Before and After: the Exact Technique Behind Alysa Liu's Met Gala 'No-Haircut' Hime Look
By Robert Thorne
The hime cut is not a modern internet novelty. Originating during Japan’s Heian period (794, 1185 CE), noblewomen grew their hair long and marked their coming-of-age at age sixteen with the Binsogi ceremony, where front sections were sheared blunt around the ears. For centuries, the style signaled royal lineage, aristocratic status, and rigorous discipline.
Over the past four decades, Japanese pop culture and subcultures, from Shibuya gothic lolita fashion to iconic anime characters, cemented the haircut as a symbol of sharp, counter-cultural elegance. In recent seasons, luxury fashion houses and high-profile figures like Alysa Liu have repositioned the silhouette into global editorial mainstreams. Its appeal lies in deliberate contrast. In a beauty landscape saturated with loose beach waves and soft butterfly cuts, the stark, intentional angles of a hime cut demand attention.
Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.
