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Fashion
5 MINUTES WITH HAYLEY MENZIES
The free-spirited designer gives us the lowdown on her eponymous line, her Irish muses and how her passion for colour and print inform her designs.
Hayley Menzies spring-summer collection is called Paradise Found and it was born during a trip to Thailand in early 2020.
On her spring 2021 inspirations…
We are so excited to launch with Brown Thomas this season; we love the Irish! The collection for spring-summer is called Paradise Found and it was born during a trip to Thailand in January 2020, just before lockdown. I started sketching poolside and travelled around on the back of my friend’s motorbike with the wind in my hair and without a scrap of makeup for weeks. I visited temples, fields of buffalo, the jungle and markets all of which shaped the collection. Next stop was back to my parents in Gloucestershire where my dad and I painted the enchanting Paradise Found print and then lockdown happened and the importance of effortless silhouettes and barefoot life become the norm. The idea was to design a collection where escapism and simple living collide and how paradise is a state of mind.
Menzies started her brand on the Portobello Road in Notting Hill in London.
On her love of vintage and Portobello Road
I’ve been interested in second-hand and vintage clothing since I was a teenager, I’m drawn like a magpie to extraordinary, shimmering pieces so it’s fate that I ended up living and working a stone’s throw from the world famous Portobello Market in Notting Hill in London. Starting my brand at the market was a natural and a valuable lesson in retail. Meeting my customers, and my curiosity as to what they liked in my pieces.
Hayley's Irish muses pictured in their favourite looks: Pippa O'Connor, Vogue Williams, Amy Huberman and Courtney Smith.
On the Menzies woman
She is a woman of the wind! She shines, loves, laughs and isn’t afraid of being “too much”. A bonafide maximalist. We had a #HaylesAngels hashtag and it’s a take from the world famous Hells Angels who are an “outlaw motorcycle gang!” The new tag is #RefinedRebels which just summarises my muse to perfection. We are delighted to have many #RefinedRebels in Ireland from Pippa O’Connor, Vogue Williams, Amy Huberman and Courtney Smith all wearing Hayley Menzies so well.
Twiggy working bright colour and print with her iconic look in the early 1970s.
On 1960s muses
I have a great interest in the icons of the Swinging Sixties from Twiggy to Mick Jagger. They are timeless trailblazers, strong independent women and men, many of whom were super creative. Interestingly, when I see the muses I have chosen on the moodboard, I’ve noticed how many of the photographs could’ve been taken yesterday.
Hayley designing her collection for spring-summer 2021.
On her passion for print, colour and jacquard
For me the creative, colour selection and mood happens as a natural design flow. Once my idea is clear we create individual digital print designs for both knit and jacquards and begin product development - a lengthy and often painstaking task. Silhouettes are often inspired by a variety of pieces from my personal vintage collection which span from the 1930s-1990s. I then experiment with mixing influences to create collections that have a freshness.
On what it means to be a bohemian
It’s a state of mind. It’s about balance. It’s about being creative. It’s about being present and connecting but at the same time it’s about being free.
On empowering women
I’d like women to feel that they have stepped out of the ordinary and into extravagance, and to feel empowered by their choice.
On her dreams for 2021
I’d like freedom to return, for fear to disperse and for the parties to start!
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Be inspired by Hayley Menzies love of travel and go Around the World in 80 Scents.