Zendaya surprised everyone with a striking transformation as she stepped onto the red carpet at the 2026 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
After recently wearing her hair in long, flowing waves, the actress completely changed her familiar look for the glamorous evening at the Peacock Theater. This time, Zendaya appeared with a short pixie cut that immediately became one of the most noticeable details of her appearance.
The dramatic hairstyle was paired with a shimmering gown, creating an elegant look that allowed her new haircut to take center stage.
But Zendaya’s transformation wasn’t simply an unexpected beauty experiment. Her stylist, Law Roach, revealed that there was a very specific inspiration behind it.
The pixie cut was created as a tribute to an earlier hairstyle famously worn by Halle Berry. Roach explained the connection on Instagram, sharing a photograph of the 60-year-old actress and describing her as “The original.”
Berry noticed the homage herself. She reposted Roach’s message to her Instagram Story and responded with a heart, appearing to give Zendaya’s transformation her seal of approval.
With one dramatic haircut, Zendaya managed to reference an iconic Hollywood beauty moment while giving the style her own modern red-carpet interpretation.
