May 23, 2025, 9:45 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Anyone who rubbed their eyes in surprise at this year’s Cannes Film Festival opening wasn’t alone. Model and actress Cara Delevingne bid farewell to her signature look—the famous “dirty blonde” mane. Instead of beach waves and a middle part, she sported a black shag, blunt micro bangs, and an attitude straight out of a ’90s grunge video.
While other stars walked the red carpet in long trains and flowing gowns, Cara made an appearance in Cannes that screamed more rock concert than haute couture—in the best sense. The new Cara Delevingne hairstyle: jet-black shoulder-length hair, jagged ends, an ultra-short fringe, with a texture between beach waves and “I just danced through a summer rain.”
Overview
A Look That Catches More Than the Eye
The styling also followed the new vibe. Cara chose a vampy red ball gown with a slim top and a wide skirt—no patterns, no tulle explosion, no big drama. The real star of the evening: clearly Cara Delevingne’s new hairstyle. Combined with smokey eyes, black-accented eyebrows, and nude lips, the entire look was like a modern homage to the darker sides of glamour.
Goodbye Beach Blonde—Why Cara DelevingneIs Switching to the Dark Side with her Hairstyle
As recently as early May, Cara appeared at the premiere of “Ocean with David Attenborough” in London with her usual slightly wavy blonde mane. The transformation to a raven-black shag hairstyle was not only sudden but downright shocking—in the best way, of course. Whether the new look is a wig or real coloration remains unclear. What is certain: The Cara Delevingne hairstyle is anything but tame.
How to Style a Shag Hairstyle à la Cara Delevingne
The shag is a unisex hairstyle that works best with oval and heart-shaped faces. Women who want to wear this hairstyle ideally have wavy hair. But straight hair and curls can also be transformed into a shag. Thick hair should be thinned out and cut in layers, while thin hair gets a significant volume upgrade from the cut.
How to Best Style the Shag Cut
Clearly: undone. The shag is the hairstyle of laid-back rock stars; a lot of elaborate styling would be out of place. The cut is accordingly forgiving and can be styled with just a few steps. Those with natural waves can simply let their hair air dry after washing. For a bit of extra volume, work a salt spray into the lengths and let them dry or blow dry gently. Don’t forget the heat protection!
Curly Hair
Those with curls should ensure the ends are well-thinned so that all the volume doesn’t gather there. To keep the hair looking even, have plenty of layers and different lengths cut.
Straight Hair
For straight hair, it’s important not to have too many layers cut. Due to the lack of movement in the hair, the layers can otherwise quickly look awkward. It’s better to opt for fewer layers and focus on jagged ends. This gives the hair more volume.
Short Hair
The shaggy cut also works for short hair. Here, focus on many layers and jagged ends. It’s best to layer from front to back. Let short strands hang slightly in the face to frame it nicely.
Long, Wavy Hair
If you’re not ready for a bob or short hair, try the shaggy cut with long hair. Long hair can handle a few more layers to take the weight out of the lengths. A jagged fringe will additionally draw focus to the face.
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Cara Delevingne—One Woman, Many Hairstyles
Cara Delevingne is known for making statements with her hairstyle—sometimes rebellious, sometimes minimalist, always bold. Remember her platinum blonde pixie cut? Or the shaved head? Even a mohawk-mullet was in the mix. So anyone who thinks this transformation is a radical one-off doesn’t know Cara well. For her, the hairstyle is like a whim of her artistic self—sometimes sensual, sometimes punk, often both at once. Whether the “Jet-Black Shag” will become the new hairstyle trend of 2025 remains to be seen.