Justin Bieber, exactly fifteen years ago to this day, cut his signature ‘hair flip’, which at the time was strongly associated with his heartthrob image.
The change in his ‘swoop’ hairstyle marked a turning point in his career from a teen star to a grown-up artist.
He was 16 at the time when he sent his fandom into a frenzy over debuting his new look on then-Twitter, now X, while shooting with the country band Rascal Flatts on a music video.
Reports at the time said he was mulling having a new haircut for months to sport a more layered look.
Vanessa Price, his hairstylist, told People, “Cutting your hair is just part of the evolution and growing process for anyone, and I think he was just ready.”
“We’ve been talking about it over the last 6 months or so — more or less; it’s definitely been in the works for a while.”
Given his stardom, he gave a lock of his hair for an auction which fetched $40,668 in 2011.
“Yeah, so it’s true…I got a little haircut…I like it…and we are giving all the haircuts to CHARITY to auction,” he penned in a tweet at the time. “Details coming soon.”
Ellen DeGeneres auctioned the hair and donated the proceeds to an animal rights organization, whose causes she regularly champions.
Bieber’s signature bowl cut became a trend in 2009-2010, a fashion statement many rushed to replicate, illustrating his star power in society.
