t’s been said before and will be said again: time is a flat circle. Just look around at the tweens currently bundled up in Ugg boots, just like they did 20 years ago. Eventually, everything “old” will be made to feel brand new again. And in the case of Emma Watson’s pixie cut, it might just feel fresher than ever. The Harry Potter film series star famously debuted the short-cropped style in 2010, and the chic, gamine look quickly became integral to her maturing aesthetic. Fourteen years later, though, the look makes a high-fashion return, sure to charm original fans and capture new ones alike.

Watson’s pixie appears once again in Prada’s just-released Re-Nylon Collection campaign, which highlights the brand’s commitment to sustainable fabric sourcing as well as the philanthropic initiatives that benefit from it. She stars alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the Willy Vanderperre-shot photos, her hair ending right at the nape of her neck with side-swept, layered bangs adding an extra touch of edge. Interestingly enough, the pixie is visually quite different from her 2010 original, as well as the punkier “chixie” hybrid style Watson was briefly loving in 2022. The Prada campaign hair feels much more like a retro throwback, instantly evoking a mid-’60s spirit that feels more than a little Twiggy-esque.

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Photography By Willy Vanderperre For Prada

The nature of the hairstyling and the overall timeline points towards Watson’s pixie being a temporary measure. She loves a beauty optical illusion — just check out her braided pigtails from her latest British Vogue cover — and this could very well be one. The positioning of her head and layered bangs look like a well-known stylist trick, in which hair is gathered into a low ponytail and the ends wrapped around the forehead to simulate a fringe. The trailing, tapered bottom section seems to bolster the theory, too. Just compare this Prada campaign to Watson’s two previous pixies:

Watson circa 2022. Dave Benett/Getty Images

Watson circa 2010. Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty Images

Watson’s been growing her hair out since that daring 2022 chop, most recently spotted with clavicle-length layers and a soft, warm-toned brown shade:

Dave Benett/Getty Images

Only time will tell if this latest go-around with the iconic cut is the real deal, but the Prada photo alone might inspire quite a few short-haired copycats.