Victoria Hayes
IN CONVERSATION
Victoria Hayes in Conversation
Fall / Winter 2019-2020 Collection "Inferno"
During the chaos of New York Fashion Week in February 2019 I found the calm and elegance. In a stunning apartment on the 18th floor overlooking Madison Square Park, I had my own private walkthrough of the Fall/Winter 2019-2020 Victoria Hayes Collection. Greeted by Victoria at the door she single handily walked me through the entire collection entitled “INFERNO”.
As we walked toward the collection Victoria told me, “I love this collection as I think it is one of the strongest collections we have done so far. The inspiration is based a little bit on my teenage years and wearing bondage pants and then celebrating my 30th birthday in Las Vegas this past Fall. I have also mixed in Rodin’s “Gates of Hell” and Dante’s “Inferno”. So I would definitely say the theme is an exploration of sin.”
At that point, I would have been speechless but, I couldn’t keep from repeating the word “stunning” over and over again and I hadn’t even really seen the designs yet. She began by showing me the western style hats that she had a milliner make with wide brims and veils. And can I just say earrings? Her vision of oversized earrings is perfection to me and every handmade pair she had on view was just that.
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As we came to the hanging racks filled with the collection she said, “We did our first foray into fully fashion knits this season. And the in-house prints throughout the line started with the sweater” That sweater had such details as the wheel of fortune you would find in Vegas and the winged sleeves like the demons have from the “Inferno”.
Thumbing through the racks I saw signatures of Victoria Hayes with her full lame skirts that float on air and impeccably tailored jackets. The new pieces were an assortment of blouses with puffed shoulders and organza sleeves, skirts and jackets designed with coated denim, a sheer black skirt that had the most stunning hand-cut Italian embellishments, macabre yet elegant dresses, designs made in coated leathers and felted suede, coats with details you would never think would be on a coat, and suiting in the most show stopping playing card print.
Her attention to detail is spot on and takes each garment to another level. There was a pair of pants where the side panel print might remind you of “The Little Shop of Horrors” due to the fact that the flowers embroidered on the fabric had fangs. She debuted embroidered French chiffon that was used sparingly yet skillfully. Chains and metal hardware were used throughout the collection but the best use was on an amazing print lined jacket with detachable bondage-esque straps in the back. And she brought western details not only to the hats but also in the cut of shirts and suits that are for a modern-day cowgirl.
As we got to the end of the collection Victoria turned to me and said, “I’m like every 30-year-old woman who is interested in a little bit of edge but it's chic, feminine, and elevated.” Her statement could not be closer to the truth for the collection I just witnessed. Victoria truly outdoes herself every season and stays true to her designs empowering the “VH woman”.
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