Forget
Madonna never fails to turn the Met Gala into her own personal runway, and the 2026 version was no exception. The Material Girl, who is gearing up for the release of her much-anticipated album Confessions II, had a surprise in store this year: brunette hair!
Though Madge is a natural brunette, she's been (mostly) blonde for the majority of her career. For the Met, however, she changed things up in a big way, and while she may be revisiting the Confessions on a Dance Floor era musically, this aesthetic was much more Ray of Light coded.
It all centered around the couture wig crafted by artisan wig maker Merria Dearman. “The look was rooted in an obscure feminist artist. It was surreal, textural, and emotionally driven rather than literal,” Dearman explained in a statement. “From the beginning, it was never about perfection. It was about feeling.” According to Dearman, Madonna saw a wig she'd created on set and said she wanted—no, needed—one. The wig was built with traditional wig-making techniques, and Dearman describes the direction as “instinctive but precise” and “long, full, and rich in texture.” Though it looked black on the carpet, especially with the top hat and ship headpiece and long veil, it was actually a deep brown, “with ends that softened and diffused like hair that has grown untouched for years."
Madonna's hair was styled by Eugene Souleiman in waves with lots of texture and movement, reminding us of her long, dark hair in the “Frozen” music video; Dearman describes the final look as “abstract, almost otherworldly” and said the look was inspired by an “obscure feminist artist.” Will the brunette stick around? Probably not, but we're loving this quick foray into the dark side!
Check out more major beauty moments from this year's Met Gala:
Now, revisit last year's red carpet:
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5 of May 2026
