Yara Shahidi Wears an Inventive Double Side Part at Prada
Why choose sides?
With the middle part versus side part debate so very contentious, it can be hard to decide where to separate your hair. Now, imagine you have to make that decision for an event where you'll be photographed from all angles.
Yara Shahidi isn't bothered. In fact, her solution to the problem is downright genius. On Thursday, February 22, the 24-year-old appeared in Milan to attend Prada's Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show. Wearing her dark hair in a slicked back bun, she chose to insert not one, but two parts into her updo: one on each side of her head.
A post shared by Vincent Oquendo
A photo posted by makeupvincent on
The hairstyle was the creation of hair educator and designer Mitchell Cantrell, who joined forces with makeup artist Vincent Oquendo and creative director Jason Bolden for the evening's glam.
The two parts formed a sort of arrow that pointed straight to the Grown-Ish star's face, highlighting Oquendo's smoky, metallic eye. (Not that it needed the hair's help—Shahidi's major '60s lashes did the trick all on their own.) Bolden, for his part, styled the Harvard grad in an eyelet-pierced white button up shirt overlaid with a silver-y beaded black top and high-waisted black shorts.
A post shared by Mitchell Cantrell
A photo posted by mitchellcantrellbeauty on
In a video posted by Cantrell, you can see the full extent of her top's embroidery—and, most importantly, the back of Shahidi's updo. Completely slicked back (there are no signs of the wonders up front from this angle), her bun is fastened with a gold Lelet New York domed hair piece that echoes the metallic details in her Prada outfit and eyeshadow.
The celebrity hairstylist tells Marie Claire that the look was inspired by the Gianfranco Ferré prêt-à-porter show from Spring/Summer 2013. For the event, every model wore their hair with the same double-parted style—albeit choosing slick ponytails instead of Shahidi's elegant bun.
The first step in creating the look? "Create a precision part on top of the head," shares Cantrell. "Extra tip: use the start of the right brow for the left part, and the left brow for the right part."
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Once you have your parts, section off the hair between them, as well as the hair to the left and right. The next step (number three, if you're counting) introduces some products, so be sure to have your shopping cart ready.
“Starting in the back, you’re going to wet down the hair and apply a leave-in conditioner," adds Cantrell. “Then, apply a gel cream.”
Next, "Brush the products through the middle section of your hair with a wide-toothed brush (no boar bristles!). You’ll repeat the process with the same section from the nape of the neck to the top of the back of the head," the artist continues. "Then, brush all the hair back together and put it in a ponytail, adding edge control to the hairline. Repeat step three’s product process on all sides, brushing through and adding the sections to the back ponytail.”
Once that’s complete, Cantrell suggest grabbing a fine toothed tail comb and combing all sections into the ponytail individually, gathering flyaways as you go. Then, you’ll add a layer of edge control over the top of the entire ponytail before taking the ponytail and creating a bun, leaving the ends facing upward toward the ceiling. The final step: Adding your dome pony cuff and pins to secure the bun, polishing off any last details.
"Behind every powerful woman is her glam team. I’m honored to be apart of yours @yarashahidi," wrote the hairstylist in his post's caption.
Honestly, the honor is all her followers'—to witness this hairstyle and be reminded that we don't always have to pick sides. If you're lucky enough to look good with hair parted any (and every) which way, flaunt it.
Sophia Vilensky is a Freelance Beauty Writer at Marie Claire with a beauty, wellness, and entertainment journalism portfolio that includes contributions to Byrdie, Bravo, Teen Vogue, and Us Weekly. Growing up in a family of beauticians—and through her own personal studies—she developed an in-depth understanding of aesthetics, cosmetic product formulation, and beauty treatment development and has also held roles as a senior copywriter, content strategist, and proofreader for top beauty and wellness brands. Even so, you'd be hard pressed to find her with her hair and makeup actually done. Sophia is based in Minneapolis and is a 2019 graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she majored in English and minored in cinema studies. During her time at the university, she was the Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Minnesota Daily, earning the 2019 Editor of the Year award for her work. She connected deeply with the Twin Cities arts scene, collaborating with leading beauty professionals, designers, and artists. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, her thesis—a close-reading of Vanderpump Rules—was featured on NPR. When not immersed in writing or testing new products, Sophia enjoys watching reality TV, reading, and exploring the newest woo-woo wellness trends. Keep up with her on Instagram @sophiavilensky.
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