Emma Chamberlain’s Met Gala Updo Featured Hidden Lace Details

They say Super Bowl Monday is the day most people in America call in sick to work, but I’m wondering who makes up the sample size there. Because… what about the Tuesday after the first Monday in May? There is nothing I want to do more this morning than lounge around with a cup of coffee and scroll the best dressed lists from the 2024 Met Gala.

While the event is all about fashion, the beauty looks are also something to behold; hair, makeup, and nail artists work their absolute hardest to ensure their clients communicate their vision—and the night’s theme—effectively. Take Emma Chamberlain, for example. Working as a presenter for the evening, she wore a “decaying” brown lace Jean Paul Gaultier gown, elements of which were woven into her eyeshadow, updo, and even a custom mic.

Chamberlain worked with stylist Sami Knight for her hair, which was styled into a middle-parted, slicked-back, and elegantly twisted bun using Emi Jay tools and products. Ahead, Knight unpacks the look for us—and offers some insight into how it came to be.

The Inspiration

The vision for Chamberlain’s hair really came from her gown, which was made from dyed Chantilly lace and, according to Vogue, took four seamstresses about 600 hours to assemble.

“We incorporated elements from the lace actually onto her hair which was really cool,” Knight tells Byrdie. “It’s lovely when the whole look becomes so inspiring.”

Because the YouTube star was playing host for the evening, a different approach had to be taken than what you might see on an average red carpet night.

“We made sure all the appliqué was tailored to the right side, as we knew the camera would be there,” adds Knight. “Also, we don’t ever want any flyways, or moving pieces of hair, so we used the Emi Jay Angelstick ($38) to make sure everything was smoothed, defrizzed, and tucked away. Nothing to distract from the awesome interviews!”

How to Get the Look

If you’re looking to craft a similar hairstyle, Knight’s best advice is to be brave. “You might think glueing pieces of lace to your hair sounds dramatic, but actually, done the right way, it can be tasteful and really beautiful,” she says.

When it comes to practical, buyable advice, products from Emi Jay were chosen to create Chamberlain’s look, the hero being the pretty-in-pink Angelstick wax stick. “It’s so convenient and non-greasy—it really just pulls everything together without flyaways, or loose tendrils flapping, but without the hair being weighed down,” Knight says.

To start, the artist used Angelstick at the hairline to give the hair a little grip and ensure all the hair was laying in the right direction. The next step was forming that killer bun.

“I pulled the back of her hair up into a ponytail bun with my Emi Jay Mini Boar Bristle Brush ($42), securing with an elastic, then pulled the hair from either side in the front to the back to join it, leaving a center part and a couple of wisps out to frame her face,” explains Knight. “I then split the pony into three even sections and secured each section into one bun with a tiny elastic.”

Next came the lace, the addition of which was made possibly by Knight’s trusty Emi Jay Popstar Clips ($26) which held the fabric firmly in place as the glue dried, leaving no crease behind.

And the finishing touch? Just a bit of curl.

“I actually curled the ends of Emma’s hair that were sticking out from the bun because I wanted a little more softness to the look,” notes Knight. “I then finished with a bit more Emi Jay Angelstick, just to give a little extra shine! Magic!”