Michelle Yeoh’s UK Wicked Hairstyle Is A Nod To Audrey Hepburn

The entire Wicked cast has stayed loyal to method dressing throughout this month’s whirlwind global press tour, including Michelle Yeoh. The Oscar-winning actor, who plays Shiz's Dean of Sorcery Studies Madame Morrible in the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, has stuck to the sartorial color scheme of black and emerald for every red carpet even thus far. But she took her dedication to the theme one step further at last week’s Los Angeles premiere where she channeled her character’s icy blonde hair with a platinum bob styled in Old Hollywood Waves. And Yeoh just upped the ante again with the twisted updo she wore to the tour’s London stop.

For the UK premiere, the actor turned to another classic film character for beauty inspiration: Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffanys. Yeoh’s hairstylist Robert Vetica conjured up a modern take on the elegant updo to complement the actor’s chic leather and silk custom Bottega Veneta gown. “When I saw her dress, I knew I wanted to create something classic with a modern twist,” Vetica tells TZR exclusively. “So from the front it is clean and sophisticated and when she turns, the profile of the updo has a structural shape, giving it an edge that says ‘cool and modern.’”

Before reaching for any hot tools and hair products, Yeoh’s styling session started with a treatment. Vetica shares he used the Laduora DUO 4-in-1, a device that utilizes LED therapy, microcurrent stimulation, scalp massage, and heat therapy to help promote healthy hair growth. “It's great for a red carpet event as the massage element is relaxing and stimulating,” Vetica shares. “I used it on Michelle starting at the crown of her head, working into the scalp, then working through the lengths like a brush.” He also added in one of the device’s Boost Duo Pods, which is a serum-like proprietary complex of vitamin B3, caffeine, peptides, blue tansy, and green tea leaf extract to help boost cell renewal for longer, thicker strands. The definition of multitasking. For an in-depth look at the device in action, check out the video Vetica shared on his Instagram Story, below.

Once Yeoh’s hair (and scalp) was prepped, Vetica got to work on the updo. Armed with flexible hold hairspray, bobby pins, elastics, and hair pins, he “pulled the sides back into a very tight ponytail at the crown, then I did three ponytails down the back of her head to form the base of the updo. The first ponytail was twisted and turned to what would become the base of the volume for the finished look. Once the ponytails in the back of the head were finished and clean, I then took the very top piece back, combed it, sprayed it with hairspray, and created the shape as you see in the photo.”

Makeup artist Soo Park further added to the edgy-chic vibe of Yeoh’s look by giving the actor a soft brown smoky eye with matching winged liner using shades from Tom Ford Beauty’s Eye Color Quad Crème Eyeshadow Palette in Velours Kaki.

So if you’re in the market for holiday hair inspiration ahead of the season’s fêtes, look no further than Yeoh’s modern updo.

Shop The Products Used For Michelle’s Look