Zendaya’s “Mischevious Pixie Cut” Will Be Everywhere This Fall

Two of the people I’ve seen on my screen(s) most this year: Zendaya and TikTok’s Angelo David. The first is one of the most famous and talented actresses of our generation. The other is a great follow whose parents filmed a lot of his childhood. Both can, in one way or another, be described as “impish.”

For Angelo, the adjective has to do with his childhood personality. And for Zendaya? Her perfect new pixie cut, of course.

On Monday, September 14, the 30-year-old hit the red carpet at the 2026 Emmy Awards in a plunging, crystal custom Prada gown and brand-new hair length. Ahead, celebrity hairstylist Coree Moreno explains exactly how the style came to be.

Zendaya’s 2026 Emmy Awards Pixie

Following an Odyssey press tour full of extra-long goddess waves, Zendaya’s last couple appearance have been all about taking the short cut. Over the weekend, she debuted her pixie via a cute vintage curled style at a Prada event. Its award show debut came soon after, when she stepped onto the red carpet with the short, shiny locks tousled to the extreme.

“I wanted the hair to feel almost mischievous—like every little piece had decided where it wanted to live,” Moreno tells Byrdie.

A true pixie, the cut barely tickles the nape of her neck and ends right around her ear. It’s very Halle Berry, and even shorter than Julia Roberts wore hers as Tinkerbell in Hook.

The Inspiration

According to a press release, the sculpted style was inspired by the balance between refinement and rebellion.

“Moreno created a sleek silhouette around the perimeter with airy texture and controlled height through the crown,” shared the brand Arachne, whose tools the artist used to get the look. “The result is polished yet intentionally imperfect, giving the classic pixie a modern edge.”

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How to Get the Look

Moreno kicked things off by setting the style’s foundation with Schwarzkopf’s Keratîme Deep Repair Detangling Treatment and Arachne Hair Tools, which he used “to encourage movement and build that beautifully undone texture into the hair.” The Keratîme Hair Bonding Oil, göt2b glued 2-in-1 Spray Wax, göt2b glued Blasting Freeze Spray all also came in handy to add some shine, introduce grip, and lock the style in place respectively.

After prepping the hair, the artist began blow-drying with the Arachne Mini ShineBoost Gloss-Infusion Daily Boar Hairbrush. He loves the mini brush for short hair because it offers greater control and precision—especially around the sides, nape, and hairline.

“Then, with the new GHD Sculpt Interactive Hair Straightener, I could bend, flick, and coax individual pieces into these tiny moments of movement without losing their softness,” he explains. “There’s something really beautiful about a pixie that isn’t too precious. It should feel touched, lived in, and perfectly imperfect”