Sustainable Spotlight: James Pecis on His Path to Professional-Grade Plastic-Free Haircare With BLU & GREEN

James Pecis, Celebrity hairdresser and Founder of Blu & Green

The Blu & Green collection includes unique products like crushable shampoo and conditioner tablets designed for ease of travel and low impact packaging. 

From the runways of global fashion weeks to styling top models and celebrities, hairdresser James Pecis has brought his creative vision to life through high-profile collaborations with some of the industry’s most iconic brands and magazines. Pecis’ work includes partnerships with top haircare brands including his role as Global Ambassador for Oribe. Now, his passion for both style and sustainability has inspired his latest project, Blu & Green—a collection of innovative and environmentally-conscious hair products.

Beauty Boss: Jessica Friedman, General Manager of Oribe Global

While Pecis has collaborated with numerous haircare brands over the years, his quest for an eco-friendly line offering high-performance products without toxins, aerosols or plastic ultimately inspired him to launch his own collection. The brand’s mission is to provide products that are both high performance and low impact on the environment. We spoke with Pecis about his exciting journey in the beauty industry, his commitment to sustainable beauty, and the inspiration behind Blu & Green.

Blu & Green crushable daily conditioner tablets.

Can you tell us a little about your journey in the industry?

I started off doing hair at a salon in San Francisco and then moved to NYC to work at Bumble and bumble. It was then that I started assisting on shoots and shows. After putting in my time assisting some of the best artists in New York, I moved to London to develop my own style and push myself creatively. 

I built a career working on fashion shows in London, Milan, Paris, and NYC and doing editorial for magazines like Vogue (U.S., French, Italian, British) as well as i-D, Dazed, W, and Interview. After living in London for seven years, I moved back to New York and became the Global Ambassador for Oribe Hair Care, a position I held for five years.  

I have consulted and worked for many of the top hair brands. I work with celebrities and most of the top fashion designers. I’ve had many magazine covers over the years and I still do campaigns and a few fashion shows like Chanel and Thom Browne, but right now I am focusing on building Blu & Green and creating more incredible products. We are just getting started; we have several very exciting launches planned for 2025 and beyond. 

Do you have a signature technique that you are best known for?

That’s probably one of the hardest questions you could ask me. I love that with Thom Browne I’m able to push my creative limits (or have no limits at all!) And I love to do Chanel, which is always so lovely and classic. I love being able to grab what is around me and make things on set.  

Equally, I enjoy making people feel beautiful and special. That is the magic of being a hairdresser. We have so many career options and directions we can go in, and no two careers are the same. Whether I am doing a conceptual headpiece or an easy "cool girl" style, the look always needs to fit its surroundings and environment. 

I’ve had such a diverse career. I can't say I’m known for a signature technique or style, but I definitely enjoy it all. 

What inspired you to launch Blu & Green? What is the philosophy behind the brand?

As a session stylist, I experienced first-hand the amount of plastic waste that the beauty industry generates, and it was especially evident after years of doing hair for fashion shows. I was inspired to create the Blu & Green Daily Shampoo and Conditioner after unsuccessfully searching for a line of high-performance haircare in plastic-free packaging. We set out to create a line of clean, professional-grade products with zero plastic and began with the basics—a daily cleanser and conditioner. 

What products did you launch with and what makes them unique?

In the lead up to our launch, we considered a number of different product formats and eventually chose to launch with crushable shampoo and conditioner tablets for their ease of travel and low-impact packaging. Previously, the bar format was the main option for plastic-free haircare, but it has considerable drawbacks. Tablets are much more pleasant and hygienic to use than solid bars. We also launched with a Solid Oil and Weekly Repair Mask.

Can you tell us about the various aspects of sustainability for your products?

The Blu & Green Daily Shampoo and Conditioner are the first high-performance hair cleanser and conditioner available in a crushable, tablet format—and they are also plastic-free. Each box of Blu & Green tables is equivalent to a 500ml bottle of traditional shampoo or conditioner—and they are six times lighter than a conventional bottle. The lower weight of the metal box drastically reduces carbon emissions during shipping and it also uses far less packaging.

Anything you want customers to know about the ingredients?

We’re committed to being transparent about our formulas and prioritize natural ingredients over synthetics. That being said, our products need to work at the highest level, so if a synthetic bio-engineered compound is most beneficial to the product performance, we will consider it. 

Blu & Green Dry Shampoo.

Any upcoming launches we should watch out for next?

We are very excited about our Dry Shampoo launching in January. We have been testing and using it backstage on shows and it’s performed beautifully. It’s a super ultra-fine powder which absorbs oil while staying soft and touchable and without getting thick and gummy like conventional dry shampoo. We champion ingredients for healthy hair growth and scalp health, so we use Maranta Arundinacea Root, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel, and Panax Ginseng Root Extract.

We also just launched a beautiful walnut handle detangling / wet brush. This brush is designed to last a lifetime with metal bristles and a cushion that is 97.5% natural rubber. It’s great for wet comb through, power dries, and brushing out sets. 

A University of Michigan graduate, Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning writer/editor. Her work has appeared in publications including Beauty Launchpad, Nailpro, DAYSPA, CNET, Entertainment Tonight, and more. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA, and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @zillizy, @zillizy16