Keke Palmer Returns to Her Natural Roots at the 2026 TIME100 Gala

Keke Palmer is getting back to her roots.

After months of maintaining a head full of auburn highlights, the 32-year-old artist returned to her natural hair color on Thursday at the 2026 Time 100 Gala in New York, where she joined a slew of stars, from Hailey Bieber to Hilary Duff, on the red carpet.

Her organic color settled somewhere between dark brown and jet black, matching the inky hue of her corseted gown from the Wiederhoeft spring 2026 collection. The cut, a semi-shaved pixie, was slicked firmly away from her face and parted in three sections, which, in turn, lifted her visage, drawing the eye upward. Her glam adhered to the grunge undertones of her fashion, featuring smoky charcoal shadow on her lids and scribbled along her waterline. For lips, Palmer used a brown-taupe hue to carve the shape and an iridescent gloss to the fill center.

Recently, the former Nicklelodeon star has been collaborating with hair architect and wig-maker Jamika Wilson, whose client list also includes Viola Davis. In March, the two teamed up for the annual Vanity Fair Oscars Party, where she donned a slicked side part with subtle ginger highlights. In terms of makeup, Palmer has been favoring Kenya Alexis, artist to Ryan Destiny, SZA, Storm Reid and more. As of now, neither Wilson nor Alexis have been credited as the talent behind her Time 100 aesthetic. WWD has reached out to both for confirmation.

Elsewhere at the star-studded affair, Dakota Johnson debuted a color transformation of her own. Dressed in a stone-colored, chiffon gown, the “Materialists” actress boasted a complex blend of caramel and chocolate hues, styled in her trademark choppy fringe and extra-long ends. With bleached blond tips, Johnson appeared to embrace a new chapter in her signature beauty, which, until now, has mainly consisted of brunette coloring.

See here for more photos from the night.