The original post is located at wwd.com
Batsheva Hay’s spring collection was a self-described departure from her well-known design codes, like her popular prairie dresses, instead leaning into more whimsical designs that still bore her signature feminine flair.
“It’s none of the shapes that I’ve done before, but at the same time it’s still very me,” Hay said during her spring presentation at BondST Sushi in Hudson Yards. “It’s around a loose 1950s theme, but it got really loose.”
Hay presented the collection in a relaxed format, with the designer announcing each look and giving insight into its creation as models walked around tables of spectators. Hay enlisted many of her own friends as models, such as producer Jordan Roth, musician Michelle Zauner, writer Amy Fine Collins and others.
The collection offered a balance of kitschy, avant-garde looks with whimsical feminine dresses and separates.
For the avant-garde pieces, Hay created looks out of kitchen accessories. Several were hand-stitched with white, floral-embellished placemats with scalloped edges. The finale consisted of a black-and-white dress made up entirely of oven mitts also hand-stitched together. Hay stated the use of kitchen accessories came from her desire to create home goods for her brand.
For the more commercial designs, Hay let go of her signature codes — including her go-to dark color palette — to create retro-inspired styles that embodied her ultra-feminine spirit.
Dresses were in bright colors of turquoise, pink and red with details like bows, lace and tulle. Standout pieces included a floral cotton dress with a cape and tortoise shell-like design and a white lace dress with a bubble skirt that felt both retro and modern.
“This is the era that my mom grew up in,” Hay said about the retro inspiration. “I’ve seen a lot of pictures from this time and I’ve heard a lot about this time, so it’s very fascinating to me. It’s also a time where people really got dressed. I feel sometimes a little aimless in today’s world of athleisure, so I really love to do the full head-to-toe dream look.”
