The Brand: Hayley Menzies

Founded in 2011, Hayley Menzies is a small but luxury British brand originating from a market stall in Portobello road’s Green Arcade. The brand oozes originality and builds upon an exemplary set of values within the fashion industry, namely their commitment to authentic design, animal welfare and female-led production. After years of travelling the world and working amongst London’s vibrant rave scene, Creative Director Hayley set up her Portobello market stall offering an eclectic edit of beautiful bohemian pieces. Since then, London’s most glamorous hunter-gatherer has continued to craft two collections per year, drawing inspiration from natural landscapes, wildlife and architecture from across the world.

13 years after her first collection, Hayley Menzie's SS24 ‘Under the Sun’ edit elicits rich cultural landscapes of Morocco and South America. The sun-kissed colour palette of pinks and oranges are reminiscent of warm sunset skies of the Sahara Desert, seen most clearly in the Dancing Girls Silk Maxi Dress. Vibrant shades of green and yellow found in this season’s favoured Jacquard Jacket mirror the sight of Brazil’s lush jungles, and ancient traditions of carpet weaving are captured in the geometric design of the statement Jacquard duster. Deep terracotta hues represent traditional ceramics found in these countries, seen most clearly in the standout Sahara Gilet, and as always, a nod to her love for wildlife is captured on this season’s Psychedelic Leopard T’s. Animated barefoot women dance through the dust in photographs found on Hayley’s travels across Southern America, perfectly reproduced on the Silk Maxi dress of this unique capsule.

Aside from the collection’s undeniable beauty, we love Hayley’s commitment to responsible production processes. Her knitwear/wovens are made by mother-daughter duos in Romania and Bulgaria, both small factories where skills are inherited from past generations of artisans. Animals remain close to the brand’s heart, selecting wools from non-mulesing factories, and silks/cottons from producers with strict animal welfare standards. Most admirable for me is Hayley’s contribution to an array of charities concerned with the protection of natural habitats, animal prosperity and the promotion of women in business. Each pledge displays the utmost honesty and care. I feel proud to stock and sell Hayley Menzies, everything always feels so personal and pure and it’s a joy to inform others on the backstory to each carefully crafted collection.

Jenna x