To celebrate GDY’s Decade of Dye, we put out a casting call on social media to build an anniversary campaign around our community members. We received 500+ applications in 24 hours! Every incredible submission reminded us of something we've always known: GDY is what it is because of our community.

Of course, we needed a rockstar dream team to help pull off our community photoshoot. Luckily we have our incredible GDY Pro Team of salon experts! When we put out the call, GDY Pro Stylist Emily Blair (@blairhairproject) answered! Teaming up with our Director of Education, Alexa Brooke, and NYC-based hair stylist, Lucy Jacobi, Emily was one of the key creative color masterminds behind the community campaign that celebrated the OG shades we launched with 10 years ago.

With more than a decade behind the chair, GDY Pro Stylist Emily Blair is known for creating bold, personalized color and cuts that celebrate individuality. After honing her craft at leading salons from NYC to LA, she opened her own studio in Hollywood, where she developed a signature approach that blends effortless, lived-in color with an intentionally undone edge. Inspired by everything from DIY hair transformations to high-fashion editorials, Emily creates looks that feel authentic, expressive, and uniquely tailored to each client who sits in her chair.

1. What first inspired you to get into the hair industry?

I grew up bleaching my hair in my parents’ bathroom. Lots of staining the tub bright blue, green, red, you name it. I remember my dad having to scrub it down with a Magic Eraser to get the stains out. I painted a lot growing up and had entertained the idea of going to school for graphic design, but I didn’t want to sit through years of college classes I’d already dreaded in high school. My mom’s hairstylist, Amanda, was opening up a salon and asked me to help manage it. I started working there, washing hair for a few months, before Amanda told me I should go to hair school. I blew the idea off for a few more weeks and then just decided to go. Best decision I’ve ever been pushed into. I immediately loved it and had so much fun. It felt like painting, but on hair, which is exactly how it still feels today. That was over 14 years ago and I’ve never looked back.

2. What do you love most about doing hair?

Honestly, what a hard question. I love almost everything about it. I really love being creative, getting messy, and being able to work with different mediums to create something wearable and totally unique for each person.

3. How would you describe your approach or style as an artist?

I’m very science-based as a colorist, but also very DIY at heart. Growing up dyeing my hair in the bathroom gave me a certain effortlessness in my approach, but I’m also extremely technical. I tend to break the rules to the nth degree, or I go completely by the book. It really depends on what the hair is calling for.

4. What does community mean to you within the beauty industry?

Community in the beauty industry was hard to find when I first started. Now I think we’ve entered a really amazing era where we’re all genuinely supportive of one another. To me, community is about sharing: what color line you used, what formula you ran, even working on the same head of hair with another stylist. A collaboration between a colorist and a cutter is something really special. 

5. What was your favorite part of working on the GDY community shoot?

Meeting all the models was so fun. They were so excited to be there and genuinely thrilled to end up with cool, expressive hair. They were all incredibly sweet. Getting to meet the Good Dye Young team, who really just let us run with the color and create freely, meant a lot. We were all ki-ki-ing and having the best time, from the GDY shoot crew, the models, and the hair team. It was just SO fun.

6. What do you love most about working with Good Dye Young products?

I love working with Good Dye Young because the products actually deliver. The colors are so vibrant and true to what you see online, you always know exactly what you’re getting straight out of the tube. The scents are really calming and pleasant to work with too. I especially love the Wash and the Rinse; specifically, the Rinse is great for making a color pastel or doing a pre-tone before a fashion color application.

7. Do you have a favorite GDY shade or color combination right now?

I mean… I love pink. I could never say anything else. I love the new Baddie, but I’m honestly obsessed with Ex-Girl. I think it’s one of the best hot pinks on the market right now.

8. Any pro tips for stylists using GDY in salon or on set?

Really saturate the hair. Good Dye Young formulas are a little thicker, which is what makes them so vibrant, but you need to make sure the hair is dry and that you’re fully saturating every single strand. Don’t rush that step.

9. What’s one thing newer stylists should know about working with vivid color?

Pre-toning is everything, and so is understanding natural remaining pigment. I always pre-tone before applying a fashion color to assess the porosity of the hair. Knowing the porosity tells you whether you need different formulas on different sections or if you can run the same formula throughout. Pre-toning any vivid is such a cheat code that people tend to skip. It makes a massive difference in vibrancy and longevity.

10. Any pro tips for doing hair on set or during editorial shoots?

Bring enough towels, and definitely don’t stain the model's hairline!

11. How do you balance creativity with the fast pace of shoot days?

Shoot days for me are very much about following the schedule. The real creativity happens in the conversations and prep leading up to the call time. On set, I tend to be focused but still fun and free-flowing. The creativity and the seriousness kind of come in waves and rarely overlap. When I’m in someone’s hair, I’m not thinking about shoot logistics. I’m thinking about how to make that person’s hair look its absolute best. And when we move to set, same thing: I’m thinking about how I make this look amazing and get out of the photographer’s way as fast as possible.

12. Who would be your dream client to have in your chair?

Miley Cyrus. Point blank, period. No discussion.

13. What trends or color moments are inspiring you right now?

I’m completely obsessed with what’s coming out of Asia, Japan especially. There are these really interesting, intriguing color moments that are complemented by incredibly innovative haircuts. My entire “For You” page is colors coming out of Asia.

14. What advice would you give to artists wanting to break into editorial or campaign work?

Say yes to everything. Assist whoever you can. Send cold DMs to people you admire in the industry. The worst that can happen is they say no. And if you don’t take the shot, you’ll never know.

15. What’s next for Blair Hair Project?

Honestly, I’m always all over the place and I love it. I’m back and forth between LA and New York, working on music videos and sets, while still being in the salon with my everyday clients. I feel like I’ve really found my sweet spot right now, and I genuinely love where I am at this moment. I’m sure by the end of the year I’ll be saying something completely different about my career goals.