Actor and model Jodie Turner-Smith is a standout on whatever red carpet she happens to be gracing. From her fashion-forward sartorial choices to her bold beauty looks, she’s always giving you something epic to admire. So of course when the The Agency star showed up at the 2024 Fashion Awards in Lomdon, she created yet another wow-worthy moment — this time channeling a major music legend. Turner-Smith’s locs pigtails may have been an unexpected pairing with her sequined Burberry dress, but it’s exactly this kind of out-of-the-box style that makes her one to watch.
In the past, Turner-Smith had been known to try out a ton of different hair looks, from silver finger waves to flippy bobs, but she also has a penchant for wearing natural and protective styles to major events. And most recently that includes a variety of short locs hairstyles. Just last week she wore her bobbed locs in a high half ponytail for her The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon appearance. Then for her new Showtime series’ premiere in New York, the British beauty opted for bantu knots.
Notice a trend here? Like her locs pigtails from Monday night’s Fashion Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Queen & Slim star’s latest slew of styles are a throwback to the 1990s. Specifically, Turner-Smith shared via Instagram that stylist and locs expert Marcia Lee looked at past images of artist Lauryn Hill for inspiration.
Wrapped in silver wire to complement her shimmering floor-length gown and mixed metal jewelry, Turner-Smith’s sky-high pigtails caught everyone’s eye at the annual fashion fête, which honored Simone Rocha, Tyler Mitchell, and Stephen Jones among others. In fact, they were just as noteworthy as the biggest trend on the evening’s red carpet, bleached brows.
The actor’s Lauryn Hill-inspired locs pigtails are a continuation of the ongoing trend of ‘90s hairstyles that have been making a comeback over the past year or so. Like 2024’s most celebrity-backed look, the flippy bob, they have that playful sense of nostalgia, while still feeling chic and fresh for modern times. We can’t wait to see a lot more of this look in the future, and if stars like Lupita Nyong’o, Ciara, and of course Turner-Smith have anything to say about it — we shall.