“Huzzah!” is the Word: Hayley Paige on Reclaiming Her Name and Her Voice
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The name Hayley Paige is synonymous with whimsical, ethereal bridal gowns. But for years the designer was silenced as her name was locked in a public legal battle that threatened to erase the creative legacy she built. Now with the rights to her name reclaimed and a stunning new collection, Hayley Paige is back, more resilient than ever.
Contributor Dee Lee sat down with her to discuss her creative resurrection, the journey of rebuilding and what it means to truly own your voice. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: You’ve been through a highly public legal battle. What does it feel like to reclaim your name and return to the bridal world on your own terms?
Liberating and joyful, with a little bit of nostalgia. Part of me feels like I just opened a time capsule, and another part feels like I’m running wild because someone finally left the gate open. I’m grateful for the hard stuff. It showed me what I’m made of and what still needs work.
But what really stayed steady through all of it were the two best parts of this job: the craft and the community. That creative muscle never really went away, and the people who stuck by me reminded me that this world would welcome me back. That means everything to me, and it’s something I don’t take lightly. At the end of the day, what more could a designer ask for?
Q: Your designs have always embodied a mix of whimsy, structure, and statement. How has your creative vision evolved through this chapter of reinvention?
Bridal fashion lives at the intersection of your love story and your unique personality. What’s changed for me through all this is my tolerance for challenges and my willingness to pivot when things don’t go as planned. I still lean into imagination and fantasy. That’ll always be my happy place. But now there’s more backbone in the silhouettes and a quiet defiance woven into the process.
More than anything, keeping a sense of humor about it all has been key. I design around three touchpoints: sentimentality, playfulness, and a little something unexpected. To me, that’s what turns a loving art form into something experiential, something tangible that not only connects you to someone else, but celebrates all the multitudes of who you are.
Q: Was there one gown in this new collection that felt like a personal “I’m back” moment?
Designing this first collection has been emotional in all the best ways. I wanted to stay true to the signature Hayley Paige DNA while weaving in everything I’ve learned. More growth, more gumption.
One dress in particular actually brought me to tears: an ombré tiered tulle ballgown we named After the Storm. She’s made of ten different shades of tulle, reminiscent of a rainbow. To me, she captures an entire chapter of my life. It’s a love letter to reinvention. She’s a prism and a roar at the same time, a beautiful reminder that your story doesn’t end just because someone else tries to close the book.
Q: How did you stay creatively fueled during the years you couldn’t design under your own name?
That chapter taught me how important it is to keep learning. To stay a student of life and design. During that time, I studied shoe and handbag design because it felt creatively fulfilling but noncompetitive, and I threw myself into learning the nuts and bolts of building a small business.
I kept my body moving too. Long walks and workouts became my way of feeling productive when everything else felt stuck.
Most importantly, I kept creating. I sketched gowns in the quiet, unseen hours, not for an audience, not performatively, but just for the love of it. And it reminded me why I fell for this craft in the first place.
Distractions can kill creativity. Lawsuits can kill dreams. You have to find a way to stay imaginative and resourceful, even when the canvas feels small. That time forced me to find beauty in unlikely places, which is really what great design and expression has always been about.
Q: If you could sum up your comeback in one word, or one headline, what would it be?
Can I say “huzzah”? Because honestly? It’s the kind of huzzah you say when you’ve crawled through the weeds, learned more than you thought you could handle, and finally get to laugh and exhale. It’s not naive or over-the-top. It’s knowing, grateful, and a little cheeky. But still… huzzah.
Q: What bridal trends are you loving right now and which ones are you ready to leave behind?
I love a bride who picks a gown that feels personal, not just what’s “in.” Give me playful textures, hidden meanings, pearl embellishments, and color any day. I’m also here for the “mini” moment. Brides who change into a short dress for the happily-ever-after party always look like they’re having the most fun.
What trend am I ready to retire? The whole “dress for your body shape” nonsense. That really frosts my cookies. No bride should feel boxed in by some made-up rules about proportions. The gown is meant to fit you and be tailored to your shape, not the other way around.
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