Bella Hadid may not be an actress, but she has become a staple on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. For the past decade, the supermodel has impressed with glamorous outfits, often paired with her signature long, dark hair styled in elegant updos.
However, this year brings a dramatic change. Hadid was recently spotted around the French Riviera with the lightest shade of blonde she’s worn in years—marking a striking departure from her usual brunette look.
On Monday, May 12, just before the festival began, Hadid shared glimpses of her Cannes visit on Instagram Stories. She posted the view from her hotel room, her breakfast, and shots of her glam team—but notably left out photos of herself. Despite her low profile online, photographers were quick to capture her appearance.
Hadid was seen outside Hotel Martinez, smiling and waving to fans while dressed in an all-white outfit featuring jeans and a corset top. Her new blonde hair matched the fresh feel of her look. Styled in a relaxed yet refined twist with long, side-parted bangs, her hair appeared in a sandy honey shade. Even her eyebrows had been lightened to a softer taupe tone, suggesting a full commitment to the change.
According to celebrity colorist Jacob Schwartz, the timing was ideal. “Bella attends Cannes every year, so it was the perfect moment to do something major,” he said. Schwartz explained that Hadid is a natural blonde, and childhood photos helped guide the transformation. “We used those images and her skin tone to land on this luxurious honey hue,” he added.
The color process took two days and involved intensive treatments, including Olaplex No.0 and No.2, to keep her hair healthy. “There was no breakage after coloring. Her hair looked incredibly healthy, which made styling for the red carpet easy,” Schwartz noted.
Hadid has embraced blonde before—she wore a bombshell shade in 2019 and a golden tone in 2022 that resembled her childhood hair. She’s also worn blonde wigs for photo shoots. While this isn’t her first time going blonde, fans are eager to see how she’ll style the new look for this year’s red carpet appearances.
