Ayo Edebiri Is a Literal Goddess With Her Long, Messy Braid at the 2026 Met Gala
So ethereal.
I can't think of a single time when Ayo Edebiri attended a red carpet event and didn't understand the assignment with her glam. Case in point, she attended the 2026 Met Gala (the theme of which is "Fashion Is Art") for the third year in a row and I audibly gasped at the sight of her chic, messy braid.
The After the Hunt star showed up tonight looking extra ethereal in a sheer, white Chanel dress that was draped over one shoulder and featured a wraparound design. She had two feathers attached to both of her shoulders and a thigh-high leg slit on the dress's left side, but her ensemble isn't the only part of her look that was giving goddess energy. Over the last several months, Edebiri has mostly been spotted out wearing her hair in different variations of the blunt bob, but for tonight, she swapped out her short hair for a little more length, courtesy of hairstylist Jacob Dillon, who styled her for the occasion using a few hair products from Dae. She wore honey brown curls that were slightly lightened at the ends, and they were pulled back into a long, messy braid with a few loose pieces left out to frame both sides of her face.
Ayo Edebiri attends the 2026 Met Gala in New York City.
In an interview, Dillon told Marie Claire that he wanted to create a look that felt "beautiful but not overly 'done.'" "We were going for something soft, romantic, and slightly undone," he said. "There’s a timelessness to a braid, but I wanted to reinterpret it in a way that felt modern and effortless."
He went on to say that he settled on the messy braided look to give the hair a dreamy, romantic vibe. "The inspiration came from that idea of quiet elegance— almost like a lived-in, romantic texture you’d see in old portraits or film, but translated in a way that feels current," he said. "We felt it captured a certain mood that was soft, had movement, as well as a bit of ease."
Ayo Edebiri wears a messy braid at the 2026 Met Gala.
The rest of Edebiri's glam also deserves a bit of commotion. She wore soft makeup complete with dewy foundation, brown eyeshadow, lengthening mascara, and a hint of color on her lips and cheeks. To seal it all together, the actress wore a short, milky white manicure that appeared to have a hint of shimmer to really add to the daintiness of the whole look.
To create a similar braided look at home, shop a few of the products Dillon used on Edebiri ahead.
