Paramore’s Hayley Williams Has Opened Her Hair Salon

Hayley Williams & Brian O’Connor Welcome You To Fruits Hair Lab

It’s official: Paramore‘s punk rock sensation Hayley Williams has opened the doors to her very own full-service salon—Fruits Hair Lab—in Nashville, TN. Following the booming launch of her vibrant Good Dye Young hair color brand, this long-awaited passion project welcomes everything from rainbow transformations to gender-inclusive haircuts. 

We spoke with Fruits Co-Owner and Good Dye Young Chief Innovation Officer Brian O’Connor (a.k.a Hayley’s BFF) for the inside scoop and trust us: The Fruits menu is serving up anything but misery business.

Hayley’s longtime hairstylist and business partner Brian O’Connor:

Hayley’s business ventures with Brian are rooted in a longtime friendship.

Brian has been doing Hayley’s hair for over 17 years now—since the duo was barely out of their teen years. Remember Hayley’s iconic bright orange color from Misery Business? That was Brian, and the two of them have been attached at the hip ever since. The pair founded their experimental Good Dye Young color brand in 2016, and Brian still styles Hayley’s hair for shows and photoshoots.

“Working with Hayley has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only are we business partners, but we are genuinely best friends,” Brian says. “We pick up where the other one lacks. It’s just so nice to run multiple businesses with someone who has the same visions, politics and passions as I do.”

Fruits Hair Lab was a dream before it even had a name.

“Since we co-founded Good Dye Young…it just made sense to continue in the hair business,” Brian remembers fondly. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, the building for Fruits was purchased, designs were already being planned and the pair was working closely with their behind-the-scenes team on a business plan.

Now, two years later, the dream has come true. “We have a physical location where people can come express themselves, and it’s awesome to be able to offer that to our community,” Brian says. “I also work behind the chair full time when I’m not touring with Hayley, so having a space of my own has always been a dream for me.”

So, where did the “Fruits” name come from?

Along with its founders, the speciality salon’s name is nothing short of unique. FRUiTS was a monthly Japanese street fashion magazine founded in 1997 by photographer Shoichi Aoki that covered styles throughout Tokyo—specifically the fashion subcultures found in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.

“Hayley and I were OBSESSED with this magazine and it was one of our inspirations to start Good Dye Young,” Brian explains. “It only made sense that we name the salon after it, as it was the start of our business ventures as friends.”

The open design of Fruits challenges traditional workspaces.

Brian and Hayley teamed up with Keren Bernard of Studio K Designs to turn Fruits into a salon space like no other. The goal: A bright, clean aesthetic with intentional pops of color. Think of the soon-to-be iconic logo on the front door, the eye-catching “F” sconces on the walls and the LED tube chandelier.

Take a look into Fruits—and Brian’s very own custom loft where he’s free to work his magic:

The close-knit Fruits team was a longtime in the making.

“Hayley and I have known the stylists at Fruits for years before Fruits was even thought about,” Brian says. “We are forever grateful to them for believing in us.” Many of the stylists relocated to Nashville to be a part of Brian and Hayley’s vision, each with flawless portfolios.

Fruits also hopes to add a natural hairstylist to the team soon, and is currently working on an apprentice program for future on-boarding.

Peep this haute stylist station stocked with Good Dye Young!

Fruits’ service menu combines building relationships with quality products.

Whether a guest wants vibrant rainbow hues or dimensional natural shades, Fruits has an artist for everyone—including Brian! Clients can enjoy top-tier color services, fades, blowouts and more from specially matched artists that will best suit their needs. Along with speciality shades of Good Dye Young, Fruits is currently carrying Hairstory, Kevin Murphy and K18 Hair. There’s also a few makeup artists in-shop!

At Fruits, the guest’s self-image is crucial; the goal is to send them off loving their hair and loving themselves. “Fruits is also a safe space for anyone!” Brian says. “Our staff carry a mix of pronouns, as well as come from different backgrounds throughout the country.” 

Book to try specialty Good Dye Young colors!

Fruits takes pride in being a enviro-friendly Green Circle Salon.

“Sustainability stays at the top of the list for each item we use,” Brian says, and Fruits lives up to the mantra. Green Circle is an organization that helps salons offset their emissions and recover up to 95 percent of beauty waste. How? By turning commonplace salon waste like excess color, foils, color packaging, gloves and even hair into renewable energy and “hair booms” that soak up hazardous chemical spills.

As a participating salon, Fruits:

• Collects qualifying items in Green Circle bins
• Eliminates single-use items when possible, such as disposable cups and paper towels
• Installed touch-less features like hand dryers, sinks, soap dispensers and more
• Uses EcoHeads shampoo bowls for the purest water
• Offers recyclable beverage options, including Liquid Death canned water and Nespresso

To lessen the damage of unavoidable waste, Fruits opts for sustainable bamboo paper goods from Who Gives a Crap?, Earth Breeze laundry sheets, organic feminine care items and biodegradable trash bags.

A closer look at Fruits Hair Lab:

Brian, Hayley & the Fruits team are looking forward to a bright future.

Top notch cuts and color in a laid-back atmosphere designed by Hayley and Brian? Sign us up! With plans to expand the team’s education and make Fruits a safe place for creative expression for all, this salon is soon to become a Nashville mainstay.

“Our team has a well-rounded background in the industry as far as people who think “outside the box,”” Brian says, looking forward. “Coupling our expertise with dreams of evolving the industry, as well as community activism, there will always be a list of future plans in the works.

To learn more about Fruits Hair Lab, visit www.fruitshairlab.com.

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