Main image: Getty Images. All other images: Courtest of @callmeanelie / Issuing Anelie 
Getting ready with Janelle Monáe is never just about glam or fashion. It’s a full creative exchange. “Janelle is like my cousin at this point,” Nikki Nelms, Monáe’s hairstylist, shares with ESSENCE. “It’s always a fun time when she’s in my chair.” That sense of ease and familiarity is part of what makes their red carpet collaborations feel so seamless.
As Monáe’s makeup artist Ketia Moore shares, “Working with Janelle is always so fun because she herself is immensely creative. She understands and embraces my creativity, and we feed off each other’s ideas to create some of the unforgettable artistic looks that she is known for.”
Monáe embodied the theme of fashion is art through a collaboration with Christian Siriano, wearing a moss-coated gown adorned with wires that almost resembled a robotic sculpture. The look featured an exaggerated curved bodice with butterflies woven throughout the garment, making it feel both futuristic and organic.
For hair, the vision was equally conceptual. “As we were conceptualizing this look, the concept we kept coming back to was living sculpture,” Nelms explains. “I wanted the hair to feel reflective and be a fluid extension of fashion as art. When I saw her in a fitting, seeing that high neckline, going short with texture just felt right.” To complement the dramatic silhouette, Monáe wore a textured French bob with a side part that hit right at the top of the gown’s neckline.
The styling process relied on creating intentional texture and shine. “We were going for a textured, high-shine, wet, piecey look that is intentional and art-forward,” she says. The >OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum and Argan Oil of Morocco Extra Penetrating Oil to boost shine and hydration before misting the hair with water to enhance the wet finish. From there, Touchable Hold Gel was used to separate the hair into sleek, defined pieces while maintaining movement, and Flexible Hold Hairspray locked everything in place for the night.
Meanwhile, the makeup was inspired by the dress itself. “It’s such a statement piece that flows up the neck onto the chin, so we wanted to be intentional about the makeup complementing the dress, and not taking away from it,” Moore says. Additionally, Moore reminds us that regardless of how creative a look is, “it’s important for the foundation to be solid,” he says. In this case, he reached for the Benefit foundation to create a smooth base Then, “I >Precisely My Brow Pencil, and finished it off with The Dream Sheen Brow Glaze to set the brows and added a slight sheen,” Moore says. “The smudgeproof and waterproof formula of the brow glaze is the perfect combo to ensure it doesn’t budge all night.”
The energy behind the scenes was just as intentional. “I like the space to feel calm, but still creative,” Moore says. “We need energy to flow from relaxed to energetic as time passes to help set the tone for the rest of the event.” With music playing and the team locked into their creative rhythm, the glam process felt less like prep and more like a ritual.
At its core, moments like the Met Gala are about trust andsrc=”https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/05/Image-43.jpeg” alt=”Get Ready With Janelle Monáe For The 2026 Met Gala ” width=”400″ height=”706″ />In the chair with Nikki Nelms.
A master at work!
Checking all the angles. 
Makeup artist Keita Moore applies final touches.
The details. 
Quick selfie break!
The products that brought the sleek hair look together.
And she’s off!
The post Get Ready With Janelle Monáe For The 2026 Met Gala appeared first on Essence.
Author: Akili King
Read the original article on Essence.
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