What hair comes to mind when you think of actor Zoey Deutch? Perhaps it’s the vivid blonde money pieces she in association with the Not Okay film, her shaved head in Netflix’s The Politician, or long dark waves with bangs—very French girl—she most recently debuted on Instagram.
As of this morning, all of those looks are thing of the past. The actor has revealed her new bleach blonde pixie, courtesy of colorist Tracey Cunningham and stylist Bridget Brager, exclusively to Vogue.
“The hair is pretty non-negotiable for playing Jean Seberg in my opinion,” Deutch tells Vogue of what inspired the chop. The actor confirmed she will be portraying American actor and French New Wave icon Seberg in a yet-to-be-named Richard Linklater film. Obviously, there was only one person on the mood board, too: “Jean Seberg! Of course.”
The process of going from Frenchy bangs-and-waves to New Wave pixie all happened within a few hours thanks to the magic hands of Cunningham and Brager.
“Jean epitomized modernity for the women of her time and her cut and color really reflected this,” Cunningham shares of inspiration. “Most of the photos we could find of her were in black and white, so we settled on a soft, golden blonde color that’s both beautiful on Zoey and really captures Jean’s essence.” (For anybody feeling inspired, it’s Redken Shades EQ 09N + half 09NB, followed by an all-over gloss in 010N.)
Anybody who has ever impulsively chopped off all their hair (or maybe, had a trim that was heartier than expected) knows that a hair transformation can feel shocking. “Prep is hugely important when it comes to a big change, especially a cut this short,” says Brager, who has worked with Deutch for eight years. The hairstylist cites a healthy scalp as key for such a major change (she had Deutch using this Moisture+ Regimen), but also having “clear expectations is key.” I guess when only one person is on the inspiration board, you really know what you’re getting yourself into.
While Deutch has been blonde (a few) times in the past, she shares “I like being blonde so much more with this cut. I was surprised how unattached I felt to my hair. It’s freeing and fun.”