Ariana Grande's Cherry Blossom Bun Is All Bloom, No Shade

Her custom flower crown looked freshly picked at the Japan premiere of 'Wicked.'

Ariana Grande
(Image credit: Instagram/@r.e.m.beauty)

Ariana Grande's obsession with Japan is well-documented. At one point, she was even studying Japanese with a tutor in the hope of connecting more easily with her vast fanbase in the country. Needless to say, her semi-fluency served her well when the pint-sized pop star touched down in Tokyo for her latest Wicked premiere.

On Feb. 19, the Oscar nominee hit the red carpet sporting her most Glinda-ified look yet. Hairstylist Gabor Kerekes pulled the star's honey blonde locks into an elegant ballerina bun with slick edges and an artful swoop at the back. Nestled into the folds of her chignon was a custom cherry blossom headdress created by none other than Philip Treacy, the world's greatest living milliner. Famous for his work with celebrities like Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Queen Camila, as well as couturiers like Chanel and Alexander McQueen, Treacy is who you tap when you need a headpiece that's quite literally fit for royalty.

A photo of Ariana Grande posing in her custom Philip Treacy cherry blossom headdress.

Ariana Grande poses in her custom Philip Treacy cherry blossom headdress.

(Image credit: Instagram/@r.e.m.beauty)

Designed to tremble atop her head like a freshly picked bouquet, her sakura flower crown paid homage to one of Japan's national flowers. While most of us will never have the exquisite pleasure of commissioning such a creation from Treacy himself, celebrity-beloved hair clip brand Emi Jay offers an entire line of floral hair accessories under $30.

A photo of the singer showing off her honey blonde bun topped with a sakura flower crown.

The singer shows off her honey blonde bun topped with a sakura flower crown.

(Image credit: Instagram/@r.e.m.beauty)

Makeup artist Michael Anthony also mirrored the cherry blossom's petal-pink hue on Grande's cheeks. Per his Instagram breakdown of the look, her glassy flush comes courtesy of a new launch from the singer's skincare and makeup line R.E.M. Beauty: a bright pink multi-use blush stick fittingly named "Matinee."

A photo of Grande sporting a new launch from her beauty brand on her lips and cheeks.

Grande sports a new launch from her beauty brand on her lips and cheeks.

(Image credit: Instagram/@r.e.m.beauty)

A strapless white Louis Vuitton gown styled by Mimi Cuttrell completed the look along with a Niwaka diamond choker and matching studs earrings. But I think we can all agree the veritable garden sprouting from her head was the ensemble's obvious MVP.

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Hanna Lustig
Staff Writer

Hanna Lustig is a staff writer at Marie Claire, where she gets to gab every day about the topics she holds most dear: fashion, beauty, and celebrity. Hanna’s editorial journey began with formative internships at Elle and InStyle, where she was lucky enough to work for some of the smartest women in media while she was still in college at the University of Tennessee. Hanna then accepted a digital culture reporting fellowship at Insider, where she helped carve out a new beat dedicated to covering influencers. Those experiences later served her well as a staff writer at Glamour, where she developed a knack for spinning quick turnaround celebrity news and trend reporting into juicy feature stories. Some of her greatest hits include an earnest ode to the no-pants trend, this meticulously reported feature exploring the rise of endoscopic facelifts, this snappy take on the Chanel-designed fantasy of Sofia Richie’s wedding, this tribute to WAGs past and present, and this timeline of Katie Holmes’s life and career as told through her denim collection.

Diane Keaton once hung up on Hanna during an interview, but thankfully that mishap did not derail what has otherwise been a deeply fulfilling career writing for and about women. As one of Marie Claire's resident experts on style and culture, her current coverage ranges from exploring TikTok's contrast makeup theory and the return of the boat shoe trend to interviews with costume designers for hit shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin. When she’s not at work, Hanna can probably be found listening to pop music, talking to her dog, and gossiping with her best friends. For more of Hanna’s perfect opinions on pop culture, you can follow her on Instagram and X.