About the Designer

Hailey’s designs are about seeing beauty in the passage of time. She uses exclusively vintage and reclaimed materials, making her entire process circular and zero waste. She sees the wear and tear in fabric as a visual representation of time, however, instead of understanding clothing as deteriorating in value after each wear, Hailey treasures these textiles as they pass through their life, repairing and nurturing them through her design process into new patchwork garments.

Fast fashion has accelerated the turnover of our clothing to the point where clothes have become disposable. With this, we have learned to fear the passing of time. We are afraid of being outdated. Afraid of ageing. What if instead of running from time - we became friends with her? Hailey believes that time is not something that happens to us but rather something that we play with through our self-expression. Our lives are just an expression of time, which means that time belongs to us, not the other way around. The visual effects of time (wear and tear, on our clothes and on our bodies) are then simply just proof that we have lived. Proof that we have played.

Hailey’s designs challenge the linear timeline of fashion (production, consumption, disposal) and of life as a whole. Her designs celebrate the beauty in ageing as we move through infinite, circular transformation.

Background:

In 2019 Hailey completed her Bachelor's degree in Microbiology & Immunology at Dalhousie University where she worked on combination immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. She also worked at the Heart Institute in Ottawa where she contributed to research on novel microRNA and nanoparticle therapies for atherosclerosis. In 2020, Hailey shifted gears and in 2022 she graduated from Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy and began her career as an emerging Canadian designer. 

Impact:

Hailey's background in science has been instrumental in shaping her approach to fashion. She sees fashion design as an opportunity to merge her scientific mindset with artistic expression and sustainable practices. Her designs revive discarded fabrics, reducing the industry's reliance on virgin resources. Hailey recognizes the need for change in the industry and is committed to carving a new path within the circular fashion movement.

Wyatt House is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Community.