hai AW22 Presentation at London Fashion Week
To celebrate Hai's London Fashion Week debut, this week Hai Society is bringing you the best of behind the scenes from our event at Cob Gallery in London. Read on for our photo diary of the night and a chat and reflection with Creative Director and Hai founder, Tessa.
How did you present AW22 at LFW, what did you do?
We organised an evening event, A celebration of Hai; flowers, food, poetry and film with some of our favourite friends and collaborators.
The Cob Gallery kindly lent us the space whilst also showing the works of Chechu Alava; “A Timeless Story”. The artist's beautiful work set a precedent for the event and assisted in the colour palette of both the flowers and food.It was an eclectic mix of both a visual interpretation of what the collection represented with interactive additions that speak for the overall meaning of the collection.
Does the collection have a name or a story behind it?
The whole collection is inspired by nostalgia, these are pieces that capture the feeling of rummaging around in the dressing up box.
This was also the inspiration behind the film, playing around at home, dressing up.
Who did you collaborate with to pull the presentation together?
It was a true coming together of collaborators;
Location Cob Gallery
Editorial shot by Daniella Maiorano
Film by Maya Skelton
Flowers by Christie Corbally
Poetry by Hannah Regal
What was on the mood board?
A visual feast was our initial starting point and with the addition of more collaborators this idea expanded.
What made you decide to present at fashion week for the first time?
Over the past 3 years Hai has evolved so much, it was always our plan to expand into ready to wear and jewellery. A presentation of our AW collection at LFW seemed like the perfect place to celebrate getting to this point.
What was the Hai of the experience?
The Hai was definitely seeing our ideas come to life after weeks of planning. Seeing the beautiful presentation within the gallery, the juxtaposition of both Chechus' work and the magnificent display of food and flowers surrounded by guests adorned in Hai was quite overwhelming!
The little butter swans were and asparagus tarts tied with a Hai blue bow were like a dream come true.
What’s your standout look or piece from the new collection?
It’s hard to choose, the Maud skirt is without a doubt the piece that formed the start of the collection. It’s inspired by vintage petticoats that my childhood friend Maud and I used to dress up in.
The pieces are a clear representation of how Hai is evolving, a more sophisticated use of silk combined with the nostalgia of timeless pieces you want in your wardrobe.
Did any guests style Hai in unexpected ways?
We love seeing how everyone styles their Hai items in their own unique ways. It's one of our favourite things to see, which pieces they choose and how they wear them.
Melissa Jane Tarling chose to layer our Leonard Ruffle Trousers with an ivory mini skirt and Maggie jacket. The addition of the Ivory Ruby Ruffle hat was the cherry on top
Xiaoqiao and Chenghzen always steal the show in my eyes. They wore The OIive blouse in red and pink and their accessories are always so on point
How did you unwind (or celebrate?) in the days following the presentation?
We have been going non stop since the presentation but we will host a dinner for all our collaborators and relive the evening together!
When will the new collection hit the online store?
By the end of summer :)
Will you do a presentation next fashion week, any ideas you could share already?
Yes, definitely! We’re currently developing our SS23 collections and are very excited about showing this in September.
How did you present AW22 at LFW, what did you do?
We organised an evening event, A celebration of Hai; flowers, food, poetry and film with some of our favourite friends and collaborators.
The Cob Gallery kindly lent us the space whilst also showing the works of Chechu Alava; “A Timeless Story”. The artist's beautiful work set a precedent for the event and assisted in the colour palette of both the flowers and food.It was an eclectic mix of both a visual interpretation of what the collection represented with interactive additions that speak for the overall meaning of the collection.
Does the collection have a name or a story behind it?
The whole collection is inspired by nostalgia, these are pieces that capture the feeling of rummaging around in the dressing up box.
This was also the inspiration behind the film, playing around at home, dressing up.
Who did you collaborate with to pull the presentation together?
It was a true coming together of collaborators;
Location Cob Gallery
Editorial shot by Daniella Maiorano
Film by Maya Skelton
Flowers by Christie Corbally
Poetry by Hannah Regal
What was on the mood board?
A visual feast was our initial starting point and with the addition of more collaborators this idea expanded.
What made you decide to present at fashion week for the first time?
Over the past 3 years Hai has evolved so much, it was always our plan to expand into ready to wear and jewellery. A presentation of our AW collection at LFW seemed like the perfect place to celebrate getting to this point.
What was the Hai of the experience?
The Hai was definitely seeing our ideas come to life after weeks of planning. Seeing the beautiful presentation within the gallery, the juxtaposition of both Chechus' work and the magnificent display of food and flowers surrounded by guests adorned in Hai was quite overwhelming!
The little butter swans were and asparagus tarts tied with a Hai blue bow were like a dream come true.
What’s your standout look or piece from the new collection?
It’s hard to choose, the Maud skirt is without a doubt the piece that formed the start of the collection. It’s inspired by vintage petticoats that my childhood friend Maud and I used to dress up in.
The pieces are a clear representation of how Hai is evolving, a more sophisticated use of silk combined with the nostalgia of timeless pieces you want in your wardrobe.
Did any guests style Hai in unexpected ways?
We love seeing how everyone styles their Hai items in their own unique ways. It's one of our favourite things to see, which pieces they choose and how they wear them.
Melissa Jane Tarling chose to layer our Leonard Ruffle Trousers with an ivory mini skirt and Maggie jacket. The addition of the Ivory Ruby Ruffle hat was the cherry on top
Xiaoqiao and Chenghzen always steal the show in my eyes. They wore The OIive blouse in red and pink and their accessories are always so on point
How did you unwind (or celebrate?) in the days following the presentation?
We have been going non stop since the presentation but we will host a dinner for all our collaborators and relive the evening together!
When will the new collection hit the online store?
By the end of summer :)
Will you do a presentation next fashion week, any ideas you could share already?
Yes, definitely! We’re currently developing our SS23 collections and are very excited about showing this in September.