Vanessa Hudgens' Braided Bun at the 2022 Met Gala Is Surprising Easy to Recreate

In the name of being extra and in honor of going big for the 2022 Met Gala, Vanessa Hudgens put a gothic spin on this year’s Gilded Glamour dress code. While her Renaissance-inspired Moschino gown might not be shoppable in stores, we do have some good news: her hairstyle is actually really easy to recreate. But don’t just take it from us—listen to hairstylist Danielle Priano, aka the mastermind behind Hudgens’ intricate updo. 

“Following the Gilded Gothic vibe of the dress, we felt that the hair should really be taking us back to the 1800’s,” Priano exclusively told Marie Claire. After going to the drawing board, Priano and Hudgens decided that a “tidy” braided bun was going to be the perfect compliment to the “witchy” and “gothic” look. “It was the right play, especially with the super long train and gorgeous back detail of the dress.” 

While the dense updo may look all kinds of confusing at first glance, it’s honestly just a bunch of standard, three-strand braids woven together. The look can totally be done with your natural hair, but Priano says that adding in clip-in extensions (she used the Hidden Crown Seamless Clip-Ins) works wonders for amping up density. 

If you are going to add in some extra inches, Priano advises clipping the wefts, which is the technical term for the base of the extensions, in the direction of the ponytail. Once that’s said and done, pull all of the hair into a slicked-back ponytail. The secret to getting it smooth? Layer on the SexyHair Not So Hard Up Medium Holding Gel. 

Next, section the hair into three pieces and braid each, respective section. Now comes the fun part: add a diamond strand (or, you know, normal hair tinsel) into each of the three braids. “Take all three braids and braid them together,” explains Priano. “[Then], brush the hairline back and wrap it around the ponytail. Last, but certainly not least, grab the entirety of the hair and twist it into a bun. 

“It’s misty out there today, so I glossed over the hair with a spray of Spray & Play Harder by SexyHair to ensure the hair holds all night,” Priano says of her finishing touch. For good measure, she also spritzed Hudgens' with the SexyHair Weatherproof Humidity Resistant Spray before sending her on her way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.