Hayley Paige is one of the most recognized, top bridal dress designers in the world. As the head designer for Hayley Paige, Blush by Hayley Paige, Hayley Paige Occasions, Hayley Paige Red Carpet and La Petite Hayley Paige at JLM Couture, Hayley’s career skyrocketed at a young age and it doesn’t stop there. Hayley continues to impress, inspire with her creativity, and even connect with brides.
Bridal Times had the honor and pleasure to catch up with Hayley to ask her about her journey, current projects and what she has in store for 2019.
The Hayley Paige Collection only just launched in 2011 and since that time you have expanded your line, dressed celebrities, landed a television series and brides around the world absolutely adore your gowns! What has this journey been like for you?
I’ve always wanted to make wedding dresses for a living, but I didn’t always have the confidence in myself or understand the viability of design as a profession growing up. Luckily this doubt made me open to difference experiences in business and science that really curated a special avenue for me. I entered the industry straight out of college and knew it would take hard work and real experience to properly develop my skill set. I believe in practice, but I also believe in gravitating toward people that will help you blossom and cultivate your talent.
What inspires you and how do you stay so creative?
First, I remember there is always another gorgeous bride to design for and beautiful dress to create. Inspiration is multifaceted for me and typically comes with a unique soundtrack. I love tapping into different personalities and energies, as opposed to feeling confined to an artistic theme. If I’m feeling like I’m in a creative rut, I try to get out of my environment to reset or focus on a different aspect of the brand such as social media or trunk shows!
Describe the kind of bride that wears a Hayley Paige gown?
The Hayley Paige bride is a go getter and a thrower of confetti! She also has a great sense of humor and an empowering sense of self. I think she looks for a gown that compliments her unique attributes in an artistic, yet playful way. “I want to underwhelm them” said no Hayley Paige bride ever!
Would you say your style has changed since you first started?
Although over the years I’ve evolved in my designs and been inspired by different concepts, I feel like I keep the same core principles. Even in developing my other lines, I want every bride to feel their most confident and beautiful on their wedding day and I love playing such an important role in that!
We have enjoyed watching you give us a “Behind the Scenes” tour of your designer room in the “You’ve got Paiged” YouTube series. What inspired you to launch the series and give us an inside look of your design process?
YouTube’s audience is rich with a desire to spectate, create, and relate, so I look forward to eloping in the storytelling element of it all. Diary-style videos offer a level of authenticity when it comes to personality and skill set, so my hope with the Just Got Paiged series is to educate, inspire, and delight viewers with heaps of creativity and special moments of human connection.
You have even a Haley Paige App! Tell us about that and how have you been able to connect so well to your fans through social media.
I’m a firm believer that whatever you can’t express with words, you can certainly express with your dress….and an emoji! Holy Matrimoji brings all the fun and excitement of dresses, weddings, and that extra sparkle right to your phone. I hand-illustrated all the emojis to really give that personal Hayley Paige touch to users. I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to connect so well with all my followers on social! I love to interact with brides, see pictures of them in their dresses, and keep my social really personal.
Tell us about your Spring 2019 collection and what can we expect to see from Hayley Paige in 2019.
Overall, I look to create individuality for a bride while also harmonizing the collection. My spring 2019 collection really focused on the empowerment and kind of a superhero manifesto. Each bridal gown in this collection represents a different value and has its own tarot card that gives affirmations for the day, including everything from loyalty and resilience, to grit and gratitude. Spring 2019 is all about confidence, not compromise.
When is the next opportunity for European retailers to view your latest collections?
The internet and social media has made everything a lot more accessible visually, however it’s important with a product-driven business to get our trunk show samples physically into European stores. We are working to expand our presence out there with events and specialty trunk shows. In the interim, we are investing heavily in our Instagram and YouTube platforms and will continue to debut new collections in April and October. In the meantime, we will show our latest collections at London from March 24-26. We’ll go back in September to show the newest collection, which will be debuted this April. Some of our European retailers even make the trip across the pond to NY Market in April as well.
What has been the most rewarding part of your career and what piece of advice would you give someone who is an early career designer in such a competitive business?
The main mantra I keep in my head is “hustle and heart” will set you apart. I think it’s important to work hard and be brave! In mastering your craft, try not to just form habits, but actually create intent and feed your purpose. In such a competitive industry it’s important to stay persistent and almost be borderline annoying because you want that job so bad.
Thank you Hayley for this interview.
For further information, visit JLM Couture Hayley Paige
“Just got Paiged” Hayley Paige YouTube Channel