Keke Palmer's hair was so Little Mermaid-coded at Vanity Fair and Instagram’s Vanities Party on Feb. 26. After showing up to the 2025 SAG Awards with a bouncy bob haircut less than a week ago, the One of Them Days leading lady pulled a quick change at the star-studded shindig meant to honor young Hollywood talent.
Her slinky gold vintage Dior gown with a thigh-high slit, styled by Molly Dickson, paired perfectly with her equally metallic copper mane. Like a true siren of the silver screen, her long russet locks fell halfway down her back and stopped just short of her waist. Her hair was given a glamorous side-part for the occasion and styled in sultry waves with plenty of volume at the roots.
The copper hair trend started to crop up in 2022 with celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Sophie Turner, and Madonna leading the charge. In 2023, several more—including Kristen Stewart, Dua Lipa, and Emily Ratajkowski—followed suit. In 2024, the trend became more subdued and wearable as colorists added a warm brown base beneath rich shades of auburn to create a cinnamon-spiked hue called "cowboy copper." Naturally, the Western-inspired look paired quite nicely with the never-ending cowboy boot trend.
Keke Palmer initially debuted her glorious auburn dye job in January during an appearance on Good Morning America, where she matched her new hair color to a bronze Dolce & Gabbana sheath dress. Hairstylist Kira Dora helped her achieve the ginger transformation and she's been rocking it ever since.
Prior to becoming a redhead, though, the best-selling author dabbled in last year's viral honey blonde hair trend—a look also embraced by the likes of Rihanna and Zendaya around the same time. Still, it's hard to imagine a more flattering hue for the hilarious podcast host than the reddish-brown she's currently sporting.
