Recently, a new favorite hairstyle for women has infiltrated popular fashion, leaving us wondering: who really let the pixie cut out? And more importantly, who sparked this new trend of the pixie cut becoming the ladies’ go-to hairstyle?
With summer wrapping up, the pixie cut; a short, comfortable hairstyle is now commanding mainstream attention and rapidly weaving itself into popular culture. But first, what exactly is the pixie cut? It’s a generally short hairstyle with the back and sides cropped close, while the top remains slightly longer, often with short bangs or a fringe. The style was first popularized in the 1950s, resurfacing in subsequent decades: the 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond.
Now, in the third decade of the 21st century, a fresh wave of pixie cuts is sweeping West Africa, particularly Nigeria, as stars and celeb girlies embrace the soft, trendy look. But what prompted this revival? The first notable sighting was on singer Ayra Starr, who debuted a burnt-orange pixie cut in July 2024. She didn’t stop there, she rocked the cut through the festive season and into the new year, experimenting with varying fringe lengths and colors.
From her Obi’s House look, to styling it for the rollout of her 2025 singles, and even gracing the 2025 Met Gala with it, Ayra Starr had unknowingly let the pixie cut out, sparking a new wave of the hairstyle.
Of course, no trend fully takes off without multiple celebrity players pushing it into mainstream consciousness. In April 2025, following the announcement of her fifth studio album ‘This Is Personal’, Tiwa Savage, an undeniable blueprint for pop girls in Nigeria and beyond, also revived the pixie look to mark a new era. This wasn’t her first time wearing the cut, it was many eras ago when her long-standing influence as the Queen of Nigerian (and arguably African) pop music reigned supreme in the scene.
In December 2024, Sophie Momodu, mother to one of Davido’s children, also briefly debuted a pixie curl look. It’s unclear whether she helped influence the movement or was herself influenced by it.
But the recent uproar that made the pixie cut feel like a fresh, groundbreaking movement can be traced to Chioma Adeleke, Davido’s newly wedded wife, who wore a pixie cut wig to their white wedding on August 10, 2025.
Her choice of hairstyle is rumored to have directly fuelled skyrocketing sales of pixie wigs, with vendors reporting sellouts.
Just a week later, Davido fanned the flames with a playful tweet: “Pixie cut everywhere”—a post his fanbase quickly ran with and crowning it the “Chioma Wig.”
The connection between music and fashion has never been mysterious, and the influence of artists’ and celebrities’ style choices on their fans is undeniable. But, who really let the pixie cut out this season? Was it Ayra Starr’s bold debut more than a year ago, Tiwa Savage’s timeless flair, or Chioma Adeleke’s viral wedding-day look? The answer might be debatable, but one thing’s certain, the girlies are having fun experimenting with this season’s many pixie variants.
