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Still revelling in the fairytale that was Saturday’s Royal Wedding, Meghan Markle’s hair remains a talking point. Whilst Markle may not boast the lengthy locks of Rapunzel, she most certainly was a kind of modern day Rapunzel – wearing her hair the way we think the Princess would IRL today; a messy up ‘do.
Choosing a kind of loose chignon for the ceremony, it was a far cry from the overly polished Princess hair of the past, in fact, hair was soft, wispy, almost messy. Messy, as it were, was the desired effect according to her hairstylist, Serge Normant. “A messy bun… messy in a controlled way,” he told the Press Association. That tuff of hair which escaped the loosely-pulled chignon in the warm Windsor breeze was – despite the digital ruckus – intentional. And whilst the stray strands caused a social media stir – and the subsequent offering of a #bobbypin to the newly appointed Duchess – they resonated with Markle and her approach to beauty; undone, carefree and liberal.
At the reception, Markle let her hair down (almost). Whilst hair remained pined and coiled at the nape of her neck, four tendrils were pulled out from behind her ears and curled outwards by hairstylist George Northwood.
Falling softly around her face, the romantic look was completed with Filigree tiara – on loan from the Queen – for the official wedding photos.
Referencing olden day icons like Audrey Hepburn, Normant took the classic style and refreshed it for the modern woman, careful not to wholly reinvent a hairstyle or time period. “For me, I always think of icons I love, like Audrey Hepburn, all those styles that I still look at a picture of today and still love. I always have little ‘60s inspirations in my head but I didn’t want to do anything set in a time frame. I didn’t want too much volume. I wanted something very loose and easy which is why we chose a very loose bun.” But, “it wasn’t about reinvention.”
In the narrative of wedding day beauty (read: hours spent getting ready), the hairstyle was comparatively done in a flash. “45 minutes to an hour,” to be exact. “We had to blow dry it from wet, I would say 45 minutes to an hour. Then they did the make-up and then you fiddle around with it a little bit. But not that long,” Normant noted.
And the key to keeping it classy yet undone? Not much product. “I don’t overload the hair with products in general, and certainly not on this day,” he said.
Modern, elegant hair fit for a Queen. Or Duchess.
