Zendaya's Sleek Bixie Cut Is Straight Out of a Bridal Mood Board
Her 2026 Oscars glam was so perfect.
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If Zendaya's hair at her rumored wedding to Tom Holland was anything like the sleek bixie cut that she wore at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, then I'm for sure adding it to my future bridal mood board.
The actress skipped the red carpet on Sunday night but, as promised by her longtime stylist, Law Roach, she made a surprise appearance during the ceremony when she appeared on stage alongside Robert Pattinson to present One Battle After Another's Paul Thomas Anderson the Oscar for Best Director. In honor of her upcoming wedding film, The Drama (and maybe even her recent secret wedding), Zendaya's look was bridal chic, as she wore a chocolate, one-shoulder gown from Louis Vuitton along with plenty of diamond jewelry (including a diamond Rolex watch I'll be thinking about for a long, long time). Her bixie haircut looked the chicest of all though. After appearing at Paris Fashion Week and the Essence Women in Hollywood Awards with her short cut styled in its naturally curly state, Zendaya showed up at the 2026 Oscars wearing her hair blown straight with a feathery side bang courtesy of celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen.
"We’ve been wearing this cut in her natural texture but thought tonight was the perfect time for a more polished look," Stephen tells MC. "The goal was to achieve a sleek, controlled finish while still maintaining movement and softness throughout the style."
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Zendaya is photographed at the 98th Academy Awards.
Zendaya isn't the only celebrity to commit to short hair within the last few months. The bixie haircut is slowly becoming the style of choice among women in Hollywood, with everyone from Emma Stone to Lily Collins spending several months wearing it. For the uninitiated, it's simply just a cross between a bob and a pixie, and not only is it the perfect style for growing out a short pixie cut, it's also a convenient style for when you want to shed some length without going too short.
The bixie cut is shaping up to take over pretty much everyone's hair wishlist this spring, and if you're considering making the change, read ahead to check out a few basic styling tips.
If you're starting out with wet hair (particularly curly wet hair), detangle your hair pre-blow dry with a brush that's gentle on your curls and won't pull or cause breakage.
Of course, a reliable hair dryer is also needed to give yourself the perfect blowout. This one straightens curlier textures with zero frizz.
Allow your blown-out curls to keep their shape by holding them in place with rollers.
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Danielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness. Before that, she spent three years as an assistant beauty editor at PS, and in the years since, her work has appeared in titles like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Danielle graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, and has lived in Brooklyn for almost ten years. When she's not writing, you can find her reading romance novels and talking about sunscreen. You can find her on Instagram @danielleknecole.