Dua Lipa Is a Redhead in Her First High-Fashion Campaign

Donatella Versace is one of fashion’s most prominent platinum blondes, but the iconic designer seems set on having the industry go red. On Friday, less than three months after new mom Gigi Hadid made her runway comeback at Versace with a long mane of red hair, Dua Lipa followed in her footsteps. The 25-year-old singer underwent the same transformation—and then some, with a set of choppy bangs by the hairstylist Paul Hanlon—for the house’s fall 2021 campaign, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. (It was at Donatella’s suggestion, though Lipa may have also been inspired by Hadid, who is the sister of her boyfriend Anwar.)

It’s no surprise that Lipa’s first high-fashion campaign would be Versace. Their relationship dates back to 2019, when Donatella Versace dressed the singer in a voluminous, appropriately campy Atelier Versace gown for her first Met Gala. That may not have been so long ago, but she and Lipa quickly hit it off, as most recently seen on the red carpet of this year’s Grammy Awards. “A Versace Goddess,” Donatella captioned her Instagram of the campaign with an orange heart emoji. “I was levitating the day of our shoot!!!” It must have been something: The three images that dropped on Friday are actually just a preview of the full campaign that drops on August 30.

To Donatella, the transformation is all about Lipa’s self-confidence. “When I asked her, she did not hesitate,” she told WWD. “Blonde was banal—even though I am blonde,” she added with a laugh. “Fiery red is a symbol of passion and strength.”