FROM SALON TO SET: HAIR COLOUR SECRETS BEHIND THE DUNE SEQUEL
Paul Edmonds is no stranger to the big screen. Alongside his expert team of colourists and stylists, Paul has collaborated with some of the world’s leading make-up artists and hair designers over the years to create some of the most recognisable characters on screen.
The latest blockbuster to feature work by the Paul Edmonds team is Dune: Part Two. After the success of the first film, the characters have returned for a highly anticipated second instalment.
Creative Director and colour expert, Charlotte Lewis, worked on both films and flew out to Budapest to work on the sequel. We spoke to her about the challenges she faced working on set, and how she used her salon expertise to develop each look.
ON SET FOR DUNE: PART TWO
In 2021, fans saw director Denis Villeneuve’s vision of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel come to life – but, as Zendaya’s character said, “this is only the beginning”. On 3rd November 2023, we’re introduced to the next phase in the Dune universe, as the intergalactic power struggles between House Atreides, House Harkonnen and the Fremen continue.
The film is set on the desert planet, Arrakis, and the overall hair and make-up brief was to create characters with very undone, natural looks. Quite the opposite to traditional sci-fi films, where you might expect to see much more futuristic styles, cyberpunk themes, and fantasy hair art.
“Creating these looks was incredibly challenging. I needed to use semi-permanent colouring in order to create the soft, natural effect, but we also needed the colour to last without fading in the heat of the desert. The director prefers to use real hair over wigs, and he wanted all the female leads to have very different looks. This meant we really needed to get creative.”
- Charlotte Lewis, Creative Director at Paul Edmonds London
Charlotte worked on the colour of four of the film’s iconic characters, and she talks us through how she achieved each look.
ZENDAYA
as Chani
Born and raised on Dune, Chani is a confident warrior and relentless defender of her people. With an effortless charm that reflects the natural beauty of her world, the character embodies the natural, windswept look.
The brief was to keep Chani’s hair looking as soft and natural as possible, without appearing too dark. Charlotte used lowlights in warm, earthy tones to create the perfect shade.
“We used a semi-permanent colour to create her soft, natural look. A permanent dye would have been too harsh, and as she didn’t have any grey to cover, it wasn’t necessary. We didn’t want her hair to look flat, so this approach created a lot of shine that would combat the mattifying effect of the sand and sun in the desert.” - Charlotte Lewis
REBECCA FERGUSON
as Lady Jessica
Sharing the burden of House Atreides’ leadership, Lady Jessica is a mysterious, matriarchal figure with the unique power to bend the will of those who dare threaten her family.
To create Lady Jessica’s colour, Charlotte had to work with the very short and very blonde hair leftover from Rebecca’s previous project. In the book, the character is described as having “shaded bronze” hair, which developed into a soft, autumnal brunette in the film. To achieve the look, Charlotte needed to work with extensions as well as perfectly colour matching from the first film.
“Rebecca came into the salon for the initial consultation while she was still shooting for her previous film. Because of the timings, we needed to order her hair extensions in advance, so we had to anticipate the exact colour we would need before we even started working on her hair. We did a couple of small test pieces, but it was a real challenge. Thankfully, it all worked out perfectly in the end.” - Charlotte Lewis
JAVIER BARDEM
as Stilgar
Stilgar is the leader of the Fremen tribe, who’ll do anything to protect the life and culture of his people. A primal survivor who made the most dangerous planet in the universe his home – this strong character needed an equally strong look to reflect his wild yet intelligent personality.
“When working on hair for film and TV, you have to bear in mind that the colour will often look darker on screen than it does in real life. When Javier arrived on set, his hair was a bit too dark from his previous project, so it needed lifting a few shades. He also had some greys to cover in his hair and beard, which we used a permanent colour to correct.” - Charlotte Lewis
LÉA SEYDOUX
as Lady Margot
A new character for Dune: Part Two, Lady Margot comes straight from the pages of the novel, but is set to play a bigger role on-screen as part of the director’s vision to add more femininity to the story.
The brief was to create an effortless blonde that emulated the sandy tones of the desert. Léa’s hair was quite short and a naturally darker blonde, so her base needed lifting a couple of shades lighter to achieve the perfectly soft, natural, beachy shade.
“Most of the work took place on-set in Budapest, so I didn’t have my full kit at my disposal like I do in the salon. It was a challenge, but a fun one. It really pushed my expertise as I needed to think about every eventuality that could happen. I did a colour specialist degree a few years ago, and the knowledge I gained from that really helped to inform my approach.” - Charlotte Lewis
Inspired by the natural, earthy tones from the latest Dune film? Book an appointment with Charlotte at our Battersea Salon for your new colour or shop her favourite products from our online store.