Good Dye Young Co-Founders Brian O’Connor & Hayley Williams really mixed some magic with their latest creative collaboration! Meet Infusions, a carefully crafted line of three muted & moody semi-permanent hair colors that make the everyday feel a little bit magical.

Inspired by fog-laced forests, velvet-bound books, and the slow ritual of brewing tea, this autumnal collection is a soft-focus shift from loud, super-saturated self-expression to subtle storytelling.  

We cozied up with Brian to get a 360 view of the creative vision behind Infusions, from the colors that make up the collection to the story each shade tells to Hayley’s unrecognizable styling to the photoshoot that tied it all together.

As Good Dye Young’s Chief Creative Officer, you touch all parts of storytelling, visuals and of course, hair. How did that all come together for the Infusions launch?

We have an amazing team, so they already came to me with the idea for the colors — a family of color we hadn’t done before. We had an early idea for the name “Infusions” and this concept of coffee and tea, and how it translated to this softer side of color steeping into your hair.  I loved that and it really felt like putting gas back in the tank for me, and I was so inspired! Coffee and tea are about ritual and ceremony, just like dressing yourself or transforming your hair color. It's about making time for yourself, and setting intention and purpose. While the story was taking shape, we pushed the colors to a place where they felt like milk-tea, so they had that rich look.

In terms of the photoshoot Hayley and I did, here’s what we were thinking: How can we create something seasonal that doesn’t feel too costume-y or full-on Halloween, but something that feels more like fashion? How can we create a moment and mood that feels seasonal and impactful? I wanted these photos to stop people, even just for a moment. Whether you’re a Good Dye Young fan, a vivid hair person, a Hayley fan or focused on fashion, I want to make you pause for a moment and feel something!

What was your inspiration for the Infusions looks you created with Hayley?

For the Hayley shoot, I really wanted it to feel haunting, but not just Halloween. I wanted to create three unique characters that Hayley could embody as totally separate identities, each pulled in their own direction.

The colors inspired that, because they can be interpreted as hard and soft. I wanted to give each shade an environment where they could be both beautiful and grunge, and give the viewer the choice of what they take away from it.

It’s always about giving people a way to connect in their own way. We all see the same image, but what we take away from the image is so personal. I might look at the hair first, but someone else might be drawn to the lighting or a prop.

In the end, I wanted each of the colors to emit an emotion that was unique to that color alone. 

Can you tell us more about that? What made you decide on these colors for each look?

It’s all subjective, but from my viewpoint, it was about the personality of the colors when I first saw them. 

Rose Mocha strikes me as more carefree.

Indigo Tea felt a bit more structured and hard. It felt natural that it would be braided.

Iced Matcha came across as more bubbly, more energetic. 

So, I imagined the personalities that might be pulled towards each of these colors and designed the looks around that. Someone else could look at these colors and see something totally different.

How did you and Hayley develop the story for these colors?

I had already worked on the hair and makeup concepts, so I had an idea to build on. Hayley had the direction for the clothing she was excited for, and decided on three beautiful looks from Colleen Allen. Once I knew the wardrobe direction, I could play more with the structure of the hair and pair the colors with each outfit.

There was a witchy, ceremonial aspect that came out of this. For example, the braids really evolved out of an idea of spells and crafting magic. The act of braiding your hair is another example of a ritual that sets intention and allows you to be present. Always remember what your intention is. 

Which of these looks surprised you the most as you were developing it?

The blue. Definitely the blue. The way Indigo Tea looked on Hayley, and how the styling came together, turned out even cooler than I had envisioned it. I’m not supposed to pick favorites, but it’s the look I’m most proud of! I’m really happy with the way each look came to life. It was inspiring to see everything come together, and there was even an unexpected element of 90s grunge.

On the technical side, how did you decide on these new shades?

We’re always exploring new colors and trying to give our community something fresh to play with. We had formulated a denim blue color before, but we wanted to refine that, improve it, and play in that desaturated space. Our head of product development showed me an early version of Rose Mocha and Iced Matcha, so we started to think of them as a trio. After that, it was really just fine-tuning and making the shades as useful and easy to use as possible.

Can you summarize each of the new Infusions colors for us?

There are so many ways to think of this, give me a moment…

Rose Mocha is the perfect shade to play with! You can use it over another red or use it over freshly-lightened hair, and it can really complement any skin tone — which is amazing! The finish will change depending on how you layer it, which also makes it super versatile.

Indigo Tea is the perfect denim look. It’s colder, so it does have a hard element to it. There is a gray component to it that makes it look really elegant. It’s a commitment, like any blue, but this will be easier to transition away from than some other blues.

Iced Matcha is a beautiful green. One thing I love about it is that you don’t need to be totally platinum for this to look good. If you have a little yellow undertone, it will give you a warmer matcha hue. If you use it over very porous platinum, you’re going to see more of the blue, cool notes. It’s called iced for a reason!

All of the Infusions shades have such a lived-in feel, so they will look great with rooted looks and they are perfect for fall and winter. I’m excited to see how our community starts wearing them!