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In a former bread factory in Nashville, you’ll find Grammy award-winner Hayley Williams and her business partner Brian O’Connor, the duo behind independent hair dye brand, Good Dye Young.

Since 2016, a space that once served up freshly baked goods has been transformed into a hair dying hub; one creating multi-colour dyes for a legion of fans aiming to express themselves through, simply, their hair.

“It’s a very personal part of our lives, not just a business,” says Hayley. “This is what we do, but it’s also just who we are, it’s how we communicate with each other, it’s how we communicate ourselves to the world.”

The duo have worked together for nearly 12 years, starting when Hayley was a 17-year-old singer getting ready for her band, Paramore’s, first headline tour. She wandered into a salon in Franklin where she found the, then, 20-year-old Brain working as a hair apprentice.

Six months later, Brian had become her go-to hairdresser. He went on to create her hairstyle for Paramore’s Misery Business music video; a bright orange do that was labelled ‘iconic’ by her fan base, was replicated left, right and centre, and became synonymous with Paramore’s brand identity.

“I don’t think either of us realised that it would become a part of the image related to the band,” says Brian. “Every conversation or article would always start about her hair first, it became a part of her brand, and still is, it’s still something that people expect.”

Brian has styled Hayley's hair for over a decade now; a period of time which has seen her locks transform from those signature fire hues to virtually every single colour of the rainbow.

Hayley Williams' hair journey 39 show all Hayley Williams' hair journey 1/39 Scroll through to see just a few of Hayley's hair transformations over the years... Getty Images for CBS Radio Inc. 2/39 August, 2017 SplashNews.com 3/39 May, 2017 SplashNews.com 4/39 July, 2015 Getty Images 5/39 August, 2014 PA Archive/PA Images 6/39 February, 2014 Getty Images for DirecTV 7/39 May, 2014 Getty Images for 102.7 KIIS FM's Wango Tango 8/39 June, 2014 Getty Images 9/39 July, 2014 Getty Images 10/39 December, 2013 Getty Images for Clear Channel 11/39 September, 2014 Getty Images for Clear Channel 12/39 October, 2014 Getty Images for CBS Radio Inc. 13/39 December, 2014 SplashNews.com 14/39 April, 2013 AFP/Getty Images 15/39 April, 2013 PA Archive/PA Images 16/39 April, 2013 Getty Images 17/39 June, 2013 AFP/Getty Images 18/39 August, 2013 Getty Images 19/39 February, 2011 Getty Images 20/39 April, 2011 Getty Images 21/39 June, 2011 Getty Images for CMT 22/39 January, 2010 Getty Images 23/39 January, 2010 Getty Images 24/39 August, 2010 PA Archive/PA Images 25/39 September, 2010 AFP/Getty Images 26/39 November, 2010 Getty Images 27/39 November, 2010 Getty Images 28/39 December, 2010 Getty Images 29/39 October, 2009 Getty Images 30/39 February, 2008 31/39 September, 2008 Getty Images 32/39 October, 2008 Getty Images 33/39 November, 2008 Getty Images 34/39 November, 2008 Getty Images 35/39 December, 2008 Getty Images 36/39 September, 2007 Getty Images 37/39 October, 2007 Getty Images 38/39 November, 2007 Getty Images 39/39 April, 2006 Getty Images 1/39 Scroll through to see just a few of Hayley's hair transformations over the years... Getty Images for CBS Radio Inc. 2/39 August, 2017 SplashNews.com 3/39 May, 2017 SplashNews.com 4/39 July, 2015 Getty Images 5/39 August, 2014 PA Archive/PA Images 6/39 February, 2014 Getty Images for DirecTV 7/39 May, 2014 Getty Images for 102.7 KIIS FM's Wango Tango 8/39 June, 2014 Getty Images 9/39 July, 2014 Getty Images 10/39 December, 2013 Getty Images for Clear Channel 11/39 September, 2014 Getty Images for Clear Channel 12/39 October, 2014 Getty Images for CBS Radio Inc. 13/39 December, 2014 SplashNews.com 14/39 April, 2013 AFP/Getty Images 15/39 April, 2013 PA Archive/PA Images 16/39 April, 2013 Getty Images 17/39 June, 2013 AFP/Getty Images 18/39 August, 2013 Getty Images 19/39 February, 2011 Getty Images 20/39 April, 2011 Getty Images 21/39 June, 2011 Getty Images for CMT 22/39 January, 2010 Getty Images 23/39 January, 2010 Getty Images 24/39 August, 2010 PA Archive/PA Images 25/39 September, 2010 AFP/Getty Images 26/39 November, 2010 Getty Images 27/39 November, 2010 Getty Images 28/39 December, 2010 Getty Images 29/39 October, 2009 Getty Images 30/39 February, 2008 31/39 September, 2008 Getty Images 32/39 October, 2008 Getty Images 33/39 November, 2008 Getty Images 34/39 November, 2008 Getty Images 35/39 December, 2008 Getty Images 36/39 September, 2007 Getty Images 37/39 October, 2007 Getty Images 38/39 November, 2007 Getty Images 39/39 April, 2006 Getty Images

Whilst it was the band's hits Still Into You, Hard Times and Ain’t It Fun which launched Hayley into the mainstream, it was her experimental locks that made her an inspiration (and hairspiration) to a generation of indie kids. In particular those, like her, attempting to explore their identity through unconventional beauty methods.

Yet as confident as the Grammy award-winner might have seemed on stage during that time - with her awesome locks, belting out survival anthems alongside her bandmates - what the Paramore crowds might not have known is that her most radical hairstyles often signalled troubled times in her personal life.

“In 2014 we changed my hair eight times in nine months,” she explains. “I was going through so much and in some ways I didn’t even know that I was going through all of it.”

In 2016, after enduring the challenges of both a divorce and mental health struggles - something Hayley now openly speaks about on social media - she asked Brian for a complete makeover.

“I texted him one morning and was like, ‘Brian I keep looking in the mirror and I keep seeing this person that I don’t know at all. I need to see a new version of myself that I can aspire to or that I can grow into.’”

It was clearly a pivotal, and poignant, moment for them both. Not just as collaborators, but, more importantly, as friends. As Brian explains: “She needed a blank slate. Her hair had been a distraction for other people. I was constantly turning it over to distract from other things, or keep people from seeing what was going on. I don’t think even she knew that at the time - nor did I.”

“I love that for every time we’ve changed my hair there’s some story behind it,” she says.

For the last two years, since the birth of Good Dye Young, Hayley’s hair has remained consistently blonde - her favourite colour to date.

“Now that I’ve lived out [Paramore's album] After Laughter and what my hair has come to mean to me during this season of my life, I think I have to say that this has been my favourite. Because in spite of people’s perceptions, in spite of what may be more sellable, we did what was right for where we were at as friends, and where I was at as a person.”

It's little surprise, then, that Hayley's relationship with her hair has been a major catalyst for Good Dye Young. Through it, Hayley and Brian aim to empower people to find their own sense of self - an identity - and perhaps help them through difficult periods in their life as well.

“What made me personally want to be involved, and do something like this, is the fact that it is such a journey for people," explains Hayley.

"Hair is such a story. Even for people who don’t do things with their hair, there is still something emotional about it for them. It can be such a deeply personal thing."

“If we don’t give ourselves permission to go there and express, then there’s a large part of ourselves we’re not getting to know.”

Hayley and Brian’s passion for self-expression and exploration can be seen all over the brand. From its nine bright semi-permanent colours, to unique temporary hair make-up Poser Paste, which allows you to inject personality into your hair for just a few hours. Even the brand's bold new packaging nods to its mission: it has the phrase "Live free. Dye happy" written on the inside of each box.

Like many success stories, Good Dye Young has emerged at the right time. In recent years, rainbow locks have amassed an ever-growing number of followers, thanks, in part, to the likes of the Kardashians and their wardrobe of wigs.

Yet, Hayley and Brian's brand is no passing fad. They want to keep self-expression and inclusivity at its heart, and to that end, have created a blog - STRANDS - for customers to share their stories.

“We want to inspire people and show them that they’re not an outsider – for us, that’s why this is so important," says Brian.

And, it's clearly working. Good Dye Young have just announced that as of October 2, the label is going to be stocked in Sephora - one of the largest beauty retailers in the world.

But whilst launching the brand into the mainstream market is obviously great news, financially, Hayley and Brian remain intent on the core message: that however you choose to express yourself, you should always feel like you belong, and you can belong with Good Dye Young.

As for Hayley’s own hair journey? It’s not over yet.

The warm golden shades Hayley sports now she calls her "natural" hair. Though that's not to say it's necessarily permanent.

As Hayley concludes: “My hair is blonde today, but nothing in life is final and I love that about hair too”.