The Untold Link Between Dua Lipa and Megan Fox: Unraveling the Intriguing Red Hair Connection

What's the color of the year? While Pantone is still deciding, sometimes all the evidence you need for the next must-have shade is sitting on the top of celebrities' heads.

In August, Billie Eilish brought back her signature hairstyle - an all-over black gloss with a striking root dye job - this time in cherry-red. A month later, Megan Fox debuted a fiery scarlet "velvet bob," as her stylist called it. Then, just as the leaves began to change, so did Dua Lipa's locks. The popstar debuted a mahogany-red style in October, and for anyone still unsure of this season's trendiest shade, she went as far as coordinating her hair with matching clothes and accessories in burgundy and maroon.

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In a recent interview with Vogue magazine, even Kendall Jenner expressed regret about her widely discussed red hair from 2022. "You guys, I miss my red hair," Jenner, now a brunette, stated. "I don't know what to do about it. I went back too soon."

Megan Fox has been spotted sporting a deep red bob.

Cherry-coke and strawberry blonde hair made a big statement on the Fall-Winter 2023 runways, seen at top fashion shows like Burberry, Rodarte, Gucci, and Missoni. Designers like Versace, Diesel, Miu Miu, and Louis Vuitton also embraced this trend in September. Redheaded model Rianne Van Rompaey took center stage, walking in eight major shows and opening for The Row and Paco Rabanne, and closing for Chanel.

The fascination with fiery red hair is not a new trend, but rather has a long and intriguing history. Despite the fact that natural redheads make up less than two percent of the world's population, the hair color has been both revered and stigmatized for centuries. In the 15th century, during the witch trials in Europe, having red hair was considered a sign of the devil and could even lead to death. In the 17th century, Obadiah Walker, an English academic, spoke out against the widespread discrimination against red-haired men, stating that it was unjust to judge and devalue individuals based solely on their hair color.

Billie Eilish, too, is another A-lister whose hair is strikingly scarlet.

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According to hair historian Rachael Gibson, the color red has historically been associated with being "Other." In a phone interview, she noted that figures such as Judas in the Bible were depicted with red hair, and that ancient Gauls and Scotspeople attacking and invading England were also commonly red-haired, leading to them being viewed as invaders since early times.

But for some, the uniqueness of red hair held a special allure. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I sported a striking mane of ginger curls, a deliberate choice rather than a natural trait. According to Jacky Colliss Harvey, author of "Red: A Natural History of the Redhead," Queen Elizabeth I wore wigs for most of her life and could have chosen any color, but she opted for flaming auburn. She reportedly even dyed the coats of her horses to match her fiery locks. "During Queen Elizabeth I's reign, red hair was considered fashionable," explained Gibson. "Men and women at court dyed their hair red to demonstrate their allegiance."

Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England from 1558 until 1603, was known for her auburn hairwhich some suggest was a specially selected wig.

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Throughout history, the popularity of red hair has ebbed and flowed. In the 1800s, pre-Raphaelite artists like Gabriel Rossetti depicted ethereal, red-headed women in their paintings, while in 1923, a fashion journalist noted that red hair had become a trend in Paris. Even in 1988, the New York Times declared red hair to be the "captivating hair color of the moment," stating that redheads would never be ordinary.

Gabriel Rossetti regularly painted red-haired women, as shown here with his imagined femme fatale "Lady Lilith," (1867).

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The main driving force behind the popularity of hair coloring today is the desire to feel noticed. According to celebrity hair stylist Jenna Parry, "People who are trying red hair for the first time want to do something bold and exciting." Parry, who created Kendall Jenner's striking "smoked paprika" shade, has also transformed the hair of Emily Ratajkowski and Maude Apatow to red. "They want to feel confident and make a statement."

After undergoing chemo and experiencing changes in my hair, I decided to update my wardrobe. I wondered if Korean-style color analysis could help. Chicago-based hair stylist Nicole Keenen also sees the economic benefits for her clients. "It's definitely more accessible than blonde," she mentioned in a phone interview. "Especially for those with more melanated hair types, blonde maintenance can be quite costly."

Dua Lipa's new maroon locks are expertly timed with the drop of a new track.

Gibson suggested that the timing of Dua Lipa and Megan Fox's dramatic hair changes may not be coincidental, noting that both women revealed their new looks around the release of new projects, like Fox's debut poetry collection "Pretty Boys Are Poisonous: Poems" and Lipa's latest single "Houdini." "It's such a visual thing, we can scan (hair color) in a second. And red has this enduring appeal in terms of being eye-catching," Gibson said. "It's a good time to change your hair when you've got an album out."