I was at university studying science, planning to go into dietetics, and had started making clothes on my mum’s sewing machine at the kitchen table in all my spare time. I loved experimenting with the making — not so much the designing — and it’s still often that way for me. It’s fabric first: what can I make with this, and what will that look like? Not necessarily starting with a clear design idea and figuring out how to bring it to life.

I went to fashion school thinking it might just be for a year, but very quickly knew I’d found what I wanted to do. After graduating, I worked across fashion and costume for several years, always loving any opportunity to be hands-on with the making. Bridal felt like a very natural thing for me to fall into — a way to spend as much of my time making as possible. I feel so grateful to do what I love, and even more so to work closely with people on these precious garments that are kept and treasured.

Several years ago, I made my sister’s wedding dress. She had been looking for something quite simple and struggled to find options. I absolutely loved making her dress and realised very clearly that this is what I should be doing. I saw there was a lot of space in New Zealand bridalwear for designs that felt pared-back but still beautiful, special and ‘bridal’. Our weddings here tend to be a little more relaxed and less formal or traditional than elsewhere, so it made a lot of sense to create something that worked for that.

Very early on it was seeing both of my grandmothers sewing things for us, or flipping through old Vogue pattern books at fabric stores. My own personal style has always been quite laid back; I’ve never been drawn to overly feminine or complicated design, and that still comes through in my work today.

Having your dress made by the person designing it is not the typical bridal experience. Being part of the process one-on-one and seeing the dress come to life along the way is really special. My design and dressmaking expertise meets the creativity of the bride — it’s a very collaborative process. This means we can lean into tradition or modernity at the whim of the wearer.

I don’t envision the Hayes Bride as any one particular person. I tend to design things I’d want to wear myself or could see my friends wearing — and there’s no way to have something for absolutely everyone on the rack. I’m always amazed by who ends up being a Hayes Bride; they’re so varied! But she seems to always be someone warm, creative and thoughtful in her choices. So I suppose I design dresses for lovely people having special wedding days — how lucky am I.

As always, I was led by the fabrics and by anything I felt might be missing from the rack. I’ve been loving the romance of a crinkly silk chiffon and have a silk dupion I’ve been working with more and more — it has this papery, crisp and slubby texture, and makes a gentle rustling sound. A sensory delight!

Recently engaged myself, I’d been entertaining ideas of what I would want for my own wedding. What would I wear to a lakeside ceremony at Como? (Esme Gown.) Or an intimate dinner at our favourite restaurant? (Laine Gown.) There’s more variation in form and silhouette in this collection, which I think came from exploring what pieces might suit different types of celebration.

Inevitably I’m informed by what I see and what I’m wearing at the time, and — just like fashion — bridal is shaped by trends. I do think that favouring more simplistic, relaxed designs and working in a limited fabric palette means I’m not swaying too heavily into any trend. Some of my best-selling styles I’ve been making versions of for six years now.

Yes, some pieces are more ‘timeless’ than others, but I think there will always be a timestamp on any wedding day. I don’t think it should necessarily be the goal to look at a wedding and have no idea when it took place.

It’s about one-third collection styles, one-third slightly customised versions, and one-third fully bespoke pieces. Often that’s led by how much someone can (or wants to) visualise a change to a design.

For bespoke pieces, it starts with a consultation that typically includes trying on pieces from the collection to get a feel for fabrics and silhouettes, and to explore any new design elements. Brides usually come to me with an idea of what they’re trying to achieve, so it’s a very collaborative process — understanding their vision and how I can bring it to life. I always so appreciate that they’re putting their trust in my work.

Typically, there’s a mock-up fitting in calico first to explore ideas in physical form. Once the design is finalised, I cut the dress in the actual silk fabric — the first fitting in the real piece is always an exciting moment! Then we have fitting after fitting over a few months until it’s perfect.

I have so many favourites! One that stands out is a dress for Lucciane last summer. She was really drawn to the texture and ‘scrunch’ of silk. Her dress was based on the Sylvie Gown from my collection, but we redesigned the bodice to make it perfect for her. I loved that we were led by the nature of the beautiful silk dupion fabric — exploring how to showcase that and create texture within the piece was heaven for me as a designer. The cherry on top was that Ophelia from Poet Pictures captured their day and the dress so beautifully.

Over the past five or so years, we’ve seen much more variation in what a wedding day looks like. People are finding freedom in how they want to celebrate and express their love, rather than fitting into a traditional template — and it makes for some incredibly beautiful and unique celebrations.

It sometimes feels like I’m just watching Hayes Bridal grow, not actually doing it myself. It evolves so naturally. The future is about continuing to work with creative people on their vision for their wedding day — whatever that looks like for them.

Amongst a sea of options, I think brides are looking for something that feels personal. There are a lot of vintage references at the moment, and I think that comes from wanting something unique or meaningful — a nod to a dress from a past generation.

A custom dress of your very own can feel more personal than the ‘dress of the season’ that hundreds of other brides have worn. But even if you choose a popular design that you just love, there are so many ways to style your look and make it your own — whether that’s a unique accessory or a beautiful vintage family heirloom veil. I love helping brides add those little personal touches that feel special to them.

In an industry that can sometimes feel frivolous, there are these beautiful moments when I know I’m helping women feel great. I once made a dress for a friend who left a note at my table setting on her wedding day that said, “I hope you see how much joy your talent brings people on days like today,” and that has really stuck with me. Regardless of what it looks like, a wedding day is such a pure celebration of love and connection, so knowing my work plays a small part in helping people feel incredible is deeply fulfilling.

Moving into the studio felt like a big moment — having built this business that started as a part-time passion project into something with its own beautiful space. I share the studio with my close friend Holly from Marbeck Jewellery. It’s a little heritage chapel building with such character; with the sun streaming in on a bright afternoon, it’s a lovely place to be. It’s the perfect home for Hayes Bridal, and I love that I can invite brides into a space that feels calm, private and comfortable.

I’m so happy with how Hayes Bridal is at the moment — hopefully a lot more of the same! I held a trunk show last summer at a beautiful store in London, The Fall Bride, which was a taste of taking Hayes Bridal international. I’d love for my designs to be more accessible to overseas brides, but the aim has always been for me to love what I do, not necessarily to grow to a large scale. I want every Hayes Bridal piece to feel special and meaningful — not just another dress on a rack. It will always be kept to a very limited number of stores. Watch this space!

It might not be the most romantic piece of advice, but I think comfort can sometimes be overlooked. Your experience of your wedding dress on the day is not looking at it — it’s wearing it.

Comfort means something different for everyone. Some want to feel tightly held and super secure in their gown; others might prefer something slinky and bias-cut that really moves with them. But you can’t go wrong with something that feels amazing to wear and move in — never taking you out of the present moment on the day.