Not only did pop star Billie Eilish break Instagram records back in March, when a photo of her newly blonde hair achieved a million likes in six minutes, the Ocean Eyes singer also launched the hottest haircut of the season.
Dubbed the "wolf cut", Google searches about the hybrid mash-up of the shag and the mullet have risen by 100 per cent since 2020, with Pinterest recording an 88 per cent rise in searches. Over on TikTok, videos showcasing the hot new Gen Z haircut have been viewed more than 100 million times.
“I love it,” says Adam Grier, senior stylist at Pastels Salon Ritz Carlton in Dubai, “It’s edgy, cool and current. It’s been around for a while in fashion capitals such as London and is becoming more visible elsewhere as it translates into the mainstream.
“I think it’s a great choice for those who live in Dubai and will be here during the summer months when you want an easy, unfussy, on-point style that requires minimal effort.”
A style which works on most hair lengths, Insatiable actress Debby Ryan was also inspired to go for the choppy look, and there are already plenty of variants with added layers and sharper tapering towards the ends.
"This haircut works for anyone who is ready to change their look and comes with a lot of character and movement," says Hicham Eid, creative director at Eideal and Davines Arabia. "It would work on any hair texture, but if someone has a style that tends towards the more classic, I would avoid this unless they really want to embrace an edgier look."
“This will work on pretty much every hair type and it gives a lot of movement and texture,” adds Grier. “If you have thick hair, this style will work because it comprises lots of layers, which can texturise thick hair. For those with fine hair, the addition of layers add volume.
“The style can even be adapted to work with curly hair and, in terms of length, it can be adapted to suit any length from the collarbone and beyond.”
TikTok and YouTube are filled with videos showing teens performing at-home DIY cuts, putting hair up into high, unicorn ponytails, before letting loose with the scissors.
The style is also the latest unisex look, with Jin of BTS K-pop band sporting a sleeker version.
“A salt spray is a must-have to give your hair that on-trend beachy effect, without the rough touch,” advises Grier about styling the look.
“One of the key things about this look is that it is very natural and undone so you don’t always need to blow dry,” says Eid. “This is a low-maintenance haircut since it has a lot of movement and so it should look effortless. It doesn’t need much effort and could be a wash and go.”
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Read more:
How to go from dark to blonde: Everything you need to know about the 'high-maintenance' hair transformation
Amazon to open augmented-reality hair salon in London with hi-tech mirrors
Curly hair makes a comeback: How the pandemic has led women to embrace their natural texture
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Start times
5.55am: Wheelchair Marathon Elites
6am: Marathon Elites
7am: Marathon Masses
9am: 10Km Road Race
11am: 4Km Fun Run
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20ASI%20(formerly%20DigestAI)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Quddus%20Pativada%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Artificial%20intelligence%2C%20education%20technology%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243%20million-plus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GSV%20Ventures%2C%20Character%2C%20Mark%20Cuban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
