t before. In our initial conversations, I started with basic questions—hair up or down? Braids or no braids? Smooth or texture?—and built the look from there. I had boards of ponytails, braids, silky straight, waves and everything in between. We sat down together and worked our way through all of it until we got to a look we were both excited about.

Chasinghorse sits in the glam chair as Peralta blow-dries her hair.

In what ways does it reflect her personal style?

Quannah is her culture and her personal style always reflects that. She loves her hair down and most days incorporates some sort of braid, so the real goal with her Met Gala look was how do we elevate that.

How are braids and feather accents incorporated into her hair look this year?

We looked at different ways to incorporate feathers into the look. Her feather moment at her first Met Gala was so iconic, so we looked at how we could incorporate feathers in a fun, funky and different way.

How does this hair style differentiate from other Met Gala or red carpet looks Quannah has worn in the past?

One of the major differences you’ll see with Quannah this year is that we are incorporating texture. Her silky smooth hair is glorious and we definitely looked at how to change it up this year. We opted for soft waves that are airy and undone.

Could you briefly describe some of the key products and tools used to create Quannah’s final look?

Quannah’s hair is very fine and so I made sure to lay a strong foundation so her hair would have some memory and maintain the style. I blow dried in Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam to polish and minimize flyaways, using ProTools Express Ion+ Hair Dryer and Extra Body Finishing Spray for hold and humidity resistance.

How does her hair complement her makeup and outfit choices for the occasion?

One of the things that was really important was to make sure that the hair wasn’t competing with any other part of her look. From the beautiful full skirt of her dress to the intricate beadwork and colorful eye makeup, we constantly looked at how we could push it a bit but not cross the line.

Chasinghorse wears Prabal Gurung to this year’s event.

Were there any current trends that helped inform this year’s final Met Gala hair decision? Why or why not?

Quannah is not at all a trend follower, so we looked at what would be fun, honor her heritage and of course, celebrate this year’s theme. The airy waves played beautifully with the tulle in her skirt and the pearls in her hair were inspired by the delicate beadwork of the dress. All of it came together for a look that is truly Quannah.

Kelsey Asbille Chow, Quinta Brunson, Quannah Chasinghorse, Taika Waititi, Rita Ora, Prabal Gurung, and Alia Bhatt at The Carlyle Hotel in New York City before the 2023 Met Gala.

Tiffany Dodson

Associate Beauty Commerce Editor

Tiffany Dodson is currently the associate beauty commerce editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and crafting shopping stories—from holiday gift guides to product road tests. Tiffany's work has previously been featured in outlets like SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she's been quoted as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms like The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.