StoryInColor
1990s-present

Sam McKnight

The stylist behind Princess Diana's short cut

Sam McKnight is the editorial stylist most associated with Princess Diana's transformative short cut in 1990, the look that defined the second half of her public life. He went on to work with most major fashion houses across thirty years of runway and campaign work, and the short, swept-back styles he developed for Diana have stayed in cultural rotation ever since. He continues to style editorial covers and red carpets today.

See Sam McKnight’s signature cuts on your own face

Upload one selfie and Hairstyle Analysis renders eight cuts directly on your face, including the kind of layered, fringed, and wave-led shapes Sam McKnight is known for. Skip the guesswork about what would suit you. $4.99 one-time, no subscription.

Try Hairstyle Analysis

Signature looks

  1. The Diana cut

    A short layered cut swept softly back from the face, designed to read modern, photographable, and unfussy. McKnight cut it after a photo shoot in 1990 and Diana kept the shape, in variations, for the rest of her life.

    Flatters an oval faceFlatters a heart-shaped face

  2. Editorial volume

    Soft, voluminous, undone runway hair with movement through the lengths. McKnight's signature on Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, and Fendi shows over decades of seasons.

    Flatters a square faceFlatters a long (oblong) face

  3. Tousled royal-ready chignon

    A low, soft chignon with face-framing pieces deliberately left out, halfway between formal and undone. The shape McKnight returns to for red carpets where structure is wanted but stiffness is not.

    Flatters an oval faceFlatters a heart-shaped faceFlatters a round face

Notable clients

  • Princess Diana
  • Kate Moss
  • Naomi Campbell
  • Cindy Crawford
  • Tilda Swinton

Why their work matters

McKnight occupies a rare position: editorial stylist, runway lead, and royal favourite in one career. The Diana cut alone changed how a public-facing woman could wear short hair in the early nineties, and his runway work has shaped the texture and volume of fashion-week hair across a generation. He still teaches, styles, and writes about hair, with the same calm hand visible across all of it.

Try Sam McKnight’s signature looks on your face

Hairstyle Analysis renders eight cuts directly onto a selfie of you, including the layered, fringed, and wave-led shapes Sam McKnight has built a career around. See which signature suits your features before you book a chair.

Run a Hairstyle Analysis

$4.99 one-time, no subscription.

More stylists