The minute Abergel saw Theron's pale blue Dior Haute Couture gown, he knew he wanted to chop her hair short so the ends would graze the top of the neckline.
He also knew he wanted to dye Theron's iconic blonde hair brunette. "I knew that bringing brown tones into it would really anchor the dress beautifully," he said. "So I started to play by showing Charlize brown extensions around her face — which is a really nice way for anyone to see what works if they're thinking of making a big colour change. Once Charlize was on board, I brought those extensions to colourist Tracey Cunningham and told her that these were the cool brown tones I wanted to stay in."