When Hayley Williams changes her hair color, the world takes notice. And we know that those changes don’t happen without her longtime collaborator, and fellow Good Dye Young co-founder, Brian O’Connor.
After Williams teased the death of “Ego Death,” her most recent solo project and tour, there’d been glimpses of a new hairstyle, literally hidden by hats and careful edits. Then O’Connor posted a carousel from the second night of the Atlanta stop of “The Hayley Williams Show,” revealing a striking two-toned, blonde and brunette look. The internet went crazy. We needed details. So we reached out to O’Connor.
Keep reading for our conversation and a breakdown on the exact products he used to create this new look.
The Tease: Tell us about the inspiration for Hayley’s new high-contrast look!
Brian O’Connor: Hayley really wanted to have more of her natural color, so we’ve leaned into that as well as pulling from what we did for “Petals for Armour,” which we never got to tour because of the pandemic. It also really plays on the light and dark of oneself, and of course we are always inspired by Japanese street hair!
The new look coincides with a new tour, was it important that there be a visual shift for ‘The Hayley Williams Show”?
O’Connor: I think so for sure; for me it was more about showing who Hayley is off stage and bringing that side of her to the stage. It was also important to bring aspects of her previous solo albums into the present day.
Knowing Hayley’s a full-blown hair icon, do you feel any pressure when it comes to major changes like this one?
O’Connor: Me personally, always. I’m a perfectionist with myself and I’m constantly wanting to be better and to get better at all aspects of my life. It’s also pressure to bring Hayley’s vision to life and that pressure is out there by myself. I love the storytelling of it all.
Get the Look:
- For this look, O’Connor sectioned Williams’ hair into nine individually blocked panels, alternating treatment across each to create a piece-y, dimensional effect rather than a single uniform color change. Her existing blonde and natural roots were left untouched as anchor points, with Good Dye Young Rinse Conditioner ($26.00) used throughout to protect the blonde, lock in moisture, and add shine without additional lift.
- On the remaining sections, O’Connor mixed Rinse with a few ribbons of Good Dye Young KO Semi Perm ($19.00) to gently fill in and deepen the blonde, letting it process for 10 minutes before layering Good Dye Young Chocolate DYEposit ($20.00) on top.
- Everything sat for 30 minutes before rinsing and styling into the final look. The result is a color story that moves with her — sections of warm brunette weaving through her existing blonde, so the eye catches something different depending on the light.
If you recreate this look for your next client, or take this breakdown to your colorist and have it done, we want to see it. Tag @readthetease on Instagram and TikTok so we can see it.
O’Connor and Williams are on tour now through 2027. Find tickets for “The Hayley Williams” show here.
