Before and After: the Exact Technique Behind Alysa Liu's Met Gala 'No-Haircut' Hime Look
By Robert Thorne
Met Gala beauty trends usually push stars toward extremes: platinum bleached roots, custom dyed buzzcuts, or hour-long live scissor appointments. Liu, fresh off a celebrated competitive figure skating campaign, chose a smarter route. The hime cut hair style, characterized by a straight blunt fringe cut, rigid sidelocks falling near the cheekbones, and long flowing hair down the back, demands strict commitment when executed in a salon chair. Growing out those disconnects takes anywhere from 14 to 18 months.
Liu’s appearance proved that dramatic aesthetic pivots need not be permanent. Her glam squad matched the dark gloss of her natural locks to bespoke synthetic and human-hair blends, anchoring the Japanese princess haircut directly into an evening gown aesthetic that merged classical East Asian royal traditions with avant-garde evening wear. The response across social feeds was immediate. Searches for "faux hime cut tutorial" jumped over 340% in the 24 hours following her carpet appearance, with stylists breaking down every pin placement on TikTok and Instagram reels.
Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.
