Nicole Kidman arrived at the Met Gala on May 5, 2025, with a dramatically short, two-tone blonde-and-brunette cut, a tapered back and a side-swept front. Coverage variously called it a cropped bob or a cut between a pixie and a bob; the visible shape is clearer than any single haircut label.
What Nicole Kidman’s Met Gala hairstyle looked like
At the 2025 Met Gala, Kidman wore a very short style with contrasting blonde and brunette tones. Glamour described a cut longer than a pixie but not quite a bob, tapering toward the nape. Vogue called it a cropped side-part bob, while ABC described a cropped back and a sideswept bang. Those descriptions point to a short, tapered silhouette with a longer, swept front—not a settled technical category of “mullet.”
The title’s mullet framing captures the striking short-back, longer-front impression, but the cited coverage does not establish that label as a consensus description. “Two-tone short cut” is the more precise description of what appeared on the red carpet.
Did Nicole Kidman cut or dye her own hair?
The available coverage does not conclusively establish whether Kidman’s natural hair was cut or colored for the event, or whether the look involved a hairpiece. It is safe to describe the transformation she debuted, but not to claim that the change was permanent or that she wore a wig.
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Who styled Kidman’s hair, and what was the inspiration?
Glamour credits hairstylist Adir Abergel with the look. Vogue Netherlands published an English translation of his Instagram statement describing the inspiration as “a tailored short haircut that would bring out the essence of dandyism in Nicole Kidman.” Abergel’s stated aims included individuality, elegance and confidence.
The hair was part of a wider interpretation of the 2025 Met Gala’s “Tailored for You” dress code, which accompanied the Costume Institute exhibition “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Kidman and her stylist Jason Bolden drew inspiration from female dandies, including Eartha Kitt. Kidman told Vogue, “Tonight is an honor to them!”
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How the hair was reportedly styled
Glamour’s account of the professional routine credits Abergel with using Virtue products, Denman brushes and a Kristin Ess blow dryer and curling iron. The reported steps included using a Denman vent brush to build volume around the bang and a 1-inch Kristin Ess curling iron to give the front sections a soft bend. The article also names Virtue Damage Reverse Serum, Volumizing Primer, Un-frizz Cream and Healing Oil.
This is a published account of Kidman’s event styling, not an independent product test or a guarantee that the same tools will reproduce her finish.
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How the hairstyle fit the rest of the look
Vogue reported that Kidman’s gown re-created a 1952 Cristóbal Balenciaga design in silk organza, using tailoring techniques. The house’s couture ateliers spent a reported 700 hours on the dress. The archival reference and Kidman and Bolden’s dandy inspirations connected the outfit to the event’s focus on tailoring and Black style.
Kidman described the gown’s appeal to Vogue this way: “When Demna sent me this sketch, I was inspired by the way he was able to take such a beautiful piece from the house’s past and modernize it in a way that felt so uniquely me.”
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Sources
- Vogue: Nicole Kidman and Jason Bolden on her 2025 Met Gala look
- Glamour: Kidman’s short hair and reported styling routine
- Vogue Netherlands: translated statement from Adir Abergel
- ABC: 2025 Met Gala red-carpet coverage and exhibition context
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