How Charli XCX’s Hairstylist Created Her Looks in ‘The Moment’

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Charli XCX’s new film, The Moment, since I saw it last week. The story, directed by Aiden Zameri and based off of Charli’s original concept, follows a fictionalized version of the pop star in an alternative universe where she goes full sellout mode following the success of Brat. It’s a biting critique of the music industry and creating art under capitalism. It’s the artist’s moving goodbye letter to Brat, the album and era that took her from a niche icon to a capital “P” Pop Star. It’s really, really funny, and features a truly amazing cameo from Kylie Jenner. And it’s an hour and 43 minutes of really great hair.

This is not surprising, considering Charli is playing a heightened version of herself, someone who has amazing hair in real life. But the star’s signature curls aren’t just there for eye candy, her hair plays a huge role showing both her changing artistic vision and slowly unraveling mental state—we’re talking bald patches, frizzed out curls, and some truly jarring green hair extensions. Charli XCX’s go-to hair stylist Matt Benns served as the film’s principle hairstylist, and in true meta fashion he actually appears in the film as himself, armed with a kit full of Bumble and bumble products, the official hair sponsor of the film.

Ahead, Benns fills us in on all the behind the scene secrets, hidden hair messages, and how to get the iconic Brat look for yourself.

The Hair Inspiration

“In early conversations with Charli and Aidan, we talked a lot about mood and feeling rather than references,” Benns tells Byrdie. “Charli was really clear about wanting the hair to feel honest and unforced—almost like it belonged to the character before the camera arrived. We thought about texture, softness, and how it would shift naturally over time.”

Since the movie is inspired by real life without being a direct retelling, Benns created subtle differences between the real Charli and the character she’s portraying. “The main difference is control,” he explains. “Real Charli hair is a deliberate extension of her identity—it’s bold and intentional, this character version of Charli sits at a moment where that control is slipping. I didn’t want to fully blur the lines, because this isn’t an imitation of the real Charli, but a character inspired by her energy. So I kept recognizable elements, like the very long hair, while pushing the texture and finish into something more raw and undone.”

How Hair Plays a Role

As Benns mentioned, the film centers Charli’s loss of control on her emotions and artistic output, which is mirrored directly by her hair. A scene where she laments her bald spot due to pulling her hair up for a facelift effect is played for laughs, but it’s also clear that’s a physical manifestation of the price of fame.

In a pivotal scene following a harrowing experience with a facialist/energy healer, Charli runs into Kylie Jenner, overflowing with positive vibes and probably the most perfect blowout I’ve ever seen. Charli, on the flip side, looks like she hasn’t slept in days, with her curls frizzy and ratty. “Charli’s character is on the verge of breaking,” says Benns. “A moment that was meant to feel serene and calming has turned on its head, and we reflect that shift through frazzled hair and flushed skin.”

Inspired by this meeting in which Jenner tells Charli to “go even harder,” the pop star decides to eschew her original tour concept in favor of a more traditional pop concert. Instead of Charli’s IRL Brat Tour uniform of messy curls and smoky eyes, she wears Brat green Euphoria-style makeup complete with gems, tall bedazzled pop star boots, and some neon green clip-in hair extensions.

“Brat-green extensions felt like the only choice,” says Benns. “This was a color that was owned by her. I wanted it to be so obviously commercialized. It was forced into hair, makeup, and clothing with deliberate excess—chunky, loud, and too much.” Benns actually has used colorful extensions on real-life Charli, but the look was much more subtle than those in the film. “We did use color extensions for one or two shows during the tour, I believe one was in Miami, it was a mix of muted pinks and orange, and then we did silvery-blue one night. It felt right, it was cool. Very ‘Spring Breakers’ energy.”

How to Get the Look

 On set, Benns swore by a full kit of Bumble and bumble products. The Thickening Dryspun Texture Spray, Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Hair Primer, Curl Defining Hair Mousse and Spray de Mode Hairspray were some of his most frequently used products.

If you want to get Chari’s signature Brat look (sans green hair extensions), Benns told us how to copy her go-to tour look. “It’s a mix of S-wave curler, different size curling irons and sometimes braiding and ironing over. It’s about a lot of textures that cohesively blend well together. For shows it’s about a lot of hair, so we add volume and length.”