Behind every red carpet moment is a glam team making magic behind the scenes.
When Kim Kardashian arrived at the 2022 Met Gala in New York City on May 2, jaws dropped: She was not only sporting one of Marilyn Monroe's iconic gowns, she was also suddenly blonde.
According to Kim's hairstylist, The Kardashians star knew fashion's biggest night was the perfect time to switch things up.
"It was honestly just the right time. It just fell into place," Chris Appleton exclusively shared with E! News. "I love a blonde Kim. I think it's so interesting how a color can change the colors of the clothes you wear and it really changes your makeup. You can really reinvent things."
For a hair transformation as bold as this, Chris said it takes a lot of patience, care and attention to get things right. Knowing that Kim styles her hair so much also played a factor in how he perfected the look.
"What I didn't want to do was compromise the condition so much so that it didn't look good," he explained. "We had a fast turnaround because we had to get it done for the Met, but it was lots of conditioning treatments in between each setting and lightening the process. My technique really is all about taking very fine sections of hair and lightening the process with just very fine sections back to back."
Chris actually has a degree in color, which helped him learn about the science of hair and the best methods for his clients, who also include Dua Lipa and Jennifer Lopez.
"It's definitely not just about putting a color on all over and hoping for the best," he said. "It really is quite an approach that you have to plan it with. I go about that very particularly."
Chris advises fans not to try a blonde transformation at home. Instead, go to a salon and have a consultation with an experienced hairstylist.
"If you've got super-dark hair and you want to bleach your hair to a platinum, I would never do it [at home] because you need to tone, you need to lighten the hair," he said. "It really is a process."
For those who do change their hair hue, Chris recommends the Color Wow color security shampoo because "it's very gentle on the hair and it cleans the scalp, cleans the hair and removes the excess oil but it doesn't leave any ingredients behind."
He also loves Color Wow's money masque and the brand's dream coat because it "gives you this sealant to the hair." Chris is the global creative director for the haircare line.
While Chris' Met Gala experience was a busy one behind the scenes, he described his time in New York City with Kim as "so fun." It included watching a documentary about Marilyn on Netflix and having friends come by to visit.
"We were fully comfortable and ready to go because we both knew it was gonna be a long session," he said. "Kim's done the color before. She knows."