While Bella Hadid skipped out on the 2025 Met Gala, all eyes have been primed to see her step out on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Famously, it’s where the model dresses and beautifies herself to her best: Think a sculptural bun to go with her gilded Schiaparelli chest adornment; a swooping fringe and a thigh-high slit Roberto Cavalli gown; a ruby lip to match her sheer red Dior gown.

But surprise! Her arrival at the Hôtel Martinez brings a hair transformation. Wearing a white corset top with white bootcut trousers, vintage Saint Laurent pointy-toe heart heels, and a contemporary Saint Laurent Manhattan bag, Hadid showed off her now-honey blonde updo as she strolled into the hotel.

Bella Hadid at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes.

Arnold Jerocki

While we’ve come to know Hadid as a knockout brunette with chocolatey tones, the model is a natural blonde—like her sister, queen of the flipped bob, Gigi. “I just have a darker personality,” she told Allure back in 2016. “And my sister being blonde and me being brunette, it’s a good separation.”

Even then, though, she wasn’t afraid of going au naturel. “I put a blonde wig on and think it would be fun to go back, but I’m happy with my hair. Blondes are so angelic,” she said. “My sister can get away with anything.” Over the years, she’s dipped in and out of the blonde tones—in 2019, she went for a natural dirty blonde with wavy textures. In 2022, she sought out hairstylist Jessica Gillin and colorist Jenna Perry for a brief time with some waist-length and pale “Aspen Blonde” hair. And in 2023, she showed off a beige blonde hairdo, with beachy texture with wispy bangs.

And while naked dressing is off the table for anyone walking the red carpet this year, here’s to more delightful beauty looks from Bella Hadid across the week of Cannes!