For most people, the decision to cut their hair short takes weeks or even months of deliberation. Princess Diana wasn’t like most people, however. In his new book Hair by Sam McKnight, the celebrity stylist reveals the impetus behind Diana’s famous haircut.
As the story goes, McKnight was styling Diana’s blonde locks for a photo shoot for British Vogue in 1990. He transformed her long hair into a faux pixie cut for the shoot and Diana ended up falling in love with the style. McKnight wrote in his book: “As she was leaving Diana asked, if I had free reign what would I do to her hair. I suggested cutting it short and she, to my surprise, agreed, and we did it there and then.”
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Talk about an impulsive haircut! It’s hard to imagine any other royal cutting their hair short so spontaneously (Kate Middleton, don’t you dare) but the combination of Diana’s personality and McKnight’s talent obviously went together well. After that famous chop, McKnight visited Diana every week to help her create iconic beauty looks. You can check out McKnight’s new book to read more about his partnership with Diana as well as other celebrities such as Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Kate Moss.