It's true, the late Princess Diana can claim responsibility for setting many fashion and beauty trends we are still seeing on the high street today, but perhaps her most famous, era-defining moment was her decision to go under the knife and give her iconic hair the chop. Adopting a short, blunt pixie cut would spark a hair revolution even her personal hair stylist of seven years didn't see coming. With one chance encounter, she defined a style that would be worn by supermodels the world over and would be forever synonymous with her famous name.
A chance meeting that changed everything
Sam McKnight, 70, first met the former wife of King Charles III and mother to future heirs Prince William and Prince Harry during a photoshoot in 1990. The pair were matched while working with British Vogue on a piece about young royals in London. Ever since that fateful day, he stayed with her and became her personal hairstylist until her death in 1997, when she was just 36 years old.
The hairstylist shared some personal anecdotes about their first meeting during a promotional tour in Madrid for his haircare line, Hair by Sam McKnight. "For that photoshoot where we met, I gave her a fake bob thanks to a tiara," the iconic hairstylist told HOLA!. He continued sharing stories and outlined how her now legendary hairstyle first came about.
© Getty ImagesSam remembered: "She asked me what haircut I would give her if she gave me free rein. I told her I'd cut it very short, leave the '80s behind, and welcome the '90s. And that's what I did." He cut her hair into the short, daring style on the shoot, and from that moment, it cemented itself in history as one of the most iconic haircuts of all time.
"When I met her, it was the end of the 80s, and she had a perm as everyone did then," Sam previously told HELLO!. "She was an absolute joy. She could always put everyone at ease. The first time I met her, we didn’t know she was coming. Next thing I know, this tall leggy blonde comes bounding up the stairs and completely sets us at ease."
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for 10Sam continued: "At the end of the shoot, she asked me what I would do if I were given free rein with her hair. I said I would cut it short. Next thing I know, we have a plastic clothes bag around her shoulders, and it’s the haircut that became the talk of the nation."
The pixie cut in 2025
Decades later, the pixie cut hairstyle has well transcended its conception date in the early 90s. Seen on catwalks and in campaigns during almost every fashion cycle, it has more than proved it is here to stay. "It's perfect for women with defined features, high cheekbones, or a long neck," said Luciano Cañete, founder of Corta Cabeza.
© UK Press via Getty ImagesThe professional hairstylist was discussing how the cut is being worn in the present day and added: "But when properly adapted, it even works on rounder faces, adding a lot of strength to the look." Modern stars, from Hollywood to London, have tried and tested the look, including the likes of Halle Berry, Florence Pugh, Rihanna and Anne Hathaway.
